(2) 4-6 This survival novel is set in the awe-inspiring Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Owen, Vivian, and Amy (two tweens and an eight-year-old) plan a late-summer overnight trip alone in the wilderness. Sisters Vivian and Amy are exploring their home state of California, and their cousin Owen is visiting from the East Coast. Their grownups camp nearby -- they believe the kids' experience on their own will do each of them some good. When an earthquake triggers a rockfall and their path back to the adults is blocked, the resourceful and determined children must take an uncharted path to safety. The cousins use their impressive skills and knowledge (they are excellent at food rationing, first aid, and more) as they encounter wildlife, volatile weather, and treacherous heights. Moments of excitement are interwoven with heartwarming scenes of bonding and introspection, as the trio gives one another "trail names" and has deep conversations about embracing the real world, fears around new beginnings, moving forward from trauma, and the power of love and nature to heal: "[Owen] felt this amazing mix of things, all at once: happy and sad and alive." The plot -- told in the third person and never too harrowing -- is fast-paced and rich in setting. Sights, sounds, and smells are vividly delineated, creating a picturesque backdrop to center the cousins' journey and its transformative effects.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(3) K-3 First Facts: U.S. National Parks Field Guides series. These image-heavy volumes introduce young readers to major features of each national park, functioning as accessible travel guides. Engaging photographs accompany brief information about landmarks including geysers, canyons, and suspension bridges, along with brief overviews of wildlife and weather. Maps included. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these First Facts: U.S. National Parks Field Guides titles: Grand Canyon National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Earth Rocks! series. In straightforward terms (with difficult vocabulary highlighted and defined), Gilbert describes landforms and earth processes and explains the ways in which they form and are shaped. This series stands out for its impressively crisp, color-saturated photographs, which feature extraordinary exemplars such as geysers from Yellowstone, Mount Fuji, and the Grand Canyon. Each book includes a related activity. Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Rocks! titles: Canyons, Earthquakes, Geysers, Glaciers, Landslides, and Volcanoes.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 National Parks series. Each series volume provides basic facts on weather, natural landmarks, animals, and ecosystems along with some superficial history of the focal park. On each spread, a few simple, large-type sentences aimed at beginning readers appear beside an impressive, gutter-spanning nature photograph. Information is minimal but age-appropriate. A list of four "fun activities" to do in each locale is appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 True Stories, Real People series. Each short, inspiring biography is divided into four or five chapters written in an objective, unpretentious manner. Quotation sources are fastidiously footnoted and listed in the back matter. Navigation is easy thanks to clean layouts and a simple color scheme (orange photo captions, navy call-out boxes). Great for school assignments and engaging enough for pleasure reading. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following True Stories, Real People titles: Alia Muhammad Baker, Aron Ralston, Malala Yousafzai, Abby Sunderland, and Bethany Hamilton.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Cassie is dismayed to be spending the summer with her dad in rural Texas. She repeatedly makes assumptions about those around her based on appearances. Unsurprisingly, she overcomes her prejudices, makes new friends, learns to appreciate nature, and realizes there's more to life than the mall. Despite the formulaic clichés, this is an agreeable story with a little mystery thrown in.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Landform Adventurers series. Clear photographs of impressive landforms grab the spotlight in this introduction to exploring canyons. Simple text in large font explains colossal and underwater canyons, as well as the rocks, fossils, and wildlife within them. While lacking depth, the book provides a solid start that may pique the interest of young scientists. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) YA Extreme Earth series. In-depth descriptions of famous landforms frame sophisticated discussions of geologic history, processes, and theories. The case study format is detailed and informative, but the complex terminology and concepts may be difficult for all but the most advanced students to comprehend, particularly in Canyons. Each book's black-and-white illustrations don't do justice to the magnificent landforms but are supplemented by one eight-page color insert. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Extreme Earth titles: Waterfalls, Canyons, Caves, and Lakes.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Photographs by Michael Collier. In this description of how a canyon is formed, a free verse poem and full-page color photos of the Colorado River and its tributaries provide a lyrical account of erosion. The verse is occasionally awkward ("and with mallets of masses of pebbles / and with sandy razors of silt / it carves out the stone"), yet it and the exquisitely clear, often aerial photos manage to convey the grandeur of geological processes.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire