King Arthur (Eyewitness Classics)
Grade 4-6-These series entries don't know if they want to be information books or story collections, and the attempt to combine the two formats does a disservice to the potential of both. Aladdin is introduced by four pages of facts about Arabia and the history of the tales. In King Arthur, the background segments come between stories and interrupt the narrative. Because each selection is short, there is not much room for character development or majestic language. Throughout both books, sidebars are used to define words, expand on ideas, or present pictures and details about objects, such as a sword or a lamp. These asides often restate what is mentioned in the text and condescend to readers by assuming that they would not have picked up on the meaning from the context. These tidbits also prevent tension and excitement from building because of the interrupted flow. Both titles have average-quality illustrations that depict events in the stories. Librarians looking for beautiful, exciting versions of these classics should turn to Neil Philip's The Arabian Nights (Orchard, 1994) or Rosemary Sutcliff's The Sword and the Circle (Puffin, 1994).Cheri Estes, Detroit Country Day School Middle School, Beverly Hills, MICopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.