(4) 4-6 When Tash's Tibetan Buddhist parents are arrested for religious and political activity by the occupying Chinese soldiers, Tash escapes with her friend Sam and two yaks. They make a dangerous trek through the Himalayas to the exiled Tibetan community in India, where she meets the Dalai Lama. The exciting adventure story would benefit from more in-depth information about Tibet's current situation and a map. Brief facts are appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) YA With Laura Scandiffio. Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Gray documents a harrowing journey across the Himalayas for two brothers, Pasang (eighteen) and Tenzin (ten). They escaped oppressive Chinese Communist authorities in their small Tibetan village and reached asylum in Dharamsala, India, home of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The riveting account includes some maps and an insert of black-and-white photos. Timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 In a mystery-adventure involving a derelict monastery in New York's Catskill Mountains, Jax is at odds with her overprotective mother, but her experiences with the monks facilitate a mother-daughter reconciliation. Touches of magical realism sit rather uneasily in the contemporary setting; though there are some lecture-like moments, the most valuable element of Kimmel's novel is her clear explanation of Buddhist philosophies.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gwanjo Park & Jung-a Park. Dorje, a Royal Bengal tiger, lives with the monks in a Buddhist monastery. The creature's stripes have disappeared, signaling the decline of its species. However, one hopeful day, a monk notices a stripe on Dorje's back. With a combination of myth, magic, ecology, and spirituality, the book shares the endangered animal's true-life plight. Rich-hued, impressionistic paintings highlight the tiger's magnificence.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) YA People in the News series. These series entries provide a portrait of each subject's childhood, career, and influences. The texts, though superficial, are informative. Sidebars touch on related topics (e.g., Tibet in Dalai Lama, diabetes in Jonas Brothers), controversies (e.g., Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin, DeGeneres's coming out), and trivia. There are five other spring 2010 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Tyra Banks, Hillary Clinton, Tina Fey, The Dalai Lama, Jonas Brothers, and Ellen DeGeneres.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 This biography also serves as a window into Tibetan culture and an eye-opening introduction to the region's ongoing conflict with China. The text is lyrical and informative (though readers may find the six-year-old Dalai Lama's musings unbelievable: "He imagined that as the shade began to creep over the schoolroom, it also crept over his heart"). Occasional black-and-white photographs help readers visualize Tibet. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(3) YA Spiritual Leaders and Thinkers series. The subjects of these report-oriented biographies of religious leaders will be of varying interest to young people. The feature that sets these apart from other biographies are the appended primary source documents in most of the volumes, including the text of Luther's Ninety-five Theses and the Dalai Lama's Nobel acceptance speech. Chronology, reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Spiritual Leaders and Thinkers titles: Martin Luther, Thomas Merton, Mary Baker Eddy, Aimee Semple McPherson, and Dalai Lama.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Famous Lives series. Effectively integrating historical context into the discussion, these biographies present an overview of each subject's life and notable contributions. The large format includes photos, archival reproductions, and a spacious layout, making the books accessible and easy to read. The quality of the writing is uneven, but readers will gain a basic appreciation of these important figures in history. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Famous Lives titles: Florence Nightingale, Gandhi, The Dalai Lama, and John Lennon.]

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) K-3 In 1911, at forty-three, this intrepid traveler goes to Asia, where she spends a year learning Tibetan with a mountain-dwelling hermit and another three years translating old texts before taking on the most audacious of her ventures: Lhasa, the Forbidden City. Brown's present-tense narrative uses simple but riveting language, and he interjects the subject's own words for drama. An author's note retraces highlights. Bib.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002