Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2014 Gr 3–5—With each book written from the perspective of a child living his/her day-to-day life, this series gives an insider's point of view of six different types of communities. Readers will learn about a variety of topics for each place, such as population, types of homes, activities, responsibilities and chores, and what drives the economy. The structure of the books is designed for easy comprehension: one side of each spread is text, and the other side is a full-page captioned color photo (that mostly matches the texts) with an interactive note urging readers to "ask questions," "make a guess," or "think" about the information they are reading. Each title has a contents page, an index, and a glossary (words are bolded throughout the text). This series will be useful for student projects about different kinds of living environments and should also help kids expand their minds about how other people live. - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2014 Books in the What It’s Like to Live Here series profile the daily lives of families in different communities. A large-print text discusses the qualities of a suburb and follows the daily life of a typical suburban family, focusing on two children. The narrative opens, “Tom and Kate played soccer in the backyard,” and concludes with, “Tom loved growing up in a suburb!” (The choice of past tense is odd, leaving readers to wonder where Tom and Kate are now.) Each double-page spread includes a paragraph of text, a color photo, and a sidebar, which might add information, ask questions, or suggest a project. Though the narrative focuses on one family, the photos illustrating more general information include a racially diverse group of people. Many children live in suburban neighborhoods, but relatively few books focus on the topic. A useful addition to many collections. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.