Reference Review

Gr 8 Up—This volume is significantly more comprehensive than the relevant sections of S. Glazier's Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions (Routledge, 2001). Articles range from broad essays such as "Creation," "Rites of Passage," and "Circumcision" to shorter entries on topics such as the Pocomania religion, sangoma (a type of Zulu healer), and the Yoruba deity Ifa. There are numerous articles on the religious traditions of specific groups, as well as articles on important individuals. The religious traditions of the African diaspora, such as Santeria and Vodou, are also covered. The information is generally accurate and clear. A short bibliography follows each of the signed articles, as do cross-references, though sometimes these are inadequate. A reader's guide lists the articles by type, and the helpful appendix lists the names of God used among different groups. Full access will be impeded by the author's occasional use of the African form of Egyptian gods' names, rather than the more familiar Greek forms. For example, there is no reference to Osiris, who appears here under the name Ausar, and although there is an article titled "Thoth," his name in other articles becomes Tehuti, with no explanation. The black-and-white illustrations are sporadic, but adequate. Overall, because of its singular focus, reliability, and scope, this encyclopedia will prove invaluable where there is considerable interest in Africa or in different religious traditions.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City

Gr 7 Up—An introduction to the diverse habitats and life forms around the world, and the threats to them. The first section, "Living Earth," offers a summary of how and where natural life occurs on our planet. The second, and largest, section provides facts on the continents and their surrounding oceans. Each of these chapters begins with information on the continent, and follows with descriptions of its flora and fauna and pieces on key wildlife regions, which include a spread with a map, climate charts, and a "Conservation Watch" box. Most chapters also feature several pages covering a particular animal or group of animals. Boxes throughout highlight subjects of special interest, such as wildfires in the Mediterranean and newborn animals as prey in the Andes. Stunning wildlife photography appears on every page, along with vibrant photographs, illustrations, and maps, accompanied by detailed annotations that complement the text. The final section offers an "Animal Factfile," arranged by class, which has additional material, including distribution, habitat, endangered status, etc., about specific species introduced in the atlas. This slightly oversize, eye-catching resource will appeal to casual browsers as well as to report writers.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Gr 4 Up—Organized by continent, this book takes a close look at the artwork and meaning of each country's flag. A large color image of the flag is accompanied by entries about the state's capital, currency, official language, area, and highest geographical point. More than 100 captioned illustrations add fascinating facts as well. Readers will be exposed to a wide variety of information ranging from the smallest entity (Vatican City at 0.2 square miles) to the oldest flag (Denmark's, established in 1625), and from the origin of the Papua New Guinea flag (designed by a 15-year-old contest winner) to the only country to have a solid-color flag with no other design (Libya). The consistent layout of the book and its accessible information will create an ease of both student use and comprehension. An ideal source for geography lessons and related projects.—Beth McGuire, Fannett-Metal School District, Willow Hill, PA

Gr 9 Up—This set's 630 entries cover a wide variety of topics, including politics, arts and entertainment, popular culture, the environment, minority groups, and sports, with minimal background or discussion of events before or after the featured decade. The work also provides extensive coverage of the 1990s technology boom: innovations and inventions in communications, health and medicine, science, and industry. Generally well written and objective, the essays are cross-referenced, run from one to six pages in length, and are divided into user-friendly sections that provide details about a person, event, or topic; analyze its impact; and discuss subsequent developments. The essays include short bibliographies, which are annotated for the longer entries. Appendixes provide lists about entertainment, literature, music, sports, court cases, and legislation, and indexing is extensive. Average-quality captioned black-and-white photos, sidebars, and excerpts from primary sources supplement the text. Although topics range from Beavis and Butt-Head and hip-hop music to the Lewinsky affair and Supreme Court rulings, the strength of this set is its superior coverage of the decade-long explosion in technology. A solid choice.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO

Gr 9 Up—In the introduction, Cronin and Berger note that there is a "long-standing debate concerning just who qualifies as a Jewish writer." They state that both those "aligned and not aligned with Jewish religious life in North America" are included, but will readers know to go to a book of this title for information on the famed European Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem, for example, who only spent a few years in the United States at the end of his life, or J. D. Salinger, a "mainstream" writer of the 1950s, but whose work and themes would not necessarily be considered Jewish-American? The authors open with a long, chronologically arranged "Survey of Jewish-American Literature." The body of the encyclopedia consists of essays covering more than 100 writers and their literary works, and is arranged alphabetically by both author and title ("Goodbye, Columbus" precedes "Allegra Goodman"). Any nominally Jewish author, playwright, or poet whose works may be assigned in high school or college courses seems to have been included. Stick with Jules Chametzky, et al's Jewish American Literature (Norton, 2000) for a more accurate picture of the genre.—Lisa Silverman, Sinai Temple Library, Los Angeles

Gr 8 Up—This set provides profiles of influential world leaders. Each volume contains 15 to 20 sketches that include basic biographical information, an overview of the subject's achievements, and analysis of the "interplay" between the person and the "political, economic, and social circumstances" in which he or she lived. Those profiled create a diverse group: political and military leaders (Henry VIII, Adolf Hitler); religious leaders (Jesus, Buddha); scientists and mathematicians (Marie Curie, Euclid); and philosophers (Maimonides, John Locke). They also include influential women (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Golda Meir) and some lesser-known figures from the Americas, Asia, and Africa (Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, Shi Huangdi, Mansa Musa). Entries range in length from five to eight pages and offer well-captioned color reproductions, photos, and maps; sidebars listing important dates and people; "Words from Their Time" primary-source excerpts; a "Culture Connection" linking some aspect of the person's culture to the modern world; and a short bibliography. Articles are cross-referenced and each volume has its own index, but there is no set index, a significant weakness. This attractive set provides well-illustrated, objective information in a global context, but almost all of the subjects featured are included in widely held references such as the Encyclopedia of World Biography (Gale, 1998) and the "Great Lives from History" series (Salem). Additional.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO

Gr 8 Up—A spin-off of the eight-volume African American National Biography (Oxford Univ., 2008), this volume reprints profiles of 300 prominent figures of the era. Following a new overview essay, the signed articles begin with an entry on newspaper publisher Robert Sangstache Abbott of the Defender fame, conclude with author Richard Wright, and in between mix biographies of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and other widely studied figures with introductions to subjects such as Casper Holstein (philanthropist, activist, and numbers banker) and comedian Moms Mabley. Each one- to nine-column entry opens with a quick identifier, goes on to describe its subject's youth and career, and closes with a critical evaluation of the individual's contributions, capped by a substantial list of leads to print resources, some archival. The lack of a topical index omits an important access point, and both the scanty assortment of small black-and-white photos and the dense look of the double-columned pages will keep all but the assignment-driven away. Still, this is an excellent companion to the more detailed overview and the primary-source material found in Kevin Hillstrom's The Harlem Renaissance (Omnigraphics, 2008).—John Peters, New York Public Library

Gr 9 Up—These volumes present a comprehensive look at the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories by comparing and contrasting their governments. Part one presents topical essays on key concepts of state government. Next are descriptions of each state and territory, which include a brief historical overview and an essay outlining the political environment; elections and voting behavior; the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; intergovernmental relations; state-tribal relations (where applicable); and long-term issues and policy trends. Articles include a state map; a graph illustrating partisan distribution of presidential election results, 1988–2004; and sidebars detailing voting behavior, political history, and other topics. Each entry ends with a bibliography and further-reading suggestions. Part three offers 180 alphabetical articles that examine a plethora of subjects, including political theory, government functions, and political behavior. The book closes with 18 statistical tables that compare states' populations, growth rates, and economic outputs. This handy reference will be useful to students learning about their home state or territory, or researching comparative governments. Topics can be lofty and quite specific but also intriguing—details such as how many constitutions a state has had, whether its legislature is full- or part-time, which states provide their legislators with offices, and which put incoming mail under a legislator's seat are all addressed.—Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL

Gr 7 Up—The 225 entries cover cooking and eating, cuisines, and foods and health, and are accompanied by sidebars, recipes, tables, and well-chosen and -captioned photographs. There are also entries on cultural and social aspects such as diet fads, fashion, and religion and food. Many entries relate to the production and business of what we eat and a number of articles discuss weight and weight-loss topics. An introduction provides an overview of each of these general themes, and the last volume closes with a comprehensive index and appendixes that provide nutritional data and both U.S. and international statistics, and an extensive list of print and Web resources for further research. Students who come to the encyclopedia in search of information for assignments will be drawn in by the accessible format and well-written entries. This well-crafted resource is about so much more than its title implies.—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Gr 9 Up—This volume features more than 15,000 quirky words and expressions (2500 of them added since the 2004 edition) from the English/American vernacular. The text, arranged alphabetically, covers a broad range of slang terms, acronyms, coined phrases, literary references, and other dialectical gems. Written in an often-humorous tone, the brief entries consist of etymology and examples of usage culled from sources such as Shakespearean plays, films, or famous declarations. Terms range from classical nicknames (Heraclitus's "The Weeping Philosopher") to pop-culture references (the Seinfeld-ism "man hands"). Foreign expressions such as the British-born "do the needful" and the timely Iraqi "I throw a shoe at you!" are explained. Cross-references are provided, and the index includes listings of phrases and the subjects who uttered them. As the preface states, "No word or phrase has been eliminated because it might offend someone's sensibilities." Hendrickson admits that some origins presented are mere theories. Moreover, the lack of a pronunciation guide and the volume's anecdotal approach undermine its academic value. Still, the author provides an entertaining, informative look at the diversity of influences on the English language. Readers will find plenty to pique their interest in this strong secondary source.—Christina Connolly, Clark University, Worcester, MA

Gr 4–7—In this chronologically arranged set, each volume includes three or four presidents, begins with a discussion of the dominant issues during their incumbency, and ends with an examination of the presidents' legacies. One chapter is devoted to the life and career of each man and includes a handsome, full-color portrait and an informative vignette about the First Lady or, in the case of Buchanan, White House hostess. The chapters are of varying lengths; Martin Van Buren is covered in 6 pages while George W. Bush gets 34, some of which is filler. The latter chapter begins with a fictionalized narrative asking readers to imagine a conversation about Elvis and baseball with a nine-year-old George. The Obama coverage is limited and inaccurate—many of the cabinet members listed never accepted positions. Although no documentation is provided, the other articles are accurate, informative, and engaging. The format and photographs in this set are more appealing than those in The Child's World's "Presidents of the U.S.A." series, but that set is more comprehensive and treats Clinton's sexual misconduct with more discretion. Each of the first 13 volumes in Rourke's includes the same four-page visual time line and a chart listing each man's party, term, and vital information. Volume 14 includes Electoral College maps for each election and a cumulative index. This is an eye-catching and informative work, but libraries would be wise to wait for more substantive and accurate information about Obama.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

Gr 9 Up—This critical source updates the 1995 edition with 71 revised and 87 new entries for a total of 380 authors. The editor notes that the set is intended for both students and book groups and includes a "Discussion Topics" sidebar after every entry. A true world survey, the work includes authors, poets, and playwrights from Albania to the West Indies, with writers from Egypt, Myanmar, and Ukraine represented along the way. The essays also span the ages, profiling works by, for example, Aeschylus, William Shakespeare, and Nick Hornby. Entries are straightforward: biographical data and a general analysis of the individual's oeuvre are followed by a discussion of the author's better-known works. A summary and bibliographies of works by and about the writer complete the entry. Useful touches include a "Key to Pronunciation" at the beginning of every volume and a detailed "Glossary of Literary Terms." A "Category List" features such designations as "Children's and Young Adult Literature Writers" as well as "Mystery and Detective Writers." The last volume provides title and author indexes. Anyone seeking information about a multitude of authors will find it here.—Carol Fazioli, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA

Gr 9 Up—Approximately 250 two- to four-page entries provide historical background and information on a wide variety of topics, discussing the issues involved, and their impact; primary sources are often included. Covering subjects from "Recycling" to "Media: Environmentally Based News and Entertainment," the set will be useful to students looking for paper topics. However, coverage is uneven, with some entries too short to comprise even adequate overviews, and some complex topics oversimplified. For example, the two lines in the "Drought" article elaborating on the book's assertion that the phenomenon can be a factor in conflicts beg elaboration. The piece explains that Arab pastoralists and African farmers coexisted peacefully in the Sudan until water scarcity created tensions—a factor in the Darfur genocide. The editors define primary sources as sometimes including secondary sources, if an entry "is written to summarize an event, includes quotes, recollections, or retrospectives … written by participants in the earlier event…." Even according to this definition, many of the sources in this book do not qualify as primary, creating potential confusion. The bibliographies for each topic are short, consist mainly of books, and occasionally include questionable Web sites. An article on Silent Spring includes the Web site of the People's Weekly World newspaper, a publication that is affiliated with the Communist Party U.S.A. and that claims to be "known for its partisan coverage."—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Gr 9 Up—Depth, breadth, objectivity, and clarity distinguish this fine guide to a literary study of the Bible. Part one offers 11 pages of essential background on such topics as the canon; authorship (human and divine); past approaches (systematic, historical, literary/canonical); and reading the Bible as literature. Part two provides a description, synopsis, and commentary for each book (and character analysis where appropriate). While the language is not simplified, it is generally accessible and even graceful. Both literalist and critical views are fairly represented, and the authors treat the Hebrew Bible sensitively. Considerations of genre, theme, style, structure, readership, aim, and historical-social background enrich the articles. A final 100 pages of brief encyclopedia entries (concepts, literary terms, names, etc.) and an extensive chronology and bibliography add value. The index, however, is scanty. Theological disputes are avoided, though occasionally further elaboration is desirable (e.g., of the defense of Paul as non-misogynistic in the chapter on 1 Corinthians). Black-and-white reproductions of engravings are scattered throughout the volume. Scholarly but unpretentious, this judicious guide to a literary interpretation of the Scriptures is a solid addition to the series.—Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI

Gr 7 Up—Though the bulk of the text in this revised edition mirrors that of its 2001 predecessor, the quality of the updates makes it well worth purchasing. Approximately 25 pages of new material present information about Hispanic Americans in popular culture, as well as a discussion of NAFTA and the debate over illegal immigration. New color charts and graphics explore these issues, and updated statistics are featured throughout. Elsewhere, the changes are primarily cosmetic: cleaner fonts, a more sophisticated graphic design, and pull quotes in the margins. What hasn't changed is the quality of the chronologically arranged content. This edition builds on the well-organized structure of the original to provide easily accessible information on the vast array of peoples and influences that make up Hispanic-American history, from the first Spanish contact in the New World to today's Hispanic-American pop stars.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Gr 10 Up—The great auk, the dodo, the passenger pigeon—these recently extinct animals get most of the press, but, as Ross points out, they are just the tip of the iceberg. Noting claims that possibly a million or more species have vanished in the last century alone, he highlights 65 creatures that are presumed extinct. Grouping his two- to four-page entries into chronological chapters, the author goes backward in time, beginning with the golden toad, the Eskimo curlew, and five others that were last seen less than 100 years ago, and ending more than 50,000 years ago with the likes of the megatooth shark and the giant ape. Homo erectus and its near relatives are included, too. Each entry opens with a taxonomic classification and brief overview; goes on to describe physical features, range, ecological niche, and likely fate; includes a small, drab photo or drawing; and closes with a bulleted list of extra facts and leads to further reading. Though the book has a dense, utilitarian look that will keep casual browsers away, the prose is clear and even lively at times ("Fortunately for the pronghorn antelope, the American cheetah died out around 10,000 years ago"). The level of detail makes this a more rewarding resource for serious students of extinction's causes—which are many and often hard to pin down—than Don Lessem's Dinosaurs to Dodos: An Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals (Scholastic, 1999).—John Peters, New York Public Library

Gr 3–6—In this colorful, easy-to-use overview, one to seven topics as broad as "Musical instruments" and "California Indians" and as specific as "Jingle dress" and "Raven" are described per spread. Major subjects such as "Algonquian" are allotted about a page and a half each. Biographies of important figures both historical (Chief Seattle, Cherokee leader Nancy Ward) and modern (author Sherman Alexie, nuclear physicist Fred Begay) are included; some are difficult to find elsewhere for this age group. Boxes defining one or two important words appear on alternating pages. Volume 10 contains a visual time line of world events from 40,000 B.C.E. to 2007 and instructions for 11 easy projects, which are so general that they seem almost an afterthought. The plentiful and attractive illustrations feature maps, charts, and color and black-and-white photographs and paintings, including some by historically important artists such as Karl Bodner and Edward S. Curtis. Overall, this attractive set stands alone as one of the only resources of its kind for its age group.—Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

Gr 9 Up—Organized chronologically, this remarkable resource begins with the debate over American independence and ends with the Iraq War Resolution of 2002. A one-page description preceding each chapter acquaints readers with the social, political, and economic influences that placed the topic before Congress. The collection showcases more than 50 debates that are historically significant or insightful, or masterful in their wording or execution, providing a panoramic sense of the issues that have beset America over the years as our population swelled and our boundaries expanded. Some debates reflect bigoted ideologies, but most suggest sincere efforts to legislate democratically. While a few speeches are worded formally, even stiffly, the majority consist of accessible, lively plain speech with colloquialisms and the occasional spark of interpersonal vitriol. These characteristics humanize the speakers and imbue the issues with freshness. This resource should find many applications in history classes and for some History Day projects. One especially valuable aspect of the book is that the opinions for both sides of an issue are presented, not just the side that won and influenced legislation. Small, token black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout.—Jennifer Prince, Fairview Public Library, NC