Series Made Simple

Gr 3—5—Solid scientific material is presented in accessible language and a visually engaging, boldly colored layout...

K-Gr 1—Though possibly useful for extending ideas of what constitutes a "family," in other respects these volumes are of uneven quality at best...

Gr 9 Up—Aside from new introductions and (possibly) new material in the closing bibliographical essays, these independent surveys rearrange content from Britannica Online Encyclopedia to present broad pictures of the Middle East's varied physical and cultural landscapes, cultural highlights, and history (through early 2010, so the chapters on modern history in Egypt and Yemen are out of date)...

Gr 1—2—Anchored by small but legible maps showing each continent's geographical extent, national borders, landforms, and population density, these primer-level surveys systematically deliver broad but simplistic topical overviews...

Gr 2—4—These titles use stories to explain how to create different poetic forms...

Gr 8 Up—These small-print, compact volumes, which assume a solid grasp of basic scientific knowledge, are jam-packed with information...

Gr 5—7—Although Humanity covers human origins and the European slave trade in Africa, the series focus is on the African-American experience in the United States, describing the most important events of the centuries-long struggle for freedom and civil rights...

Gr 5—8— Detailed step-by-step building instructions are not included in Robot; instead, the author offers an overview and the encouragement and inspiration to forge ahead...

Gr 4—6—Fascinating sports and challenges are briefly elucidated in this series...