HAMILTON, John . Navy Seals . ISBN 978-1-61783-067-9 . LC 2011020556. HAMILTON, John . United States Air Force . ISBN 978-1-61783-068-6 . LC 2011013149. HAMILTON, John . United States Army . ISBN 978-1-61783-069-3 . LC 2011012483. HAMILTON, John . United States Marine Corps . ISBN 978-1-61783-070-9 . LC 2011018116. HAMILTON, John . United States Navy . ISBN 978-1-61783-071-6 . LC 2011020557. ea vol: 32p. (United States Armed Forces Series). photos. reprods. glossary. index. CIP. ABDO . 2011. PLB $27.07. Gr 4-8 These compact volumes are bursting with information, but the visuals are their real strength. Filled with full-bleed, full-color action photos and concise texts, the pages are also peppered with "Xtreme Fact" sidebars that add related information. Well suited for reports or pleasure reading, the books are so current that Navy Seals includes information about Seal Team 6's attack on Osama bin Laden's compound in May 2011. History chapters, though brief, are enriched with engaging reproductions. The texts are brief but not easy, making the books best suited to older reluctant readers. The glossaries don't contain as many terms as readers might require (and the words included aren't distinguished by bold type in the texts). Final chapters called "The Future" are a bit simplistic.

From the U.S. Special Forces series, these eye-catching titles provide a closer look at elite forces in action. Each volume opens with a brief, exciting scene featuring the force, then backtracks to consider its purpose, history, training, and gear. When appropriate, the force's portrayal in the media, particularly in movies, is also discussed. The last chapter in each book describes one or more notable missions. Heavy, glossy paper allows for excellent reproduction of the numerous photos. These pictures will attract younger kids as well, though some will find the text challenging because of the small print, vocabulary, acronyms, and the occasional circumlocution. In Green Berets, Whiting includes the story of how the men adopted their distinctive hats, which were initially banned by the military establishment. This attractive series will interest military-minded readers and browsers.