(3) 4-6 With Ali Fadhil. Eleven-year-old Ali lives with his Christian-Kurdish family in Basra, Iraq, during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Entranced with American television, comics, and video games, Ali is dismayed to be considered the "enemy"; why can't they just kill Saddam Hussein and leave Ali and his countrymen alone? Young Ali's engaging voice and perspective add appeal to this story based on contributor Fadhil's childhood in war-ravaged Iraq.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) YA Living Through series. These extremely detailed volumes focus on battles, strategies, weapons, generals, and leaders; daily life during war is covered briefly. Bingham gives the second Iraq war more attention, including protests against it, the failure to find WMDs, and other issues. A "What Have We Learned?" section summarizes each war's legacy. Illustrations, photos, sidebars, and maps crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Living Through titles: World War I and The Gulf Wars with Iraq.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Perspectives on Modern World History series. These series entries present collections of essays that explore perspectives on the title subjects. Multiple viewpoints are examined, including those of people who participated in the events or played key roles (two entries from George H. W. Bush appear in Persian Gulf). Essays cover background, controversies, and personal narratives. The volumes are text heavy, with some pictures, sidebars, and pull-quotes providing supplementary information. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these Perspectives on Modern World History titles: The Persian Gulf War and The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA Major World Leaders series. Because these biographies concern current political figures, their authors face a difficult evaluation task. The details about Brazil and Iraq are accurate, but the text becomes more rambling in the Morrison volume. He shows, though, that the economic gap in Brazil continues to be challenging, and Shields even-handedly presents events leading to Hussein's capture. Captioned photos and maps illustrate the books. Reading list, timeline, websites (Hussein). Ind. Review covers these Major World Leaders titles: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Saddam Hussein.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 History Maker Bios series. Five short chapters give simplified versions of the lives of these generals, from families and early difficulties through military academies, commissions, first assignments, and later accomplishments: Patton's battlefield leadership in WWII, Marshall's conception of a plan to rebuild Europe, and Powell's service as Secretary of State. Photos, sidebars, and cartoons expand the short sentences of the text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review includes these History Maker Bios titles: George S. Patton, Jr., Colin Powell, and George C. Marshall.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Days That Shook the World series. From circumstances leading up to the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait to the war in Iraq, this well-researched title presents a comprehensive account of the historic event. Despite the tight design, the accessible text, supported by color photos, maps, and text boxes, brings history to life and provides sound background to contemporary events. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA America at War series. Except for Persian Gulf, all of these books have been updated to include contemporary references (e.g., the United States' improved relationship with Vietnam in the past decade) and supplemental boxes that explore topics such as racism in the military. Although the writing is sometimes dry, the books are inarguably thorough. Drab black-and-white photos appear throughout. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these America at War titles: World War I, Persian Gulf War, Korean War, Vietnam War, and World War II.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 20th Century Perspectives series. Twenty two-page chapters briefly cover topics such as "Prisoners of War" (Korean) and "Media Coverage" (Persian). The format sometimes creates confusion: subjects are not always connected, which makes it hard to follow the progress of the war. The overcrowded books are liberally illustrated with photographs, maps, and sidebars. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. [Review covers these 20th Century Perspectives titles: The Korean War and The Persian Gulf War.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(2) 4-6 When her single-parent mother is called up from the army reserves to go to Saudi Arabia for the opening phase of the 1990 Persian Gulf War, seventh-grader Jasmyn must adjust to a newly chaotic life in her small Maine seacoast town. Mead paints an entirely convincing and involving picture of a realistically prickly heroine as she balances worry about her mom with resentment at being left behind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1999