November 1, 2012
Gr 4-7-Each of these titles describes the purpose, components, and history of one type of ship, with a focus on its use in the U.S. Navy. A good deal of space is devoted to the different classes of each ship, but much of this information is delivered in lists of specifications with little narrative text. The glossaries have lengthy and helpful descriptions of new words, but since the words included there are not indicated in any way in the text it's unlikely that readers will know to look for them. This set covers a high-interest topic, and the short paragraphs, sidebars, and large color photos will attract reluctant readers. However, the busy layout, with words placed over photographs, impedes readability. There is some overlap in content with Creative Education's "Built for Battle" series, but the language and sentence structures of these titles are more complex and aimed at an older audience.
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2013
This series profiles U.S. military vessels. Each double-page spread focuses on a particular topic, including parts of the ship, how it's constructed, how it's used, and some history. The brief, simplistic texts are easy to read and the plentiful photographs should appeal to reluctant readers, but the page design is occasionally overwhelming. Glos., ind.
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