Reference Review

Gr 3–5—More a set of frequently asked questions for each animal group than a traditional encyclopedia, this colorful resource answers general queries about a variety of creatures in two-page chapters. After a brief introduction, each book addresses questions regarding the life cycles, habitats, and endangered status of its subjects. While the approach to topics is similar throughout, there is some deviation; the volumes covering reptiles and mollusks, for instance, explore individual creatures within a species, while there is no such breakdown in the books on mammals, fish, or birds. The layout is straightforward and uncluttered, with plenty of white space and a generous use of color photography. Numerous subheads and varying font sizes and colors make this a user-friendly set. Random "Fun Facts" are sprinkled throughout, and "Find Out More" includes current titles and established Web sites. With the inclusion of a simple quiz and research project at the end of each book, these volumes are particularly suited for school use. Some libraries may prefer to circulate them, but they will answer many a ready-reference question.—Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA

Gr 9 Up—Don't have space in the stacks for Gale's Contemporary Literary Criticism? Here's a handy modern addition to the genre that will simplify the task of locating material on some of the most frequently assigned titles. Each meticulously referenced volume is devoted to a single classic—a novel, a memoir, a play—or, in the case of Edgar Allan Poe, short stories. The texts introduce the narratives in their historical context, provide a short biography of the author, and offer "The Paris Review Perspective" on the works, followed by a series of articles by academics under the headings of "Critical Contexts" or "Critical Readings." Several themes are analyzed in these segments and they include such essays as Samuel Sipe's "Memory and Confession in Great Expectations"; Gary Richards's thoughts on "Harper Lee and the Destabilization of Heterosexuality"; and Robert C. Evans's "The Joy Luck Club After Twenty Years." Curiously, each volume ends with a two-page discussion of the Paris Review's colorful history. Purchase of the volumes allows online access to the print content in its entirety. Students can search the easy-to-navigate database and print out and/or email the desired material, along with a prepared citation. Overall, a fresh take on the classics and an excellent choice.—Christina Connolly, Clark University, Worcester, MA

Gr 8 Up—While students can open this set to any of the 700 job titles listed and learn about a specific occupation, the introduction will alert them to the set's use of icons and its organization. This useful opening is followed by an article on "Finding a Career That's Right for You," which outlines assessment (including self-assessment) techniques and tools. These articles will interest the career minded, but adults may need to guide the discussion on the Holland Code, Kiersey Temperament Sorter, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assessment tests. Sixteen "Career Cluster Articles" follow, exploring "how individual careers fit into the larger picture of major industries." Next, individual occupations are clearly outlined, covering job requirements, education and training, outlook, online resources, and organizational addresses. Along with the familiar careers are such occupations as agribusiness technicians, histologic technicians, and aquaculturists. Entries reflect the current employment market; for example, under "Newspaper Editors" it's noted that Web-based publications will offer more opportunities. The easy-to-read and colorful fonts, the photos, and the comfortable layout will appeal to readers. In addition, icons link to the "U.S. Department of Education's 16 Career Clusters." These accessible volumes will be invaluable to students. While the revised and 45 new articles and the use of color update this set, libraries with limited budgets may find that it is not necessary to replace the 2007 edition.—Tina Hudak, St. Albans School for Boys, Washington, DC

Gr 9 Up—Aimed at motivated nonspecialists, these volumes (two of seven, all available individually or as a set) fall short in the illustration department, but offer generous measures of specific, up-to-date, systematically presented information. Chaple surveys the gas giants and their moons, adding discussions of Jovian-type planets orbiting other stars and the Voyager 2 space mission. Covering the solar system's non-moon smaller bodies, from comets plunging out of the distant Oort Cloud to NEO (Near Earth Objects) asteroids and hypothetical "Vulcan Objects" spinning around the Sun inside Mercury's orbit, Rivkin devotes chapters to orbits, compositions, origins, and relevant space probe missions. Both volumes also fill in the historical background of our astronomical observations and provide annotated lists of Web sites at each chapter's end and other helpful resources in the back matter. As prose stylists, Chaple is the livelier of the two, supplying, for instance, enticing discussions of future tourist sites on each planet's moons ("Honeymooners, why go to Niagara Falls, when you can come to Mimas and enjoy the romance of Saturn!") and explaining how to pronounce "Uranus" without hearing giggles. Despite the few small, murky black-and-white photos and a scanty assortment of diagrams, these volumes will be valuable complements and updates for either general science encyclopedias or specific ones such as Paul Murdin's Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nature Publishing Group, 2001).—John Peters, New York Public Library

Gr 10 Up—Eight in-depth essays, including "Political Movies" and "Entertaining News and Political News Satire," provide concise history and objective analyses that will be useful for reports. For example, "Politics Online" opens with a short history of the Internet and then discusses its impact on the American political landscape under such subheadings as "Social Networking and the Democratization of Media" and "Political Blogs." Following these essays are shorter, alphabetically arranged entries covering past and present aspects of political culture. The browsing opportunities alone are worth the purchase price, but students will be particularly grateful for articles on outlets such as CNN and NPR, media portrayals of the recent presidents, various figures in entertainment who are or were politically active (Chris Rock, John Lennon), TV shows, and such concepts as "Apple Pie (as symbol)." The index and the selected bibliography are extensive, and the latter lists many recent articles that can be read for free online. An ebook version, available for separate purchase (pricing available from the publisher by request), provides the same text, which can be read sequentially or searched by keyword. In addition, many terms within the text are hyperlinked, but this feature is unreliable. Clicking on a term usually results in being brought to the relevant text, but sometimes users are given a linked citation (e.g., clicking on "Facebook" in the "Politics Online" section returns the linked result "See Part 1, Chapter 8…"); and some links lead to unrelated information.—Henrietta Thornton-Verma, School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up—Most notable in these updates is the inclusion of contemporary definitions for such terms as "mouse," "Iron Curtain," and "leveraged buyout." Focusing on student users, the Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary contains more than 1450 pages, and two appendixes. Included are the familiar verb tables for both regular and irregular forms. Other useful tools include endpapers that offer Spanish/English proprietary names along with examples of personal and business correspondence (letters and emails). It also offers "Phrasal verb" and boxed explanations of common English or Spanish content as in "Smithsonian Institution" or "comunidad autónoma." The smaller, less academically focused Desk version gives more consideration to cultural information and protocols. Lists of holidays and guides to curriculum vitae, letter writing, and emails and text messaging (including emoticons) are provided. Distinctions in writing etiquette or practices regarding Spain and Latin America are noted. The book also has an Internet glossary. Both dictionaries feature easy-to-read fonts and bulleting and numbering when appropriate. These accessible editions offer all the essentials of ready-reference tools.—Tina Hudak, St. Albans School for Boys, Washington, DC

Gr 10 Up—Focusing solely on pre-imperial and imperial China, this text, adapted from Caroline Blunden and Mark Elvin's Cultural Atlas of China (Facts On File, 1998) tends to treat the more than 2000 years of the history of imperial China as one political, economic, and cultural monolith. There are several confusing jumps in chronology, and the title requires a background in Chinese history, but offers no new insight for anyone with such knowledge. The final pages offer brief overviews of various aspects of the culture, including language, literature, religion, and the arts; an updated further-reading list; and the original work's bibliography, which is partially annotated. The strongest feature of this atlas is the collection of maps, showing information such as major crops, language and ethnic groups, internal migration, changing political boundaries, and several military campaigns. Unfortunately, even these are problematic, as maps of the "modern People's Republic of China" are woefully out of date. Hong Kong and Macau (returned to China in 1997 and 1999, respectively) are shown as European possessions, and Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are labeled as belonging to the USSR.—Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD

Gr 8 Up—The introduction to this set explains that "fusing U.S. and global history provides a more thorough appreciation of the past and view of the present" and will help reduce misperceptions of other cultures that may exist. The authors present a sweeping chronological account of U.S. history. Dovetailing these pieces are details of global events that influenced or were influenced by the U.S. events. For example, the section about the American Civil War includes discussions of secession, states' rights, slavery, and abolitionism. Situating the war in a global context, the authors explain the political issues that compelled countries to side with the Union or the Confederate side, and the long-lasting implications of the conflict on Mexico's concurrent war with France. The unbiased writing is engaging and to the point, and the three- to six-page chapters are logically organized. Items of special interest are placed in shaded boxes. Unfortunately, there is no documentation. Each volume contains images of period photographs, drawings, maps, and political cartoons. The appealing, accessible format and the in-depth treatment of American history make this a good choice for school and public libraries—Jennifer Prince, Fairview Public Library, NC

Gr 5 Up—Can't get enough of Percy Jackson and Greek mythology? Splendidly concise and beautifully illustrated, the dictionary contains informative entries that offer enough juicy details to keep high school researchers reading, but never going so far as to be inappropriate for elementary students just discovering the bountiful joys of these ancient tales. Most entries offer brief synopsislike overviews, but major figures (Heracles, Hera, Zeus, and others) and significant stories (Trojan War, "Odyssey," story of Rome) get up to an entire page or more of attention. This edition offers some new material, but it is the addition of color illustrations (nearly 50) drawn from classical and Renaissance art, including marble reliefs, artifacts, mosaics, and the intensely beautiful statues of this glorious age, that marks a significant departure from earlier editions. This volume is comparable to, but not as visually exciting as, Neil Philip's Myths & Legends Explained (DK, 2007), and less text heavy than Michael Stapleton's The Illustrated Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology (Random, 1993). This is a good choice for upper elementary and middle schools, as well as high schools in need of a basic, easy-access authority on Greek and Roman gods and goddesses and related topics.—Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX

Gr 9 Up—This enlightening source is much more than a roll call of persons and events that influenced women's rights and the suffrage movement. Each chapter is written by a different authority in the field and explores the status of American women during a specific time period. The book begins with a depiction of the relatively high status enjoyed by Native American women prior to the arrival of Europeans and concludes with "Third Wave Feminists," which focuses on the modern woman who is committed to integrating feminist values into society. This title will be extremely useful for research, and individual sections are interesting to peruse on their own. Black-and-white archival photographs are sprinkled throughout. Each chapter ends with a succinct summary and a list of further-reading references. Themes that unite the chapters include the diversity of women involved in the struggle, the role of education in advancing women's rights, and the "equality-difference paradox," which questions whether the feminist movement would be best served by focusing on women's similarities to, or their differences from, men. Informative sidebars will pique readers' interest in lesser-known personalities. Primary-source documents, which are introduced with informative paragraphs explaining their significance, allow advanced researchers the opportunity to explore topics in more depth.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA

Gr 8 Up—This volume focuses on American and British feature films and television. A useful introduction contextualizes various traditions and provides a detailed, compelling time line of key events over the last 200 years beginning with Robertson's 1798 creation of "the phantasmagoria, a sophisticated 'magic lantern' to project moving images." The quality of the entries varies. Articles on animators and innovators are somewhat reductive while the historical information in the geographical articles successfully amplifies the content of the introductory material to great success. Dobson has cast a wide net with regard to her definition of animation, including some live performance in which inanimate materials are manipulated. Since this is not a technical dictionary, entries on technique, materials, and technology cover context and key use rather than understanding or replicating the process. In fact, context is this volume's greatest service; its short entries with their thorough cross-referencing will allow readers to quickly and briefly understand how a topic is situated in a web of history and influence. Dobson offers an accessible starting point for student research, and her extensive bibliography will help those who want to explore more deeply.—Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH

Gr 6 Up—The slim volumes in this accessible update of the 2003 edition include nearly 100 new articles and new photographs, diagrams, charts, and question-and-answer panels. Articles in the first 17 volumes are color-coded by category (another new feature): "Body," "Diet and Nutrition," "Human Behavior," "Illness, Injury, and Disorders," and "Prevention and Cure." The final volume contains sections on first aid; important milestones in the history of health and medicine; a biographical dictionary; and listings of health organizations, Web sites, and hotlines (although some important sites are missing, such as that of the American Cancer Society); as well as thematic and comprehensive indexes. Potentially controversial topics such as abortion, abstinence, faith healing, and sexuality are treated sensitively and without bias. Although most articles are one to two pages in length, several topics, such as body systems, drug abuse, mental health, infectious diseases, accident prevention, and physical fitness, receive four- to five-page treatments. One concern is that the information on CPR suggests a sequence of 15 compressions and 2 rescue breaths; according to the Red Cross, current practice is 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths.—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Gr10 Up—This global treatment of key players, countries, and issues that affect dignity and well-being includes examinations of health care and the right to a clean environment. The alphabetical arrangement means that there are back-to-back essays on "French Revolution," "Gender Violence," and "Genocide," but cross-referencing in "Gender Violence," for example, sends readers to related articles on "Female Genital Mutilation," "United Nations Commission on Status of Women," and more. The thoughtful treatments generally provide historical background and discuss existing conditions and future prospects. "Ethnic Cleansing," as a case in point, is described as a term of recent journalistic invention, although the article explains that the act of forcibly moving populations dates back to the Spanish Inquisition. Several pages about other incidents and international covenants precede a final assessment about ethnic homogeneity and its human price. Articles on countries may be general or cover specific subjects such as "Hong Kong," "China: Tiananmen Square," or "Iraq: Occupation & Transition." Figures profiled include Adolf Hitler, Nelson Mandela, Pol Pot, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and nearly 60 others. The many councils and commissions of the United Nations are covered in separate articles. The topical outline whose groupings will be valuable to researchers in separating figures, situations, concepts, and legal issues is hidden before the list of contributors in the last volume. The general index is detailed and features many "see also" notations. Language and vocabulary are within the capabilities of high school students.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Gr 9 Up—This updated version of the 1997 release covers more than 500 cultures from around the world, 23 more than the earlier edition. Some historical background for each culture is included, but for the most part the information focuses on that which is modern-day. The five volumes covering four geographical areas—Africa, Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Europe—are arranged alphabetically by country with information about the various cultures and communities that exist within their borders. As in the earlier set, the writing style is formal, but not esoteric. Each article begins with a block containing key country facts: location, population, language, religion, related articles, and pronunciation assistance. Information about the individual cultures is presented in numbered paragraphs (making cultural comparisons easy) under headings such as folklore, rites of passage, holidays, education, work, sports, and entertainment. One new subtopic, gender issues, has been added to this edition. Specifically, the authors discuss issues that impact women negatively: female circumcision, child marriage, little or no obstetrics care, lack of education, job opportunities, and so on. A handful of black-and-white photographs and maps accent the text, but the real strength of the series is the specificity with which each culture is examined. A well-organized, easy-to-use research tool.—Jennifer Prince, Fairview Public Library, NC

Gr 9 Up—This cornucopia of literary minutia spans the American canon from Cotton Mather and Vassar Miller to Cynthia Rylant and Amiri Baraka. Readers will find engaging and informative entries on more than 500 authors covering all historical periods, as well as a variety of genres. Some entries are accompanied by a black-and-white portrait. The set's weaknesses are some sloppy academics and half-hearted contextualization. For example, the entry on William Carlos Williams celebrates this greatest of American poets as an Imagist without mentioning that he is one of the founding fathers of Objectivism. Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando are listed as working on the movie version of A Streetcar Named Desire, with no mention of their work on the original Broadway production. The set lacks entries for John Guare and Lanford Wilson, the two finest American playwrights of the later 20th century. Regardless, for students needing some context to help them understand a writer's importance, their themes, and techniques, this set will do just fine.—Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX

Gr 3–8—Each of these beautifully illustrated books features an appealing layout; logical organization; and plenty of full-color drawings, maps, and photographs. The volumes are organized by continent, with an additional chapter covering animals in the world's oceans. Sections begin with an overview spread that includes information on and a map of the geographical area, followed by detailed entries covering 5 to 10 specific creatures. With pleasing depth, the entries present four full pages of illustrations and text on the habitat, diet, and other relevant information on the featured animal. Each entry opens with a large, colorful drawing of the creature, and a "Key Facts" box lists basic facts at a glance. Endangered features a wide variety of animals, from the familiar (giant panda, African elephant, Bengal tiger) to the lesser known (addax, dugong, wolverine). Dangerous is similarly diverse in its offerings. The usual fanged, clawed, and ravenous suspects are here, but the author invites students to think more broadly about what constitutes danger; the locust, for example, destroys crops and can cause large-scale famine. These volumes are ideal for reports, but animal lovers will enjoy perusing them as well.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Gr 9 Up—In this excellent companion to his Chronology of the American Revolution (McFarland, 2008), Hannings delivers a monumental compilation of well-written and painstakingly researched biographies on the political and military leaders (particularly brigadier and major generals) who directed the colonies through the tumultuous years of the American Revolution and afterward. While venerated notables such as George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson receive extensive coverage, the author also goes to great lengths to restore to posterity those lesser-known participants from the signer of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Lynch, Jr., to Brigadier General Enoch Poor, who died of a fever in September, 1780, while stationed in Hackensack, NJ. Each entry begins with a concise account of the subject's personal life (upbringing, school, marriage, etc.), and then moves into information about the Revolutionary period and concludes with a brief synopsis of the person's life after the war. Entries also include information on spouses and any available genealogical data. The biographies are presented in small-print columns with no breaks aside from the occasional inset illustrated portrait. A tremendous and timely resource for AP Revolutionary era projects and general study—Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL

Gr 9 Up—Each of the 24 essays in this set provides an in-depth look into the development of a significant invention or field. Some focus mainly on a single individual, such as Johannes Gutenberg, while others look at multiple key figures; the sewing machine chapter features Walter Hunt, Elias Howe, and Isaac Merritt Singer, for example. Life stories include information relevant to the person's discoveries but also offer personal information when available. Each chapter goes beyond the featured figures and inventions, providing strong background about earlier key developments that led to later achievements. The author does an especially thorough job of exploring the business side of invention, including patents, financing, manufacturing, marketing, and other elements that impacted so many lives. Technical processes are described in some detail, but the lack of illustrations and diagrams may hinder some students from following the sometimes complex descriptions. The passage on Cyrus McCormick's reaper, for instance, is logically composed, but still hard to grasp without a visual reference. Occasional sidebars offer facts about related inventions or other notable figures of the time. The formal prose style is awkward at times, and likely to challenge some students, but this set offers depth and detail not seen in most reference works on the subjects.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR

Gr 7 Up—This set fills the need for a current, comprehensive work that both addresses the role of Latinos in U.S. history and culture and seeks to rectify the imbalanced treatment of Latinos in most American-history textbooks. By presenting germane facts on notable events, people, groups, and movements in a lucid, well-organized arrangement, the editors have provided an impressive resource. The set is prefaced by a superb topic finder that arranges each entry under an array of subject headings such as "Literature and Literary Figures" and "Organizations and Institutions." Three edifying introductory essays covering the history of Latinos in the U.S. from 1492 to the present are included while the nearly 300 entries ranging from "Acculturation and Assimilation" to the "Zoot Suit Riots" of 1943 are well written, cross-referenced, and pertinent to both academic and popular discussions. Examples include "Alex Rodriguez," "Cesar Chavez," "Chicano Art," "Ernesto Galarza," and "West Side Story." A few relevant black-and-white photos dot the presentation. The final volume concludes with a comprehensive index and a substantial bibliography that is, unfortunately, not organized by topic. This set will surely be of assistance to students conducting cultural research projects as well as to general readers—Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL

Gr 9 Up—This resource contains more than 250 entries under the general areas of human anatomy and physiology, sexual behaviors, health, relationships, legal issues, and social perspectives. While the set is alphabetically arranged, thematic groupings are listed in color-blocked charts at the beginning of volume one. Under the "Health, Education, and Medicine" heading, for example, are entries on condoms, plastic surgery, hygiene, and abstinence. "Legal Issues" lists adoption, Internet predators, illegitimacy, and other topics. The largest thematic grouping, "Social and Cultural Perspectives," includes female genital mutilation, beauty pageants, interracial relationships, homophobia, and domestic violence. Teens needing personal information on gender identity, casual sex, parties, and dirty jokes will find objective treatments. The contributors maintain an accessible and consistent tone throughout. Charted material includes the percentage of births outside of marriage worldwide, legal ages of consent in the United States, divorce rates worldwide, and more. Most entries range from two to four pages, although topics containing historical views or clinical information are longer. Introductory paragraphs in large font, bold subheadings, color photographs on nearly every page, and colorful fact boxes make the set appealing for browsing. Each volume contains a glossary and index, and the last volume has thematic and comprehensive indexes. Invaluable.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Gr 9 Up—In a section each, these volumes survey military and civilian leadership in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the U.S. conflicts in the Middle East since 1991. Each section is launched with a synopsis of the war and descriptions of four to eight central battles listed in chronological order, followed by biographical sketches that stress the person's leadership traits. A few women, including nurse Mary Ann Ball Bickerdyke, journalist Jane McManus Storms Cazneau, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, are among the vital personages. Many individuals—presidents and generals, for example—appear in more than one section. Each life story is followed by a short but pertinent bibliography—a highlight of the set—and each war section closes with further-reading suggestions. Maps are included. These are handy, useful volumes for both students and teachers. It should be noted that Abraham Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas for the U.S. Senate in 1858, not 1856 as stated by two different authors.—Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL