Reference Review

Gr 5–8—This colorful, well-organized atlas is designed to appeal to the Google generation. It adopts the clean, graphics-heavy look of a good Web site, right down to the tabs running across the top of each page, which highlight the current map and show the topics that precede and follow it. "About Our World" provides physical and political overviews and includes a staggering number of specialty maps that show everything from world forest cover to land use and from distributions of religions to major mineral deposits. Each continent receives its own series of more detailed presentations. The largest such section, covering the United States, features 11 entries that illustrate energy resources, per capita income, and more; and a detailed chart that lists each state's population, capital, largest city, and even postal abbreviation and nickname. "International Data" provides more information about each country, as do fact boxes sprinkled throughout. The real marvel of this information-packed resource is that its creators have managed to make it so accessible and visually interesting, while keeping the page count backpack-friendly. Consider purchasing copies for reference and circulating collections.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Gr 9 Up—Among this work's 100 profiles are in-depth treatments of many prominent figures such as Gerrit Smith, Frederick Douglass, and Lucretia Mott. Shorter entries present information about lesser-known individuals such as fugitive slave Aunt Rachel, whose remarkable story is known through Levi Coffin's Reminiscences. Each article ends with suggested readings. There is a fair representation of race and gender among those profiled. The volume has a textbooklike appearance, with occasional sidebars and a black-and-white photograph every few pages. Helpful cross-references demonstrate the connections among individuals involved with the Underground Railroad. Useful back matter includes entry lists arranged alphabetically, geographically, and by the role the individual played in the movement, and state and general indexes. This is not an essential purchase, but it will be valuable where the Underground Railroad is studied in detail.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

Gr 7 Up—This comprehensive resource covers important topics such as "The Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson Connection (1802)," "Great Chicago Fire (1871)," and "Plessy v. Ferguson (1899)." Each essay provides a synopsis of the person, event, or place; term-paper suggestions; alternative projects such as making related movies or designing broadsheets; and a listing of accessible primary and secondary print works, and multimedia and Web sources. The term-paper suggestions are thought-provoking and can easily be turned into thesis statements, and the Web sites are highly authoritative and have exceptional links for further research. What is particularly useful about this excellent guide is that it not only gives recommendations but also encourages students to think around a problem by suggesting alternatives.—Ivy Miller, Kirby Library, Kingston, PA

Gr 8 Up—Entries in this cross-referenced set cover geography, cultural and political movements, personalities, and theories. The volumes open with maps of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas, and treat a wide variety of topics, including Europe and the African world, slavery, and griots of West Africa, as well as more contemporary subjects such as hip-hop and the Nation of Islam. Many entries, especially those on individuals, include a black-and-white photograph. This encyclopedia seeks to be comprehensive, but given its incredibly broad scope, information is necessarily introductory only-most entries are less than one page in length. Students seeking more in-depth material will be well served by the further reading lists at the end of each article, which can be quite extensive.—Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ

Gr 10 Up—This comprehensive set encompasses the time from the beginning of the Diaspora, in around 135 C.E., to the present. The first volume, "Themes and Phenomena of the Jewish Experience," contains 100 fascinating scholarly articles such as "Jews and Judaism in Ancient World Literature" and "The Lost Tribes of Israel." The other volumes, covering "Countries, Regions, and Communities," are what will most likely be useful for high school reference. The dozens of articles are listed by region, and then country (e.g., "Jews in Thailand"), and each one includes a few pages of accessible information. The statistics preceding each country entry are extremely useful, as are the three- to four-page historical and contemporary overviews. Some countries are covered more extensively than others through additional essays, such as "Holocaust Art in Belgium," "Jewish Women in the Early American West," and "Intermarriage in Scandinavia." The inclusion of relatively few black-and-white photographs and maps is a slight drawback; the failure to list the affiliations of the contributors is a more serious oversight. Still, the full scope of the Jewish experience outside Israel has never been so thoroughly organized. The excellent bibliography, glossary, and index help make this much-needed set a fine choice for browsers and report writers alike.—Lisa Silverman, Sinai Temple Library, Los Angeles

Gr 9 Up—Offering a wealth of information on a range of topics, the 465 cross-referenced articles range in length from 500 to 3000 words and the subjects covered include professional organizations, investigative techniques and procedures, subspecialties of the field, the role of forensic science in our legal system, and specific cases (the Unabomber, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, etc.). Also addressed are depictions of forensic science in the media, including TV shows such as CSI. When appropriate, entries begin with a brief definition and a statement of significance. They end with further reading suggestions. Black-and-white photographs, charts, sidebars, and tables are scattered throughout. The final volume has a variety of appendixes, including a directory of television shows in which forensic science figures prominently and a biographical directory of key figures in the history of the field. Each volume's end matter includes a list of topics by subject; volume three also provides a comprehensive subject index. A useful set for high school libraries (especially those with criminal justice classes) and public libraries.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Gr 10 Up—The more than 400 essay-length, accessible entries in this overview cover local, state, and federal government; the history of U.S. government; civil rights and responsibilities; political participation; public policy; and international politics and government. Individual articles address such foundational topics as the Bill of Rights and separation of powers, but also include a number of contemporary issues such as gay and lesbian rights, early voting, NAFTA, and gun control. Of special interest is information on local government and the roles of elected and appointed officials. Each entry provides access points to further reading in both print and online sources, and the set has an extensive index. Although it contains a smaller number of lengthier entries and does not include biographical information, the Encyclopedia compares favorably to books in Congressional Quarterly's "A to Z" series.—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Gr 9 Up—These objectively written profiles of 1348 subjects run from three to five pages each. Of that number, 1033 are reprinted from previously published Salem Press sources; the remainder are new or significantly updated. They include introductory statements that identify the people and their achievements, followed by examinations of their early lives, a lengthier "Life's Work" section, and a "Significance" portion showing historical context. Although many of the articles are about Americans, there are entries about people from all parts of the world, including developing countries; 245 are women. The wide variety of occupations includes political and military leaders, authors, artists, athletes, scientists, religious leaders, and even criminals. Each entry has an annotated list of additional sources, most include a black-and-white portrait, and there are numerous sidebars and maps. Cross-referencing, both within this set and to books in the rest of the series, will encourage users to seek more information, and there are four extensive indexes. This set combines biographical information with historical context, thus offering enough detail to make it helpful to beginning researchers.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High, Rolla, MO

Gr 9 Up—From The Beggar's Opera (1750) and The Black Crook (1866) to Wicked (2003) and High School Musical 2 (2007), this volume offers a clearly written, comprehensive overview of the American musical theater on the stage, silver screen, and small screen. The 2000-plus entries are brief but detailed accounts of plots; production histories; careers of actors, dancers, musicians, lyricists, composers, choreographers, and directors; organizations; and genres (animated musicals, frontier musicals). Small icons identify the title entries as stage, film, or TV shows. Cast lists in shaded text boxes include members of different productions of the same work. Other boxes list songs from many of the best-known shows and information such as "Longest-Running Off-Broadway Musicals" and "Musicals Nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award." Related biographies and autobiographies are listed at the end of the personal entries. Black-and-white captioned photographs are scattered throughout. The opening "List of Entries" helps make this a browsing delight for casual fans, while appendixes that include "Awards," "Guide to Recordings," and a bibliography of general works about musicals make it a valuable tool for researchers. This thorough work provides enjoyable reading for anyone interested in American theatrical history in general and musicals in particular.—Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA

Gr 9 Up—Though neither of these works is essential, they will be handy reference sources in schools with diversity programs or Latino literature classes. Both sets contain signed entries and provide mainly one- to three-page biographical sketches, with some ancillary articles on movements and topics. The writing is routine in both; Greenwood has the edge in visual appeal, given its inclusion of many black-and-white author photographs, whereas the Facts On File volume is a bit more student-friendly, focusing on individual works. Academically, Greenwood provides more heft, not only in its sheer number of pages, but also through its lengthy essays that analyze related themes, movements, and historical events ("Chicana Liberation," "Immigrant Literature," "Language choice," "Land Grants," etc). Much of the information in both works can be accessed through Gale's Literature Resource Center or EBSCO's Literary Reference Center. For easy access to major works and figures, get the Facts On File book; for in-depth analysis and added information, choose Greenwood.—Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX

Gr 10 Up—This significant survey of "the turbulent currents of intellectual thought surrounding the long history of scientific studies" offers accounts of high spots and controversies in astronomy, biology, biomedicine, physics, and five other fields of pure science. In addition, there are 11 articles on pseudoscience, grant funding, and other "Science Philosophy and Practice" topics not always covered in textbooks. Each of the more than 100 specific articles is placed within a field, with sometimes-untidy results: "Chaos Theory," for instance, appears under "Chemistry," and is written to the same pattern as other entries in that section, including a general introduction, major historical developments, and modern "cultural connections." Each entry includes a relevant glossary, a few small, dark black-and-white photos, sidebar introductions to important ideas or people, occasional extracts from primary sources, a generous array of references, and a short bibliography. The prose is dense but relatively free of jargon and equations. Though the massive chronology of science that takes up most of volume three is of questionable utility (particularly since it is not included in the general index), older, independent and college-bound students will find this a valuable way of adding human perspective to their study of hard facts and figures.—John Peters, New York Public Library

Gr 9 Up—This set covers more than 200 diverse men and women-from Bob Hope and Betty Friedan to Abigail Adams and Barack Obama-who represent achievement in a wide variety of disciplines. Each entry lists the subject's area(s) of achievement, followed by sections on "Early Life," "Life's Work," and "Significance," and a further reading list. There are black-and-white portraits of some of the subjects. Though only a few pages long, the articles contain a considerable amount of information. Short, introductory narratives in each entry encapsulate the individuals' significance and will go a long way toward helping students develop workable thesis statements before writing about these notable figures. The term "hero" is subjective, and some of those selected (Junípero Serra, Huey Long, Louis Farrakhan) are not without controversy. The articles address the debates, personal shortcomings, and disputes about accomplishments in an unbiased manner. Many of the personalities are well known but others, such as Jimmy Doolittle and Jeannette Rankin, may be unfamiliar to students. Heroes will be used primarily for research, and as background information for in-depth assignments.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

Gr 9 Up—Part one of a projected 14-part series, this expansive set covers the turbulence that dramatically shaped colonial America. An excellent, 19-page introductory essay provides an overview of the period, chronologically covering the era from the founding to the imperial crisis in the 1760s and 1770s. The 875 alphabetically arranged, cross-referenced entries, which cover the political and social ramifications of each conflict, are even in scholarship and overall of high quality. Entries cover all of the major confrontations of the period such as King William's War, the French and Indian War, and Pontiac's Rebellion, and each one is followed by a further reading list. While battles, forts, and military hardware are well represented, much consideration is also given to a wealth of peripheral issues, from absolutism to Quaker pacifism. Richly detailed black-and-white maps, graphs, charts, and photos add to the appeal. Appendixes in volume two present statistics on all the major European powers involved and the colonies themselves. The third volume contains 166 chronologically arranged, primary-source documents that vary from charters and treaties to letters and other firsthand accounts, each of which is prefaced by a brief introduction. While the temporal scope of this work may limit its appeal for smaller collections, it is a worthy purchase for larger libraries.—Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL

Gr 10 Up—Comprised of articles from The Grove Dictionary of Art (1996), and Grove Art Online, this hefty volume offers an in-depth look at the range of "materials and methods used to create art." The articles have been abridged to maintain the volume's focus; a few original entries have been added. Lengthy overviews (dense text, small font) on such topics as "Drawing," "Etching," "Prints," "Relief Sculpture," and "Video Art" generally consist of a definition, a look at aspects unique to the form, an analysis of the materials and techniques employed, a history noting major developments and artists working in the medium, and conservation information. These detailed overviews will be useful to term-paper writers in AP art classes. Entries on substances ("Adhesives," "Dye," "Painting Medium") are quite technical, discussing in great detail the types, uses, and, often, chemical properties. They will be of interest primarily to working artists. Each article ends with an updated chronological bibliography, citing mostly scholarly, historical, and contemporary resources, many in languages other than English. Illustrations consist of occasional clear, captioned black-and-white photos and diagrams and a 16-plate color insert. The quality color reproductions depict all manner of art forms from jewelry and paintings to furniture and mosaics. A 37-page index concludes the book. Consider this comprehensive tool if your art collection is lacking in this area.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal