Reviews
A noteworthy review of How America Works from Booklist on October 1, 2016
The How America Works series examines foundational elements of the U.S. government at a level appropriate for upper-elementary readers. This volume introduces the U.S. Constitution by first describing why the country’s founders felt it was needed, the events of the 1787 constitutional… View →
A noteworthy review of In the Barnyard from Children's Bookwatch on October 1, 2016
‘Cats’ is an introduction to the world of domestic cats from the series, In the Barnyard, written for young readers age 5 and up. ‘Cats’ has information on domestic cat colors, characteristics, claws, eating hunting, and life expectancy, plus multiple color photo portraits of many different… View →
A noteworthy review of True Stories, Real People from Horn Book Guide on October 1, 2016
True Stories, Real People series. Each short, inspiring biography is divided into four or five chapters written in an objective, unpretentious manner. Quotation sources are fastidiously footnoted and listed in the back matter. Navigation is easy thanks to clean layouts and a simple color… View →
A noteworthy review of The Spark of Invention from Horn Book Guide on October 1, 2016
Spark of Invention series. These books examine the history and technological underpinnings of these modern machines. Each volume hits on a few key people and events critical to the creation of the technology as well as to the products’ broad popularity. The books are quite short, though… View →
A noteworthy review of Natural Disaster True Survival Stories from Horn Book Guide on October 1, 2016
Natural Disaster True Survival Stories series. In a series about real-life disaster survival, these volumes focus on weather-related events in the U.S. In each book, a brief introduction describes the disaster and four or five chapters detail real individuals’ involvement. Gripping… View →
A noteworthy review of Titanic Stories from Horn Book Guide on October 1, 2016
Titanic Stories series. Providing a wealth of in-depth information, intimate details, and lesser-known facts about the Titanic, this series explores every aspect of the doomed voyage in readable narratives. With a focus on the perspectives of individual travelers, each book is aided by its… View →
A noteworthy review of Eyewitness to World War II from Horn Book Guide on October 1, 2016
Eyewitness to World War II series. Each book in this series looks at a specific aspect of World War II with an emphasis on first-hand accounts. The age-appropriate prose is engaging but provides minimum background information, making the volumes better as supplementary texts for interested… View →
A noteworthy review of How America Works from Children's Bookwatch on September 1, 2016
‘How Elections Work’ is a succinct guide to the American electoral process in the U.S.A. for young adults and teens. Illuminated with historic black and white and color photos, timelines, and other visual aids, ‘How Elections Work’ covers it’s subject matter in three chapters: Voting Rights… View →
A noteworthy review of Inside Look at Sports Events from Booklist on June 1, 2016
Rather than presenting the facts historically or analytically, each volume in the Inside Look at Sports Events series leads off with a two-page informational section in a Q&A format, and then offers five narrative chapters, each from a different point of view. The result is a book that… View →
A noteworthy review of Exploring Dinosaurs from School Library Connection on May 1, 2016
Dinosaurs are a source of fascination because scientists can only study their fossils to gather information, and they are still uncovering interesting facts. Author Susan Gray, a scientist with a special interest in zoology and paleontology, includes the latest information and answers to… View →
A noteworthy review of Endangered Animals from School Library Connection on May 1, 2016
The focus of these books is on the reasons each animal is endangered and the ways humans can help. Each title describes an animal, its environmental adaptations, and the threats contributing to its decline and conservation. Up-close photographs engage the reader, and life cycle diagrams and… View →
A noteworthy review of Unsolved Mysteries from Horn Book Guide on April 1, 2016
4-6 Unsolved Mysteries series. These books offer clear-eyed assessments of persistent unexplained phenomena. An anecdote introduces the titular subject; each survey superficially touches on history and possible explanations— scientific or otherwise. The slight texts are easy to read and… View →