ROYSTON, Angela . Robert Fulton and the Steamboat . ISBN 9781508146377 ; ISBN 9781508146353 ; ISBN 9781508146384 . SPILSBURY, Louise . Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone . ISBN 9781508146254 ; ISBN 9781508146230 ; ISBN 9781508146261 . SPILSBURY, Louise . Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press . ISBN 9781508146339 ; ISBN 9781508146315 ; ISBN 9781508146346 . SPILSBURY, Louise . Robert Goddard and the Rocket . ISBN 9781508146414 ; ISBN 9781508146391 ; ISBN 9781508146421 . SPILSBURY, Louise . The Wright Brothers and the Airplane . ISBN 9781508146452 ; ISBN 9781508146438 ; ISBN 9781508146469 . ea vol: 32p. (Inventions That Changed the World). chron. further reading. glossary. index. photos. websites. PowerKids . 2016. lib. ed. $26.25. pap. $10. ebk. $26.25. Gr 5-8 Combining biography and history, these books explore inventor and invention to understand an individual's impact on the world. These texts are not comprehensive biographies; instead, they concentrate on how each inventor's early interests led to his often prolonged efforts to make his invention viable and profitable. Each title traces the steps in the development of invention, explains how it worked, and analyzes its impact. Inventors are called by their first names throughout the books, lending a familiarity uncommon in series nonfiction. Descriptions of the inventions and the underlying principles of their operation are sometimes quite complex, with either missing or inadequate visual information. Illustrations are largely period photos and drawings of people and the inventions. Quotes in "The Word Is" sidebars aren't documented. VERDICT A supplementary rather than first choice for reports.