Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2014 GR 2–5—Going beyond the "usual suspects" when it comes to community helpers, this series profiles 12 different careers in 12 separate books, which will be sure to help fill in any collection gaps. Simple, clear writing is used to paint a complete picture of the community helpers, who are presented as real people. Stressing "who, what, when, where, and why" questions, the titles describe job responsibilities in particular fields (clothes, tools, work environments, etc.) and the steps that one might have to take in order to enter the field, including any schooling/special training. Full-color photos supplement the text, as do captions and text boxes. At the end of each book, readers will find sections for "Learning more" and "Why Don't You Try Being…." Not only will these informative offerings help kids with projects about community helpers, but they might also encourage young readers to think about their own future career prospects. - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2014 How early do children need to start preparing for professional careers? If these titles in the People in Our Communities series are any indication, career preparedness has reached the early elementary years. Each book begins with a child whose interests line up perfectly with a given profession and concludes with a child-appropriate activity tangentially related to the given career. For example, Teachers asks readers to create a how-to book. In between, each book presents an overview of the specified career while suggesting that interested children learn more about and do some simple preparation for the career that interests them. The books also describe some of the responsibilities of each career, the level of education required, and any materials and special vocabulary used. Fact boxes cover additional details such as typical salaries, likely future growth of the field, and related jobs. The stock photos and sometimes superficial treatment of the subjects might limit the books’ appeal. Still, children already interested in these careers will welcome the basic, purposeful information. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.