School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Solid, sometimes graphic introductions to crime solving through forensics. Each one starts with a specific scenario and then describes how evidence is secured and evaluated to solve the case. In Death, a photo shows a medical examiner cutting into the chest of a cadaver. While these photographs are not for the squeamish, they do reinforce the serious tone of the narratives. The large type and abundant illustrations make these books fascinating, quick reads. Words such as "bifurcation" and "phenolphthalein" are defined in glossaries. Asides printed on what looks like torn pieces of notebook paper add more details. There is minimal duplication among the texts, and the books are brief, so it's unfortunate that all four were not produced as one volume. Marc P. Friedlander, Jr., and Terry M. Phillips's When Objects Talk (Lerner, 2001) offers much of the same information found in these four volumes. Still, Rollins and Dahl's short, clearly written entries will appeal to browsers, report writers, and hi/lo readers.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Reviewed with Barbara B. Rollins and Michael Dahl's Blood Evidence0 . Gr. 4-8. These Forensic Crime Solvers titles aren't for the faint of heart, but seasoned viewers of television programs such as C.S.I.0 will love them. Part of the Edge Books umbrella series geared toward reluctant readers, each title is a treasure trove of gruesomely specialized facts--the name of the chemical that makes faded bloodstains glow in the dark (luminol), the distinctive blood-droplet pattern associated with a bullet wound ("small, misty spatters"), and more. The format of these slim, heavily illustrated volumes disconcertingly resembles material published for second- or third-graders, but the disturbing subject matter and occasionally grisly photos limit these to a more mature audience. Middle-graders will thrill to the gross-out aspects and enjoy seeing how facts from science class surface among the more lurid details. Along with a glossary, titles for further reading, and addresses of forensics-related organizations, readers will find a list of well-chosen Web sites, available by visiting the publisher's Fact Hound portal and entering a special code. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2004 Booklist
