Gr 6-8-In these three books, the authors present background information, followed by a description of the proceedings and conclude with some facts about the influence of the trials on the lives of the participants and on the greater American culture. All three books are written in a choppy, journalistic manner that conveys facts adequately, but lack those engaging qualities that draw children to good nonfiction and occasionally cause confusion by an oversimplified presentation of a complex subject. In addition, sidebars and photos in places unrelated to the text break the flow of the narrative. The series subtitle is misleading since it implies provision of some primary-source text materials, but it refers primarily to the archival photos. Large print, wide margins, and attractively framed archival photographs are enhanced by good-quality paper. However, the captions are overly long and merely repeat information. Students can obtain better organized and written information on all three trials from authoritative Internet Web sites and from general reference sources.-Ellen Loughran, Library Consultant, Brooklyn, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Reviewed with Lita Sorensen's The Scottsboro Boys Trial .Gr. 5-8. These slightly oversize volumes in the Great Trials of the Twentieth Century series have a young look. The texts are short, only 64 pages; there are numerous black-and-white photographs; and the typeface is large. But don't be fooled, the books are packed with information, and the writing styles are sophisticated, fitting the topics covered. Many young sports fans know the name Shoeless Joe Jackson or have heard about the Black Sox scandal, but Anderson goes into great detail, explaining how the plot to fix the World Series of 1919 came about and the how the event transformed baseball. Sorensen gets into some sensitive material as she discusses the alleged rape of two women riding a freight train, including reference to the women's reputations as prostitutes and the quality of the sperm found during the exam, but the information is presented within the context of the larger issues of justice and the effect the trial had on the nascent civil rights movement. Each attractive, intelligent offering concludes with a time line, a glossary, a Web site list, and a bibliography.