11/01/2016
Gr 3–7—Opening with an intense action scene, each title explores a specific type of mission and the roles of the soldiers involved. For example, in Counterterrorism troops sneak in a bunker to remove weapons from the enemy and in Peacekeeping they maintain a safe zone for villagers. The text offers the "why" of military involvement or intervention as well the "how" and strongly emphasizes the importance of teamwork and careful planning. The narrative appears as captions above or below color photos. The images come in a variety of sizes, some large and some small (or inset). Fact boxes peppered throughout show maps, weaponry, and combat gear. While the sentences are simple, they are laden with military terms; readers must rely on context clues and the glossary for backup. VERDICT Military buffs will flock to these combat-related titles.