Area 51

December 15, 2011
Grades 3-6 These new books in the Unexplained series provide just enough of a thrill to tantalize conspiracy-minded readers. Although the books heighten the sense of mystery by refusing to rule out even farfetched theories (for which they dutifully note there is no proof ), the authors generally balance such claims with a healthy dose of factual material. In Area 51, Martin veers between discussing the aircraft tested in the area and subjective ideas about subjects such as aliens. A combination of photographs and illustrations keeps the pages visually engaging, and the books' back matter includes a one-page glossary, which defines boldface words in the text; one page of resources, To Learn More, including several books and instructions on how to do a guided web search; and a one-page index.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)