School Library Journal - Series Made Simple

Series Review: Gr 3-5–This series features brief sketches of famous and lesser-known figures. Readers are introduced to luminaries such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Maria Montessori, Elvis Presley, Napoleon Bonaparte, Pablo Picasso, and Walt Whitman. Well-known historical figures are not the only people featured; poet Dennis Brutus, Afghan brigadier general Khatol Mohammadzai, educator Phalla Neang, and architect Moshe Safdie are spotlighted. Readers learn when each person lived and the major contributions they made to their fields. The subjects come from diverse backgrounds, but the information is sparse. The texts don’t focus on their personal lives, and there is only rudimentary information about their accomplishments. The simple writing is to the point but isn’t that exciting. VERDICT Scant information makes these volumes of limited use. Libraries would do well to consider other sources.