Atlantis

Gr 3–5—These small volumes with minimal text offer sketchy introductions to phenomena widely known in legend. Each begins with a fictional anecdote, moves on to a brief definition and history, and then states the opinions of believers and skeptics. All conclude with some variation of "Nobody knows for sure." The spare, wooden narratives and small, adequate photographs contradict the publisher's claim "They burst with intense action, high speed heroics, and shadows of the unknown." Hardly epic, they do provide critical thinking lessons on encouraging readers to be both open to possibilities and also skeptical in considering these inherently intriguing topics. More informative titles appear in each book's bibliography. All include one web resource, factsurfer.com, apparently designed for children and leading to resources varying from minimal to deeply informative.