School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-6-While reluctant or struggling readers will love the concept of these books (and what's not to love about secret missions, world travel, and heroism?), they will feel less like accomplices on a whirlwind adventure and more like they are running errands with their parents. Each book begins with a less-than-dynamic duo being chosen by the mysterious SWAT leader, Gosic, to help a native with a problem of varying magnitude. Mission Impossible this is not. The kids have no special abilities that deem them worthy of selection for their particular task and the missions themselves don't live up to the urgency issued in the SWAT instructions. During the course of their journey, the travelers tour well-known landmarks and spout off statistics to one another that only serve to underscore the stereotypes of each country and don't communicate the richness of its landscape or culture. Black-and-white illustrations vary from very stylized (Tokyo) to amateurish (Spain) and do little to convey a sense of place.-H. H. Henderson, Heritage Middle School, Deltona, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.