(3) YA Illustrated by Helen Flook. This guide features good advice--on friendships, cliques, teachers, bullies, lockers, clothes, dances, sex, etc.--and large doses of reassurance delivered in breezy, just-cool-enough prose. Chapters on home life, puberty, and "serious stuff" such as sexual harassment seem somewhat outside the book's scope but are nonetheless handled well. Testimonials from real kids are sprinkled throughout, adding to the book's credibility.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Finding Out about Holidays series. A choppy text, sidebars with related information, and stock color photographs give a fairly detailed history about the origins of this Jewish holiday. Contemporary traditions, such as gift giving, games, and parties, are discussed. A list of websites, a brief timeline, and instructions for making a dreidel are appended. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Published spring 1998. In both books, Erlbach introduces readers to a good number of successful examples of children and teens who started their own business or became volunteers. The profiles are interesting and inspiring, and substantial information is provided on the practical details of starting a business or a volunteer enterprise. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) 4-6 Published spring 1998.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) 4-6 All about Pets series. Photographs by Andy King. First person narratives and scads of color photographs tell the story of how and why a featured boy or girl chose these pets. Text and sidebars provide general information about basic care and feeding, behavior, and overall expense. These books will help prospective pet owners decide which animal is right for them, but they will need to consult more detailed books before bringing their pets home. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) 4-6 Cornerstones of Freedom series. Enduring episodes from American history are neatly summarized in compact volumes that combine clearly written texts with historical reproductions and photographs. The simple prose makes judicious use of quotes from principle periods, resulting in a series of non-intimidating introductions to major historical events. Time lines are included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.