This careful breakdown of the variety of factors that can contribute to our understanding of what community means is refreshing and much needed. It begins with prereading activities to build on prior knowledge and introduce vocabulary terms. Suggestions for during-reading and post-reading extension activities add to the pedagogic scope. The concept of a community is addressed broadly, starting with what a global community means, through infographics and data charts that break down technical information into accessible chunks. Subsequent sections address racial diversity and ways to think about the various demographic terms that define us, narrowing the focus of community at the national, state, and neighborhood levels. Important topics such as red-lining, housing segregation, and unfair mortgage practices are also included. With an attractive layout and conversational tone, this entry in the Data in Your World series (2 titles) is an appealing classroom addition.

KOESTLER, Courtney & Mathew Felton-Koestler . Exploring Our Schools . ISBN 9781731651747 .ea vol: 48p. (Data in Your World). Rourke / Connections . Mar. 2022. Tr $34.22. Gr 59 With the idea that "Data can help us understand the world, our country, and our local communities" in mind, these books explain how data may be organized into graphs, charts, and maps, and then used for analysis. Examples, such as a bar graph of U.S. race/ethnicity, are shown; then captions explain how to interpret the data. The usefulness of maps that reflect the connection between geography and data is also pointed out. Intentional misuse of data and how it can be misunderstood due to misreading or unclear labels is discussed, as well as how data can be used to predict future trends. Name changes for race and ethnicity over time are also mentioned. Each book begins with "Before" and "During" reading suggestions, and back matter features reflection questions and a suggested extension activity. VERDICT A helpful purchase for classes working on data interpretation.