National learning standards have generated much discussion in recent years. Beyond the controversy, however, is a widespread recognition that students need more than a superficial knowledge of the world and its history. School libraries can be powerful sources of books that provide age-appropriate content that includes background and detail even as they encourage readers to think critically about the past and how it affects the present. The best of these sets take readers beneath the historical surface and give them in-depth information and analysis that will supplement and enhance what they are learning in class and help them gain a deeper understanding of the world’s past.

Elementary

Gr 3-6 –The past-tense titles are somewhat misleading, since historical and contemporary examples of each subject are featured. Chapters six-to-eight pages in length discuss aspects of the main topics, using examples of bizarre customs and practices from around the world. Eaten and Medicine are the stronger titles, highlighting the steady progress that has transformed medicine and nutrition. Bodies and Sport emphasize regional and cultural development of body decorations and sports, respectively. Large, serviceable color photos and period illustrations are included. Terms are defined in text boxes, and “Bizarre Facts” sidebars add interesting tidbits. As is typical in this type of book, there’s a decent gross-out quotient and terms such as poop, which will draw in readers, but much of this material can be found either in books about specific countries and cultures or in the many extant sets about disgusting topics published in recent years. VERDICT Additional purchases.

Gr 3-5 –Adventure-seeking readers will find much to enjoy here. Each book focuses on the life of a young warrior, who describes his training, weapons and armor, and battles. His story is supplemented by background about his culture and its people, brief overviews of the culture’s most famous combatants, and numerous step-by-step instructions for training or battle or detailed descriptions of how these fighters carried out their tasks. Each spread has a “Warning!” sidebar about daily dangers. The caricature-style illustrations include depictions of the subject and his companions, his culture, and its buildings and ships. Though a little short on report detail, these lively offerings are likely to capture the imaginations of those who long for tales of bravery and daring escapades. VERDICT Good supplemental purchases for upper elementary readers.

Gr 3-6 –The newest installment in the “Fun Fact File” emphasizes the often unrecognized importance of women in history, featuring information about women in traditional roles and those who defied restrictive societal norms and rules to play larger roles in their societies. Each page contains a “Fun Fact” with a brief paragraph of information, supplemented with yellow boxes (shaped like note cards) that are captions for illustrations or that provide additional material. Books are organized into short chapters that discuss how women of various classes and situations lived, thrived, and sometimes forged their own destinies. Serviceable illustrations are often not well matched with the accompanying text. Much of this content can be found in sections about women and families in extant titles on these familiar topics, and this set lacks the visual appeal of some of the previous “Fun Facts” series. VERDICT A supplemental choice.

Middle to High School

Gr 9 Up –Outstanding analysis of factors responsible for some of history’s most significant events distinguishes this well-written set. Books open with a brief description of a pivotal moment and topic overview, followed by four chapters that ask and answer a key question. Chapter topics vary but generally include an underlying cause (e.g., the Treaty of Versailles in World War II), the effects of important decisions or events (such as how French support of the Americans affected the American and French Revolutions), and the aftermath (for instance, the continuing legacy of Roman civilization) of each subject. Authors include contemporary scholarship and provide plenty of background. Occasional sidebars and illustrations add to the text. These selections offer readable, thought-provoking content that will help students gain the deeper comprehension of causality in history required by contemporary learning standards. VERDICT Valuable additions to any collection serving high school students.

Gr 7 Up –Skillfully blending narrative and well-documented primary sources, these books provide superior coverage about the Holocaust. The high level of detail goes well beyond the standard, often-sensationalized recitation of evil leaders, methods, and numbers killed, describing how Adolf Hitler and the Nazis exploited Europe’s widespread anti-Semitism, creating a climate that quickly escalated from persecution to the destruction of most of Europe’s Jews. Books are text-dense, and authors fully develop topics, drawing on primary sources to give voice to Holocaust victims and survivors, the Nazis who crushed those who opposed them and their ideas, and the brave souls who risked everything to save Jewish lives. Sidebars, occasional photos, and maps supplement the writing. Those looking for research sources will find plenty of material in this set and will also gain a better understanding of how easily evil can overwhelm good and result in catastrophe. VERDICT An excellent addition to collections serving upper middle and high school students.

Gr 9 Up –Designed for high school students doing research, this set offers well-organized, comprehensive coverage, with long chapters supplemented by lengthy sidebars about important people, events, ideologies, historical theories, and other related topics. Occasional period art and illustrations add little. Unfortunately, with the exception of the lengthy introductions and somewhat briefer conclusions, content, though presented in a convenient format, appears to be almost exclusively drawn from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, much of which can be accessed online without cost. The bibliographies, which match those for the online articles, show a heavy reliance on dated works. VERDICT Since so much of the material presented is accessible through a simple online search, most libraries would be better served with more current, newly written alternatives.

Gr 7 Up –With at least some content that is almost identical to that in Cavendish’s “An Illustrated History” (2010) (which includes titles on Greece, Rome, ancient Egypt, and the Near East) and that is very similar to that found in the Cavendish reference set “The History of the Ancient and Medieval World” (1996), this group of books provides comprehensive coverage of civilizations from prehistory through the medieval periods. Western civilizations receive the most attention, but the volumes also discuss important cultures in the East, Middle East, and the Americas, with information about how cultures arose; how their peoples lived, worshipped and were governed; important contributions; and eventual declines. Material and analysis on the East and Middle East are the most current. Chapters are long and include much detail but are not documented. Sources and interpretations, especially for Western cultures, are somewhat dated. Occasional reproductions of ancient art and photos of artifacts and sidebars about important people, events, and ideas break up long stretches of text. VERDICT Libraries that have the previous Cavendish publications will not find much new here, and those that don’t should consider it at most an additional report purchase.

Gr 7-10 –This effective series describes history’s most crucial inventions and explains their enormous impact on the modern world, from the almost unbelievable number of machines that operate with wheels to the often overlooked health benefits of sanitation and safe food. Each book opens with an account of a pivotal moment in the technology’s history; is followed by descriptions of its invention, evolution, and widespread adoption; and conclude with analysis about its impact and predictions about its future. All titles are well written and include information, complete with diagrams, about how the inventions work and the complementary technologies they inspired. Large, well-chosen period and contemporary illustrations and photos are a plus. VERDICT This set delivers plenty of report information and encourages readers to think about how technology has affected their lives, making it an excellent choice.

Gr 7 Up –The second group of books originally published in Spanish by Editorial Sol 90 continues the excellent coverage of how researchers are solving some of history’s most enduring mysteries with modern investigative approaches and technologies. The volumes describe how scientific methods are providing new insights into topics such as the Bermuda Triangle and Dracula. They offer background information, discuss the origins of myths surrounding the subjects, explain how research is contributing to general knowledge, and provide rational explanations and theories. The strongest element of the set is the outstanding illustrative material, which includes large color photos of locations and artifacts, illustrations, maps, aerial images, diagrams, and exploded and cutaway drawings. VERDICT These selections are certain to draw a pleasure-reading and report-writing audience and are a strong buy.

Gr 7 Up –Previously published as the “Days of Change” (Creative Education) series nearly a decade ago, this set has been reformatted into a more attractive layout. However, content and illustrations are almost completely unchanged, with the exception of The 9/11 Attacks, which adds a few sentences about the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, and the death of Osama bin Laden. Content doesn’t venture beyond what is generally standard for these topics, and analysis and interpretations as well as bibliographies and recommended sources are becoming dated. There are numerous extant titles about these subjects, many written since these books were originally published. VERDICT Libraries that need material about these topics should consider more recent treatments for reports and readers.

Gr 7-10 –Although titled “The Full Story,” this set is better described as an undistinguished general introduction. Volumes cover the causes; home fronts; military campaigns; air, land and sea wars; and lasting effects of the war, but at 48 pages per book, they provide almost no in-depth coverage of topics or analysis of events. There are no maps to help readers locate the many places mentioned in the text, which uses military jargon and descriptions of tactics without adequate introduction. Very brief sidebars add a few sentences about “key” people, events, themes, and eyewitness accounts. Period photos are generic and below average in quality and reproduction. VERDICT These selections introduce so many topics, people, battles, and events that students are as likely to become confused as informed, and they don’t improve on the many extant titles available about World War II.

Gr 5-8 –An appealing layout enlivens this set about famous warriors, which covers origins, history, and feats of the warrior classes. The visuals, which include high-quality photos of locations, modern-day people in historical garb, weapons, and artifacts, as well as maps and illustrations of tactics and famous battle maneuvers, greatly enhance the standard text material. Books share some common features, such as “That’s Fearless!” sidebars that describe feats of bravery (or foolhardiness) and “Focus On” pages that add information about famous warriors, battles or tactics, and equipment, but formats vary slightly to allow for more flexible coverage of topics and explain each warrior group’s purpose, organization, and legacy. VERDICT The strong visual appeal will draw report writers and general reading audiences, even in the crowded field of extant sets on warriors, making them good additional choices.

Gr 5-8 –A very attractive format adds appeal to this set about historic empires at their peak. Books lucidly discuss each empire’s roots, expansion, often brutally subjugated peoples, governance, and eventual fall. Layouts are clear and uncluttered, with sidebars that add information about daily life, religious beliefs, and other related topics. Illustrations are effective and include large color photos of locations and artifacts as well as reproductions of surviving art, but the maps aren’t as strong. Most of these topics have wide extant coverage, and these titles don’t add much new material or analysis. However, Chinese and Mauryan draw on recent scholarship and archaeological finds to provide a better understanding of two lesser-known but very important empires. VERDICT Additional purchases; Chinese and Mauryan in particular would make good options for report writing.

Gr 5-8 –Oversimplification, superficial coverage, and caricature-style illustrations limit the informational content and appeal of this set. Each volume covers more than 20 main topics—which receive about five paragraphs of text—as well as additional background chapters and grouped topics with single paragraphs about people or battles, all in less than 60 pages of main text. The diverse group of people, who include women and people from non-Western cultures who lived between ancient times and the space age, are given an overall “Hard as Nails” rating on a “Hardometer” scale of one to 10 that measures characteristics such as cunning, courage, and ruthlessness. There is no apparent organizational structure, which results in abrupt transitions, such as Ponce de Léon following Neil Armstrong, and some odd inclusions (e.g., space explorers are discussed in Travelers). VERDICT These books are unlikely to hold readers’ attention and they will be of little value to middle school libraries.

This group of books features a more diverse mix of topics than is often the case, with several good choices to help middle and high school students increase their knowledge of world history. Four sets are superior choices. The best of the lot is ReferencePoint’s “Cause and Effect in History,” an engaging examination of causality in history. ABDO’s “Essential Library of Inventions” offers thought-provoking history and analysis about the transformational technologies that are the foundation of modern existence. ReferencePoint’s “Understanding the Holocaust” incorporates primary sources for a comprehensive and thoughtful look at the evil of the Holocaust and some of the fearless people who resisted it. World Book’s “Enigmas of History” continues its beautifully illustrated look at how modern scientific research methods are solving historical mysteries and providing fresh insights about the past. Another three sets are good report and reading choices. Cavendish Square’s “Great Empires” has especially good report material about early empires in China and India. The emphasis on bravery and derring-do found in Lerner’s “How to Live Like” and Gareth Stevens’s “History’s Fearless Fighters” will draw adventure-seeking readers.

Mary Mueller, Rolla Public Schools, MO