Reviews
Booklist Review of Safari Animal Families
This offering from the Safari Animal Families series (12 titles) begins with an explanation of why groups of wildebeests, or gnus, are called confusions. Presumably the term is based on wildebeests’ tendency to clump together in big bunches, occasionally even trampling one another.… View →
Booklist Review of Survival Stories
This entry in the Survival Stories series (6 titles) contains gripping true stories of people around the world who escaped the wrath of volcanoes. It opens with a detailed description of how volcanoes erupt and fast facts about the four featured stories: two people’s escape from a… View →
Booklist Review of Technology through the Ages
From the Technology through the Ages series , this information-packed volume focuses on machines that improved the lives of people living in specific places and times throughout world history. Chapters focus on engineering advances achieved by civilizations in ancient Greece, Rome,… View →
Booklist Review of The World of Anime and Manga
In this guide from The World of Anime and Manga series (4 titles), those wishing to explore these modes of illustrated storytelling will become acquainted with several popular genres: “Shonen and Shojo,” “Fantasy and Isekai,” “Sci-fi and Mecha,” and “Slice of Life and Sports.” A… View →
Booklist Review of What Would Happen if...
Who can resist chocolate—or a question like “What would happen if you only ate chocolate?” This book cleverly uses this intriguing question as a gateway to discussing nutrition and the ways food can affect our bodies’ various functions. After beginning with a little girl grabbing a large View →
Booklist Review of What Would Happen if... (¿Qué pasaría si...?)
Who can resist chocolate—or a question like “What would happen if you only ate chocolate?” This book cleverly uses this intriguing question as a gateway to discussing nutrition and the ways food can affect our bodies’ various functions. After beginning with a little girl grabbing a large View →
Booklist Review of World History: Need to Know
Written in easy-to-understand text, Faust’s book skillfully provides a framework for understanding one of the most highly controversial wars in history, which began in 1955 and spanned almost 20 years, igniting protests in the U.S. and around the world. The powerful photographs and… View →
SLJ Review of Amazing Summer Olympics
Stunning photos paired with short, simple text make this series stand out. Though each book limns the history of the sport in question, the focus is on recent Olympic athletes, like Katie Ledecky, current record holder for medals (10) among female Olympic swimmers. Action-packed photos… View →
SLJ Review of Amazing Summer Olympics (Los increíbles Juegos Olímpicos de verano)
Stunning photos paired with short, simple text make this series stand out. Though each book limns the history of the sport in question, the focus is on recent Olympic athletes, like Katie Ledecky, current record holder for medals (10) among female Olympic swimmers. Action-packed photos… View →
SLJ Review of American Crime Stories
These titles are not for the faint of heart. A warning in each book alerts readers to triggers of violence, crime, and death “that may be disturbing.” Each case is accompanied by infographics, detailed maps, photos, and a timeline of key events. The crime and its investigation are… View →
SLJ Review of Powerful Predators
Each title in this series introduces eight separate examples of predators from the animal group. Two-page spreads include descriptive titles emphasizing the dangerous aspect of the creature, such as “Lethal Lions” (Mammals) and “Killer King Cobras” (Reptiles). A few sentences focus… View →
SLJ Review of Americana
Connecting the past with the present, this series covers a variety of subjects such as baseball, muscle cars, amusement parks, and more. The opening of each title describes a significant moment or place in history, like the 600 million people who watched the moon landing (Television).… View →