Reviews
SLJ Review of On the Go!
This cute picture book series features adorable, diverse cartoon characters exploring the planet on different types of transportation. On the Water! explains how boats can use man power, wind power, and engine power to move people from shore to shore, both for fun and for work. On the… View →
SLJ Review of Careers in STEM
In four volumes, this series focuses on four STEM careers (zoologist, electrical engineer, environmental engineer, video game developer) and some of the basic requirements, challenges, and opportunities of each. These books, while still serving the needs of… View →
Booklist Review of Disney
From animated films and a streaming channel to theme parks and cruise ships, Disney has changed a lot since its founding in 1923. This engaging overview from the Behind the Brand series (6 titles) moves at a steady clip as it takes readers through the company’s origins as the Disney… View →
SLJ Review of Pick a Plate
Part of healthy living is knowing how to fuel one’s body. Using the USDA MyPlate model, readers are taken on a “build your own plate” story to compare and contrast choices. There is no moral value applied to the foods; they are simply weighed for nutritional and View →
SLJ Review of Ancient Marine Life
Prehistoric creatures of the ocean come to life in this new Hi-Lo series. Each title provides in-depth information on an early marine animal, with topics ranging from ichthyosaurs to sea scorpions to mega- lodons. The text, which includes one short, readable paragraph per page, is… View →
SLJ Review of Wacky World Of...
This series explores the amusing oddities that can be found in art, architecture, science, and inventions. Titles each have a table of contents followed by a brief explanation of the topic with vocabulary words in bold. The back matter has a quick list of more interesting facts followed… View →
SLJ Review of Rosen Verified: Natural Disasters
There seem to be an unprecedented number of unusual meteorological and other natural disasters in the wake of global warming. Aiming to help demystify these sometimes scary topics, these titles offer examples of real natural disasters, show real people living through them, and explain… View →
Booklist Review of Terrors of the Triassic
Though dinosaurs receive most of the prehistoric spotlight, plenty of other reptiles thrived alongside them. This entry in the That’s Not a Dino! series (4 titles) focuses on the Triassic period, and after an introduction to the era and field of paleontology, the not-dinosaurs get their… View →
SLJ Review of That's Not a Dino!
This series guides readers through the distinction between dinosaurs and non- dinosaurs. The Pleistocene, Triassic, Juras- sic, and Cretaceous periods are featured in various titles. Each book discusses the time of the dinosaurs and the specific time span of the title, then spotlights… View →
SLJ Review of Top Secret
Able readers who enjoy historical mysteries and examining all sides of stories will appreciate this series about unexplainable events. Each slim volume opens with an intriguing introduction before laying out known details of the “top secret” in the subsequent three chapters. Each mystery View →
Booklist Review of World War II in the Pacific: Timelines, Facts, and Battles
Students who enjoy analyzing war tactics, strategies, and key dates will welcome this title in the America Goes to War series (7 titles). Concentrating on WWII, specifically U.S. forces in the Pacific, the volume uses succinct, four-page chapters to introduce… View →
SLJ Review of Holiday History
What is the background of holidays? What traditions are associated with them? How are they celebrated around the world? This series addresses these questions in short paragraphs and large-scale images with helpful labels. Text boxes ask “Did you know?” or “What do you think?” and then… View →