Continents and countries are a mainstay of elementary- and middle-school reports, and these entries in the Earth's Continents series (7 titles) offer the usual fare ographic features, history, states or provinces, etc. ong with some intriguing contemporary topics, unusual facts, and plenty of helpful context. Australia showcases the country and continent's diverse wildlife (including "17 species of the world's most venomous snakes"), varied biomes and geological structures, and World Heritage sites. Notably, the author does an excellent job of explaining the history of the Aboriginal people as well as the detrimental affect European colonization had and continues to have on Australia's native population: "The Australian government has taken steps to make things better, but there is more to be done." Each volume is heavily illustrated with captioned photos and closes with the usual back matter, along with a recipe and an activity. Although broad in overall scope, these introductions to continents offer enough pithy, interest-piquing facts to encourage further, deeper research elsewhere.