(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Leo, a tough ratting dog aboard Magellan's ship Trinidad, tells the harrowing tale of the quest to sail around the world. Details of the filth, hunger, vermin, mutinies, cruelty, and death that plague the expedition create a vivid picture of Magellan's voyage. Human characters include scribe Antonio Pigafetta, whose scrupulously recorded notes remain today. End notes add context. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Set in 1909 Illinois, this suspenseful tale is told by Finder, a failed hunting dog. Desperate to keep his dog, fourteen-year-old Thomas, recently sent to work in the mines, teaches Finder to pull a coal cart underground. When fire breaks out, Thomas and Finder become heroes. Scratchlike illustrations appear throughout. True events behind the story are detailed in an appendix. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. After escaping a cruel owner, Alaskan sled dog Murphy finds a home with eleven-year-old Sally and her mother. Though he's emotionally scarred from past abuse, Murphy proves his bravery when he accompanies Sally on her lone search for gold. This charming dog's-eye-view adventure set in 1900 will please dog lovers and historical fiction fans alike. Appended historical background supplements the narrative. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. It's 1917 in Cosham, England, and a family's pet collie, Darling, becomes a Red Cross mercy dog, seeking out wounded soldiers in need. In tense first-person narration, Darling relates her journey from England to France as she goes from reluctant helper to WWI hero. Light sketches further evoke time and place. Appended historical background supplements the narrative. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. This book is a "biography" of FDR's Scottie companion Fala, from puppyhood to old age. Focusing mostly on the dog, the story also touches on important moments in Roosevelt's presidency. Muted oil paintings and frisky black-and-white spot art capture the pup's personality. A short afterword includes a photo of the FDR memorial, including its statue of Fala.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Reiss imagines how Santa spends his free months once Christmas is over. Kids will get a kick out of seeing Santa relaxing at the beach and trick-or-treating in an Easter Bunny costume. The jolly oil-paint illustrations do a better job capturing the spirit of events than the text's uneven rhymes.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. The compilers include fifteen familiar nursery rhymes with historical annotations for each. While more comprehensive collections exist, preschoolers can still enjoy the rhymes, and older children may appreciate the history. The illustrations reflect the vitality of the verses.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. On hot nights when she can't sleep, Elizabeth watches the rabbits play on the grass outside her family's summer cabin. When the rabbits start eating the well-tended lawn, upsetting her father, she helps with the yard work so that they can stay. Though the conflict's resolution is somewhat vague, the lyrically told story is a good match for Montgomery's rich paintings of a pine tree bordered lawn.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli