Great Magicians and Illusionists

November 1, 2016

Gr 6-9-Several titles here will provide useful overviews or starting points for further research. Young Adult Authors helpfully addresses the growing call for diversity in books for teens and features the late novelist Walter Dean Myers and sci-fi and fantasy author Nnedi Okorafor. Women World Leaders includes a chapter on Hillary Clinton, which will age quickly in the shadow of the 2016 election, but a chapter on Nobel Peace laureate and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is informative and contextual. Women Scientists and Inventors brings focus to a number of fascinating but less widely celebrated figures, such as physicist Lise Meitner and pioneering neonatologist Virginia Apgar. All of the books contain comprehensive source notes divided by chapter.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016
Grades 7-10 Clear and well organized, each entry in the Collective Biographies series profiles six notable figures in industries of particular interest or value for students. Placed in roughly chronological order, each chapter details the early life, major accomplishments, and challenges faced by its subject. Great Magicians and Illusionistsopens with a comprehensive look at the life ofwho else?Harry Houdini before examining the careers of other influential magicians; Ning Cai is both the only woman and person of color profiled, though the male-dominated nature of the industry is discussed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)