(3) 4-6 Behind the Legend series. Illustrated by Jomike Tejido. This fascinating series looks at the myths surrounding legendary creatures. Also explored are the factual or scientific bases that provide reasonable explanations for how these creatures may have entered into folklore. Each chapter is further divided into subsections and sidebars, which makes for easily digestible information. The cartoon-style illustrations tend toward dark and brooding and fit well with the subject matter. Reading list. Bib. Review covers these Behind the Legend titles: Unicorns, Werewolves, and Zombies.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Behind the Legend series. Illustrated by Jomike Tejido. This fascinating series looks at the myths surrounding legendary creatures. Also explored are the factual or scientific bases that provide reasonable explanations for how these creatures may have entered into folklore. Each chapter is further divided into subsections and sidebars, which makes for easily digestible information. The cartoon-style illustrations tend toward dark and brooding and fit well with the subject matter. Reading list. Bib. Review covers these Behind the Legend titles: Unicorns, Werewolves, and Zombies.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Behind the Legend series. Illustrated by Victor Rivas. This fascinating series looks at the myths surrounding legendary creatures. Also explored are the factual or scientific bases that provide reasonable explanations for how these creatures may have entered into folklore. Each chapter is further divided into subsections and sidebars, which makes for easily digestible information. The cartoon-style illustrations tend toward dark and brooding and fit well with the subject matter. Reading list. Bib. Review covers these Behind the Legend titles: Unicorns, Werewolves, and Zombies.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. The riveting series continues with teenage Sherlock Holmes, abducted in the previous installment, now headed to China. In Shanghai, he is thrust into solving deadly puzzles with international implications, including inexplicable poisonous snake bites on different victims, hidden messages, and a plot to detonate an American warship. A gripping and gratifying fifth volume for fans of the iconic sleuth.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) YA Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. Upon docking in Ireland after high-seas adventures, adolescent Sherlock Holmes's brother, Mycroft, persuades him to journey to a coastal castle to investigate the veracity of a spiritualist's "gift." Soon, Sherlock is also unraveling secrets of the castle servants' fears, rumors of a menacing "Dark Beast," and, of course, murder. A gratifying sixth volume for fans of the iconic sleuth.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) 4-6 Creatures of Legend series. Treating cryptozoology as a real science, this slim volume discusses characteristics of these creatures, investigations into their existence, similar legends around the world, and Bigfoot's continuing popularity. The short, simple sentences; wide leading between lines of text; and photos make this an approachable book on a high-interest topic, but failure to treat the subject with skepticism is disappointing. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Creatures of Legend series. These slim books include solid background information about the myths and legends surrounding these creatures from multiple cultures and geographic regions. Also discussed is the creatures' presence in popular culture. The short, simple sentences; wide leading between lines of text; and photos make these approachable books on high-interest topics. Discussion and writing prompts are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creatures of Legend titles: Unicorns, Dragons, and Sea Monsters.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Creatures of Legend series. These slim books include solid background information about the myths and legends surrounding these creatures from multiple cultures and geographic regions. Also discussed is the creatures' presence in popular culture. The short, simple sentences; wide leading between lines of text; and photos make these approachable books on high-interest topics. Discussion and writing prompts are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creatures of Legend titles: Unicorns, Dragons, and Sea Monsters.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. This third volume in Lane's Holmes series opens with a classic locked-room mystery (spoiler: a knife made of ice is involved) but eventually lands in Moscow as the young Sherlock finds himself a part of the Great Game. While the plot is overcomplicated (but action-packed) and the writing sometimes expository, fans of the series shouldn't hesitate.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. The young Sherlock Holmes's adventures take him (very eventually) to Edinburgh, but this fourth series entry is less cohesive than it should be, stringing together set-piece encounters with evil-doers with lengthy accounts of travel. Fans will be pleased--or will they?--that things between Sherlock and his tutor's daughter are heating up: "his lips were still tingling with the memory of Virginia's kiss."

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) 4-6 Creatures of Legend series. These slim books include solid background information about the myths and legends surrounding these creatures from multiple cultures and geographic regions. Also discussed is the creatures' presence in popular culture. The short, simple sentences; wide leading between lines of text; and photos make these approachable books on high-interest topics. Discussion and writing prompts are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creatures of Legend titles: Unicorns, Dragons, and Sea Monsters.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) YA Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. This second volume (Death Cloud) sends the young Sherlock Holmes to America in pursuit of a miraculously alive (but seriously deranged) John Wilkes Booth, whose gang has Sherlock's sidekick Matty in its clutches. While there is more action here than Conan Doyle's Holmes probably saw in his entire lifetime, the pacing is smart but dignified, anchored by the boy's observant and inquisitive nature.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(2) 4-6 Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins series. Two men die from what evidence suggests is a plague; the cause is in fact killer bees. That solved, fourteen-year-old Sherlock must catch the miscreants, aided by his tutor and a scrappy, streetwise sidekick. While the book is more thrill-packed action-movie than cool deductive mystery, Sherlock Holmes fans will delight in numerous in-jokes, and adventure readers will thrill to the high-stakes storytelling.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(4) 1-3 Legend Of... series. Illustrated by Glenn McCoy. With four brothers, Will has a hard time finding anyone to listen to his problems, so he makes a deal with Grandad. Grandad will listen to his grandson's troubles if Will listens to his--which helps Will put his problems in perspective. The humor is painted with too broad a brush, but readers will sympathize with Will's sibling issues. The cartoon illustrations match the text's exaggeration.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) 4-6 Landscapes of Legend series. Illustrated by Diana Mayo. For each landscape highlighted in these profusely illustrated volumes, Bevan offers brief facts, along with a tale selected from related folklore. Beneath the Earth describes six phenomena, including springs, earthquakes, and volcanoes, and features stories from Europe, Hawaii, and Japan. Cities touches on six ancient cities with great cultural significance, including Rome, Mecca, and Jerusalem. The books provide interesting introductions but have limited scope. Ind.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 4-6 Landscapes of Legend series. Illustrated by Diana Mayo. For each landscape highlighted in these profusely illustrated volumes, Bevan offers brief facts, along with a tale selected from related folklore. Beneath the Earth describes six phenomena, including springs, earthquakes, and volcanoes, and features stories from Europe, Hawaii, and Japan. Cities touches on six ancient cities with great cultural significance, including Rome, Mecca, and Jerusalem. The books provide interesting introductions but have limited scope. Ind.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert