Series Made Simple

This title, ideal for student research, explores hip-hop dance in historical, political, and cultural context. The clean layout employs a large font, wide margins, plentiful color photos, and informative sidebars. Overall, this series celebrates hip-hop as the voice of urban and marginalized populations while also objectively addressing concerns such as commercialization. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

These volumes offer aspiring young entrepreneurs tips for starting successful pet- and babysitting businesses. Topics addressed include marketing; managing money; problem solving; recommended training or certification; and the importance of reliability, communication, and professionalism. Busily decorated with extraneous stock photos and doodles, the texts are nowhere near comprehensive but serve as encouraging and effective introductions. Reading list. Glos., ind.

The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and other policy changes are already affecting the accuracy of this book, but it still provides good background on important environmental issues from an international point of view; chapters touch on climate change, cleaner energy, the oceans, and deforestation. Color photos, charts, and fact boxes make for an engaging if busy layout. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Figures from Greek and Norse mythology are introduced in short illustrated chapters. Choppy texts cover the basics, but the lack of detail is occasionally odd (e.g, "Athena helped the Greeks win a war" could easily have specified "...the Trojan War"). The illustrations are a disjointed mix including stills from recent films, comic book style renderings, and classical paintings. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

These thorough biographies of pioneering women in scientific and technical fields delve deeply into their personal and professional lives. The series includes frank and balanced discussions of both the successes and challenges each woman faced, as well as the qualities and intellect that drove her significant accomplishments. Numerous photographs of the scientists and additional information about their fields are included. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Young scientists will learn about weather, rocks, erosion, and solar energy through simple activities. Each project includes a materials list (most are common household items); steps to complete the activity, illustrated with photos; and a paragraph explaining how it works. Safety tips are offered as needed. Nothing groundbreaking, but good fun for primary-grade STEM curricula. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Each book provides information about the Native American tribes of the region, retells several traditional stories, and quotes contemporary Native storytellers discussing the tradition. Color photos and maps break up the accessible texts; researchers may find the writing prompts and links in this Common Core focused series distracting. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind.

This series clearly explains engineering principles through hands-on projects. Six-page introductions define each engineered structure, briefly describing its construction, uses, and different types. Five or six activities follow, and "Digging Deeper" sidebars expand on the science involved. Simple directions, inexpensive materials lists, and plenty of helpful photographs make this series a good choice for budding engineers. Each book concludes with a three-question quiz. Glos.

These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.