Savery's young narrator shares her journeys to two of the largest countries in Asia. Each double-page spread showcases a different stop and provides geographical and historical information. Though the information is superficial, the volumes provide accessible introductions to everyday life. Each book includes a full-color map of the narrator's route, photographs, common phrases, and fact boxes. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

The In the Workplace series introduces readers to a wide range of career choices in various fields. Each career option is well explained, and symbols that are consistent throughout the titles denote bullet-point suggestions on four different topics: How do I find a job? What qualities do I need? What will be my main tasks? and What might I become? Creative and Media Careers covers an almost dizzying array of jobs, everything from acting to journalism to set design and sound engineering. Still, by grouping the jobs together by what they accomplish, there's sense to the organization. Sometimes the series' overseas origins are too apparent (jobs descriptions occasionally vary from the U.S., and the many color photos often are in foreign settings), but still there's plenty of bang for the buck here.