(4) K-3 Illustrated by Keum Jin Song. In 2016, South Korean church members, originally refugees from North Korea, sent rice bags attached to helium balloons to North Korea to feed starving people. In this fictionalized story, a girl tries to convince other children who feel North Koreans are "the enemy" to join the effort. Slick digital illustrations contrast the lush South Korean countryside with barren North Korea. Includes extensive background material. Reading list.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) YA Illustrated by Alex Puvilland. Color by Hilary Sycamore. Westerfeld continues the Annihilation-reminiscent plot of Spill Zone, in which Addie entered a section of Poughkeepsie taken over by a toxic otherness. Addie returns here but with special powers, and she's joined by Jae, a boy transformed by a similar area in North Korea. With striking coloring, dynamic panels, and page-turning action, this graphic novel brings the story to a thrilling conclusion.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Mia and her older brother Simon find themselves embroiled in international intrigue when their foreign-aid-worker father is arrested while they are visiting North Korea. The siblings discover they possess dangerous photos that must get out of the country. Character development is weak, but the action scenes keep things interesting. Information about North Korea and short fictional profiles revealing daily life there are interspersed throughout.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA Raven Files series. Jocelyn Steely, a.k.a. Raven, seeks vengeance on KATO, the North Korean spy agency that brainwashed and tortured her as a child. Though still recovering from PTSD and an involuntary addiction to KATO drug Gerex, Raven uses counter-espionage to turn the tables on KATO and save another girl from a similar ordeal. Plot thrills compensate for insufficient character development in this sequel to Crossing the Line.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) YA This is the harrowing story of a boy whose father ran afoul of the North Korean government, resulting in the once-privileged family's banishment during a famine. When Sungju's parents disappear while searching for food, he must survive on the streets. Not many details of children's lives in North Korea have reached us, making this memoir an important, if stiffly written, contribution. Glos.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) YA Raven Files series. At age eight, Jocelyn Steely was kidnapped and forced to become a spy for North Korean agency KATO. Ten years later, Jocelyn will double-cross KATO for destroying her childhood--if she can detox from the addictive KATO drug Gerex and gain the trust of the U.S. spy agency she fought against for years. Plot twists and action abound in this mature, graphic series-starter.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) YA People in the News series. From politicians to actors to world leaders, these biographies provide mostly adulatory portrayals of their subjects (with the exceptions of Castro and Kim Jong Il); occasionally something controversial slips in to spice up the texts. Each volume includes biographical information, photographs, and career highlights (through 2008). Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Salma Hayek, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Coretta Scott King, Pope Benedict XVI, Fidel Castro, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Modern World Leaders series. This series, part history and part biography, challenges readers to consider the concept of leadership by placing the featured individual in a historical context. Each title includes childhood experiences, rise to power, significant historical events, international relationships, and political ideology. Captioned photographs provide additional perspectives and break up the intimidatingly dense texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Modern World Leaders titles: Ehud Olmert, Felipe Calderón, Roh Moo Hyun, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Dictatorships series. These books about two Asian dictators first present histories of their countries before exploring the men's own backgrounds and regimes in greater depth. The texts are dense; strong graphic design with a bold, contemporary look including well-placed sidebars and photographs makes these books visually appealing and accessible. Thorough backmatter includes a "Who's Who?" Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Dictatorships titles: Kim Jong Il's North Korea and Mao Zedong's China.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Modern World Nations series. These revised and updated volumes examine the geography, population, economy, relationships (some strained) with other countries, and additional topics related to North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Though the books are relatively light on culture and history, report writers may find them useful to gather facts and figures. Photographs of varying quality and relevance appear throughout. Saudi Arabia includes a glossary. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Modern World Nations titles: Saudi Arabia and North Korea.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt