ZWEIG, Eric . Everything Sports . ISBN 9781426323331 . ea vol: 64p. (National Geographic Kids). further reading. glossary. illus. index. photos. websites. National Geographic . Mar. 2016. pap. $12.99. Gr 4-6 These titles are designed for casual browsers and more serious readers alike. The four chapters, introduction, and afterword offer a planned route through these ambitious overviews, while the mini-bites of information keep them friendly. Chapter 3 in Robotics , "Robo-Helpers," shows real-world robots in homes, in factories, underwater, and in outer space. A "Robotic Comparisons" spread of robot and human features ends the chapter. Chapter 2 in Sports , "Dribble, Drive, Hustle," introduces four popular sportsbasketball, baseball, hockey, and footballand closes with a photo gallery of less mainstream sports. Each volume features insights from a professional in an "Explorer's Corner" Sports offers the expertise of sports reporter Shalise Manza Young and Robotics provides knowledge from National Geographic Explorer Shah Selbe. These colorful selections are crammed with quality photos, including the dynamic full-spread images on chapter-title and closing pages. An "Interactive Glossary" in each book adds a bit of fun to learning vocabulary words with a quick related multiple-choice question after each definition. VERDICT These resources present accessible fun; both will find eager audiences. Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

The slender volumes in the Calling All Innovators: A Career for You series present overviews of fields related to technology, science, engineering, and math. After a fast-paced historical survey, each book looks at the current state of the field. Next, it describes a variety of related career opportunities and offers a two-page interview with a young professional, who comments on his or her experiences in that line of work and how young people might prepare for a similar position. Robotics introduces an engineer who designs advanced robotic vehicles at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. Moving beyond STEM to STEAM, each book includes a two-page section called "The Artistic Side," which points out creative contributions made by people such as artists, composers, designers, filmmakers, photographers, and writers. The concluding pages look toward future developments in the field. Each book provides a good overview as well as some interesting specifics related to the subject. The clearly reproduced color photos and other design elements add to the books' appeal. A practical career series for young people.