Series Made Simple

This series centered on makerspaces should give middle-grade makers, crafters, and hobbyists fresh ideas to spark their creative imaginations. Framed with a boilerplate introduction to makerspaces and standard safety messages and materials lists, each volume offers stepped project directions illustrated with clear photos; useful "tip" sidebars appear throughout. Younger crafters may need some adult help, but they'll be motivated. Glos., ind.

These starter biographies have fact-driven texts illustrated with uncaptioned photos (or historical art in [cf2]Washington[cf1]). The choppy writing is easy to read, but the volumes provide little in the way of substantive background about these First Ladies. Appended lists of quick stats and key dates may be helpful when writing reports. Glos., ind.

While ostensibly introducing young kids to seasons and the colors observable during each, this series' obvious marketing makes it more of an advertising campaign for the familiar crayon brand. Each volume contains vibrant, seasonal photos with a simple descriptive text. Young children might enjoy looking for all the (Crayola-brand) colors identified in the appended guide. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

These informative volumes about personality, dreams, and memory each begin with a chapter on previous beliefs and theories, followed by five or six chapters outlining current knowledge on the topic. Frequent photographs and line drawings accompany the plentiful quizzes and entertaining activities throughout, which let kids challenge themselves. A concluding activity to try with friends and family is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

This volume follows the work of Edward S. Curtis, who photographed Native American nations from the 1890s to the late 1920s. Taking into consideration Curtis's romanticized view of Native Peoples, Nardo provides a balanced portrait of Curtis's portraits and experiences. Well-reproduced black-and-white photos throughout enhance the fascinating account. Additional information on key photographs is appended. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

These books describe rocks and minerals and the STEAM concepts related to them. The one-chapter-per-STEAM-subject organization feels forced and makes for a scattershot presentation of information. Simple sentences attempt to stay accessible for new readers but sometimes lead to confusion, and the books' eye-catching photographs suffer from poor or misleading labeling. Key stats are appended. Glos., ind.

Each of these accessible titles examines the causes for and effects of an amendment to the Bill of Rights, including how the amendment came to be, how it has evolved over time, and current controversies surrounding it. The dry but informative texts are accompanied by drawings, photographs, and quotes, as well as "Fast Facts" and word definitions. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Contemporary threats to ecological systems and to the health of people, plants, and animals include natural disasters and human production of waste. These books delve deep into related science and technologies, each issue's history, and ethical considerations. Descriptions of attempts to mitigate a problem; quotes from experts; and helpful photographs, diagrams, and sidebars reinforce each problem's severity. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

This series provides general glimpses into many immigrant groups' struggles in the U.S. Each book's vignettes (with direct quotes) on real immigrants striving for citizenship and acceptance in America add intimacy and impact to the presentation; frank discussions of discrimination are included. Photographs extend the narratives. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.