NARDO, Don . The Birth of Christianity . ISBN 978-1-59935-145-2 . LC 2010038443. NARDO, Don . The Birth of Islam . ISBN 978-1-59935-146-9 . LC 2010038442. PRICE, Joan A. Founders of Faith . ISBN 978-159935147-6 . LC 2010038441. ea vol: 160p. (World Religions and Beliefs Series). diags. photos. glossary. index. Web sites. Morgan Reynolds . 2011. PLB $28.95. Gr 7 Up This quartet of books varies in quality and usefulness. Founders is a simplified account of the lives (or stories) of several figures, from Krishna, who has no historical counterpart, to Zoroaster. The text wavers somewhere between recounting religious stories and providing historical information; unfortunately, it succeeds at neither. After an abysmal introduction in which the author refers to a Roman tradition in 1200 BCE (well before Rome was founded) and discusses Native American cultures in the past tense, Mystics delves into the lives of several ancient and modern supernaturally gifted teachers, including Hildegarde von Bingen, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and Jeane Dixon. Christianity and Islam are by far the strongest of these titles, covering the beginnings of these religions in an impartial way. The contexts in which the religions developed are explained, offering insight into how the two faiths came to be and introducing major concepts from the religions.

In this uneven series, Islam and Christianity provide fairly useful overviews in terms of religion and history; Faith is a little shakier, occasionally making questionable assertions (e.g., including Krishna, one of the incarnations of Vishnu, as the "founder" of Hinduism). Maps (some with tiny type), photographs, and artwork reproductions illustrate the well-documented volumes. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.