Barbara Park

November 1, 2013

Gr 2-5-This colorful, informative, and engaging series focuses on six beloved children's authors. Each book echoes its subject's best-known works, using the same font and color schemes as their bestsellers, so young readers can make an easy connection to what they are familiar with. After this clever hook, the content is strong and consistent, delving into the writers' personal lives, childhoods, and how they came to be successful. Without being too dense or too sparse, the text has high readability, and the full-color photos are matched to aid in comprehension. Text boxes scattered throughout provide supplemental information without being distracting. Vocabulary is bolded and defined on the page, and there is a glossary in the back of each volume as well.

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
These brief biographies of three beloved children's authors are well suited to newly independent readers. There's not much depth, but the accessible texts give young fans basic information about each subject as well as a bit of insight into what inspires him or her. The profiles are accompanied by color photographs; the unflattering illustrated cover portraits are unfortunate. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

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