(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Wilson Ong. Twelve-year-old Chinese orphan Lee travels to America alone in 1926. Kept on Angel Island Immigration Station, he must "prove," with his detailed answers (learned from a coaching book) to a grueling interrogator, that he is the "son" of a legal American resident. This pat story of an immigrant looking for a better life in America is illustrated with realistic if somewhat murky paintings.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Robert Papp. St. Michaels, Maryland, a shipbuilding community on the Chesapeake Bay, is targeted by the British Navy during the War of 1812. While bringing a message to his soldier father, young Henry Middle makes a tactical suggestion that saves the town. Though the text is overwrought and the illustrations are uneven, the book effectively highlights how one child's act can make a difference.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger. The story begins with Cora's mother's death during childbirth along the Oregon Trail. Difficult decisions pioneers had to make aren't sugarcoated: Cora's father gives the baby, named Susan, to her aunt to raise. In a fairy-tale ending, little Susan appears in teacher Cora's classroom. There's a fair bit of sentimentality in the text and prairie-themed illustrations, but the story line is engaging.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Robert Gantt Steele. After the Bishops' son dies in World War II, do-gooder Lily volunteers to create a victory garden in their backyard. Lily is warned not to disturb Mrs. Bishop, but eventually (and not surprisingly) they become friends. The story, though wordy, is heartfelt, as are the somewhat stiff paintings. An appended spread provides historical context.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Mike Benny. Three slave children including Ella May, the story's narrator, hide near their master's home to listen for news. This is how they learn, for example, that Lincoln has won the election. The text, while occasionally informative, is stilted. The paintings can be awkwardly exaggerated, but the muted palette lends gravitas to the tale.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by David Geister. In Riding, Janie goes with her father on a bus to hear Martin Luther King Jr. In Lucky, Ruth's school is closed during the Great Depression. Both stories purport to show a child's interpretation of a time in history, though their voices waver unconvincingly between naive and profound. The realistic-looking paintings, though stiff, make good use of light and shadow. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: Riding to Washington and The Lucky Star.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In Riding, Janie goes with her father on a bus to hear Martin Luther King Jr. In Lucky, Ruth's school is closed during the Great Depression. Both stories purport to show a child's interpretation of a time in history, though their voices waver unconvincingly between naive and profound. The realistic-looking paintings, though stiff, make good use of light and shadow. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: Riding to Washington and The Lucky Star.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Tammy Yee. In Rudy the young title character rides the rails during the Great Depression, and Quilt is about the 1946 Hawaiian tsunami. The plots are bland; Quilt is message-driven and Rudy doesn't really have an ending, but they both impart some historical information. The illustrations in Quilt are colorful but stiff, while the paintings in Rudy are muted and impressionistic. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: The Tsunami Quilt and Rudy Rides the Rails.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In Rudy the young title character rides the rails during the Great Depression, and Quilt is about the 1946 Hawaiian tsunami. The plots are bland; Quilt is message-driven and Rudy doesn't really have an ending, but they both impart some historical information. The illustrations in Quilt are colorful but stiff, while the paintings in Rudy are muted and impressionistic. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: The Tsunami Quilt and Rudy Rides the Rails.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In this tale of struggle and perseverance, African American Moses and his family leave their home in Baltimore to participate in an Oklahoma land run. Though it's slow to get moving, the story effectively relates the obstacles the characters face while working toward their dream of owning a farm. Dark, atmospheric paintings display the family's struggles and triumphs.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Robert Papp. Set during the Battle of Gettysburg, this story tells of Gabe, a young bugler for the Union Army. In the heat of the three-day battle, Gabe, having lost two brothers already in the war, is torn between his concerns for his remaining brother's safety and for his new Confederate friend. Papp's paintings add depth and beauty to the sometimes dense text.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 My World: Young Native Americans Today series. Photographs by John Harrington. In a choppy first-person narrative that is often interrupted by the author, ten-year-old Lydia discusses her life as a fifth grader, as well as her participation in the Tlingit community and activities (she is a member of a culture club, which performs traditional dances). Historic and contemporary photos, particularly of Lydia and her family, give the volume a personal touch.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 My World: Young Native Americans Today series. Photographs by John Harrington. Mindy, an Arizona girl of Hopi descent and the author's niece, is both a typical teen (she hopes to make the girls' basketball team) and an active member of her clan. Mindy's first-person narrative is somewhat bland, but its substance and the photos, both historic and contemporary, are of uncontestable value.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 My World: Young Native Americans Today series. Photographs by John Harrington. A contemporary Piscataway boy describes his life and his participation in the ceremony for the Awakening of Mother Earth. The book includes good information and well-reproduced photographs, but the format is confusing and the narration jumps awkwardly from one topic to another.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Young Americans series. After her father's death, nine-year-old Maria takes care of her younger siblings and the domestic chores while her mother struggles to keep their printing business going. Based on the trials of a real family, the book includes biographical information about Maria and historical notes on colonial Williamsburg and the printing trade. The prose is stiff, but Maria's concerns for her family's well-being will strike a chord.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 Young Americans series. Although his father endorses a more moderate relationship between the colonies and Great Britain, eleven-year-old John finds himself supporting his older brother's more revolutionary stance. Loosely based on the experiences of a real family in Colonial Williamsburg, the story is fast paced, but the dialogue often strains to include background material. An afterword places the story in historical context.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Young Americans series. Twelve-year-old Will Pelham's father takes a job as the gaoler for the city of Williamsburg, Virginia. As Will helps his father, he gets to know the prisoners. When he suspects that a runaway slave, whose plight he sympathizes with, is planning an escape, Will must decide what to do. This historically accurate and engaging story is based on the records of a real family. Background information is appended.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Young Americans series. Twelve-year-old Nancy worries that her father's reluctance to take a stand against the Stamp Act will have an adverse affect on the family business, and she has little patience for her stepmother's poor health during pregnancy. Inspired by the few facts known about the real Nancy Geddy, the short novel adequately portrays the concerns of a young Williamsburg girl. Historical information is appended.

Reviewer: Anne St. John