This fall's selection of career-centered series is predominantly devoted to "extreme," often dangerous occupations. Every branch of the military is explored, as is the work of first responders and a variety of other high-risk vocations, including storm chasers, miners, and astronauts. Students seeking more cerebral thrills may find them in Cherry Lake's "Cool Arts Careers," and the youngest students can sharpen their deductive skills with Capstone's "Community Helper Mysteries." Overall, there are quality selections at all reading and interest levels, though the preponderance of adrenaline is a bit alarming. Doesn't anyone want to be a lawyer or librarian?

Preschool-Grade 4

GOLDISH, Meish. Doctors to the Rescue. ISBN 978-1-61772-285-1; ISBN 978-1-61772-321-6. LC 2011009352. ----. Firefighters to the Rescue. ISBN 978-1-61772-284-4; ISBN 978-1-61772-322-3. LC 2011005274. WHITE, Nancy. Paramedics to the Rescue. ISBN 978-1-61772-282-0; ISBN 978-1-61772-323-0. LC 2011010391. ----. Police Officers to the Rescue. ISBN 978-1-61772-283-7; ISBN 978-1-61772-324-7. LC 2011014171. ea vol: 32p. (The Work of Heroes: First Responders in Action Series). photos. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. Websites. CIP. Bearport. 2011. PLB $25.27; ebook $18.95. Gr 2-6-Each volume opens with an attention-grabbing scenario in which a first responder intervenes to save lives. The ensuing chapters about the responsibilities of the featured jobs are interspersed with examples of other dedicated first responders and recent current events. Most memorably, Police Officers contains a chapter entitled "She Gave Her Life," which relates the tragic loss of NYPD officer Moira Smith on September 11, 2001. Snapshot-style color photos with captions sustain the action (though some are not for the squeamish, such as an image in Doctors that shows an injured hockey player's blood spilling onto the rink). A diverse group of profiled professionals, informative fact boxes, and final chapters reflecting on the pros and cons of these dangerous jobs all contribute to a high-interest series. Back matter includes photo-illustrated gear pages. HARASYMIW, Mark A. Army. ISBN 978-1-4339-5846-5; ISBN 978-1-4339-5848-9; ISBN 978-1-4339-5847-2. LC 2010051706. LORIA, Laura. Air Force. ISBN 978-1-4339-5842-7; ISBN 978-1-4339-5844-1; ISBN 978-1-4339-5843-4. LC 2010048948. MCDONNELL, Julia. Coast Guard. ISBN 978-1-4339-5850-2; ISBN 978-1-4339-5852-6; ISBN 978-1-4339-5851-9. LC 2011000884. NAGLE, Jeanne. Navy. ISBN 978-1-4339-5858-8; ISBN 978-1-4339-5860-1; ISBN 978-1-4339-5849-4. LC 2011009416. PORTMAN, Michael. Marine Corps. ISBN 978-1-4339-5854-0; ISBN 978-1-4339-5857-1; ISBN 978-1-4339-5855-7. LC 2011004845. ea vol: 32p. (US Military Forces Series). photos. reprods. further reading. glossary. index. Websites. CIP. Gareth Stevens. 2011. PLB $26.60; pap. $10.50; ebook $26.60. Gr 3-6-Excellent for report writing as well as for general perusing, this attractive set provides a well-organized overview of each of the five branches of the U.S. military. Clear and informative photos with bold red and camouflage backgrounds lend lots of eye appeal, and sidebars provide an additional array of facts, many of them related to history or technology. Women are given a commendable share of the spotlight in the chapters on famous fighters as well as in sidebars, such as "Women in the Coast Guard" and "First Woman General." Chapters about the organization of each branch, its stated missions, and its future round out a series that contains far more information than one might expect at first glance. TIECK, Sarah. Astronauts. ISBN 978-1-61783-024-2. LC 2011017448. ----. Commercial Fishermen. reprods. ISBN 978-1-61783-025-9. LC 2011017449. ----. Miners. ISBN 978-1-61783-026-6. LC 2011017210. ----. Smoke Jumpers. ISBN 978-1-61783-027-3. LC 2011017450.----. Storm Chasers. reprods. ISBN 978-1-61783-028-0. LC 2011018117.----. Zookeepers. reprods. ISBN 978-1-61783-029-7. LC 2011018118. ea vol: 32p. (Extreme Jobs Series). photos. glossary. index. Websites. CIP. ABDO/Buddy Bks. 2011. PLB $28.50. Gr 2-4-Action-packed photos, energetic orange backgrounds, and lots of white space around child-friendly texts give this series audience appeal, as do the daring jobs depicted. Chapters about daily tasks, educational requirements, and special gear cover expected topics. Encouraging "When I Grow Up" chapters suggest simple, career-related activities, while "Then to Now" sections provide glimpses into the history of each job, extending the learning experience in sometimes thought-provoking ways. In Miners, for example, a black-and-white photo shows a boy working in alarmingly dirty and dangerous conditions. Mention is also made of the present-day dangers and other downsides of these high-interest jobs. Eye-catching, black-and-yellow "Fact Alert" sidebars keep the facts flowing, and clear, informative captions are also a plus. TOURVILLE, Amanda Doering. Whose Equipment Is This? ISBN 978-1-4296-6080-8. LC 2011005504. ----. Whose Gadgets Are These? ISBN 978-1-4296-6082-2. LC 2011005505. ----. Whose Gear Is This? ISBN 978-1-4296-6083-9. LC 2011004618. ----. Whose Tools Are These? ISBN 978-1-4296-6081-5. LC 2011005506. ea vol: 24p. (Community Helper Mysteries Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Websites. CIP. Capstone/Pebble Plus. 2011. PLB $23.99. PreS-Gr 1-Large, informative color photos, ultra-simple texts, and a child-friendly size make this set ideal for read-alouds, one-on-one sessions, and emerging readers. Hints and close-up photo clues are presented one spread at a time, each carefully chosen to help readers solve the mystery of which of a diverse group of community helpers is being described (firefighter, dentist, doctor, police officer). Glossary words are well chosen and explained. Each title includes a website that will bring readers to additional mixed-level links related to the featured subject.

Grades 5 & Up

BRUSH, Jim. Armed Services. ISBN 978-1-59771-291-0. LC 2011006458. ----. Special Forces. diags. ISBN 978-1-59771-294-1. LC 2011006462. GILPIN, Dan. Police Units. diags. ISBN 978-1-59771-293-4. LC 2011006461. HYLAND, Tony. Border Defense. diags. ISBN 978-1-59771-292-7. LC 2011006460. ea vol: 32p. (Action Force Series). photos. glossary. index. Websites. Sea-to-Sea. 2011. PLB $28.50. Gr 4-6-With an international focus, these volumes cover a lot, resulting in somewhat-confusing reads. Visual clutter is caused by too many type styles and sizes, an excess of photos, narrow margins, and "AF Facts" and "Action Stats" sidebars on almost every page, many of which are devoted to details about weapons and equipment. The action ricochets from cave fighting in Afghanistan to crime-scene investigations in Great Britain, and from nabbing cocaine hidden inside a shipment of frozen sharks in Mexico to search and rescue missions in Haiti. Background knowledge is sometimes presumed (for example, the term "IT" is used but not defined in the text or limited glossary). "Fast Facts" pages add still more to the stew, which might take even the most diligent students quite some time to digest. HAMILTON, John. Green Berets. ISBN 978-1-61783-066-2. LC 2011018114. ----. Navy Seals. ISBN 978-1-61783-067-9. LC 2011020556. ----. United States Air Force. ISBN 978-1-61783-068-6. LC 2011013149. ----. United States Army. ISBN 978-1-61783-069-3. LC 2011012483. ----. United States Marine Corps. ISBN 978-1-61783-070-9. LC 2011018116. ----. 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. MARSICO, Katie. Choreographer. ISBN 978-1-61080-136-2. LC 2011001170. ----. Dancer. ISBN 978-1-61080-130-0. LC 201100374. MULLINS, Matt. Scriptwriter. ISBN 978-1-61080-135-5. LC 2011004781. ----. Special Effects Technician. illus. ISBN 978-1-61080-134-8. LC 2011002474. SOMERVILL, Barbara A. Actor. ISBN 978-1-61080-129-4. LC 2011001167. ----. Musician. ISBN 978-1-61080-132-4. LC 2011000167. WOOSTER, Patricia. Fashion Designer. ISBN 978-1-61080-131-7. LC 2011001581. ----. Music Producer. ISBN 978-1-61080-133-1. LC 2011001582. ea vol: 32p. (Cool Arts Careers Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Websites. CIP. Cherry Lake. 2011. PLB $27.07. Gr 5-9-A useful resource for students, this set offers comprehensive (at times overly detailed) information about high-interest careers. Sometimes arid chapters introduce figures active in the featured fields, and then cover how to prepare for each job, a typical day, and what the future may hold in each industry. Variations in career categories are explored (such as an actor who earns her living by reading recorded books for the blind), and pragmatic advice such as "talent does not guarantee success" as well as statistics about expected income help set a realistic tone. Color photos of behind-the-scenes and famous figures are balanced by frequent lengthy sidebars. Motivated students doing research will find a wealth of information here; reluctant readers or browsers may be intimidated by the expansive blocks of text. Standouts in a strong field are Bearport's "The Work of Heroes," ABDO's "Extreme Jobs," and Gareth Stevens's "US Military Forces." Sea-to-Sea's "Action Force" and ABDO's "United States Armed Forces" both warrant purchase in communities in which reluctant reader numbers and/or interest in the military are high. Capstone's "Community Helper Mysteries" would be a fine additional purchase for preschool and kindergarten shelves, and the books in Cherry Lake's "Cool Arts Careers," though a bit densely worded for today's highly visual teens, would nonetheless be worthwhile additions to YA collections.