Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2012 Gr 1–3—High-profile disasters meet high-interest jobs. Well-organized texts with short, simple sentences set against white backgrounds ensure easy readability. The on-scene photos are exciting but not violent. Many show specialized equipment, but they are inconsistently captioned. The glossaries provide a confusing selection of vocabulary words, e.g., in Fires, "burn" is defined but "collapse" is not, and some definitions are poorly written, e.g., in Crime, "illegally" is defined as "do something that is against the law." Some volumes include relevant safety tips, though these can be puzzling—Fires suggests checking smoke detectors once a week, which seems excessive (FEMA's website recommends once a month). Though flashy and eye-catching, many flaws weaken this set. - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2012 Aimed at newer readers, this account of Captain Robert Scott’s fatal mission to the South Pole offers on each page a large period photo with a brief caption and just four to six lines of narrative text. Along with covering the explorer’s life and experiences in a very broad outline, the authors introduce the painter and photographer who created the expedition’s visual record and also pair general information about Antarctic climate, wildlife, and current human presence at the South Pole with a selection of modern photographs. Detailed maps, with one that folds out, and back matter, including a short but diverse list of further resources, enhance a tantalizing glimpse of Antarctica and its exploration, past and present. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.