School Library Journal
Each popular brand is described from the beginning to its current existence in this series. Titles start with a table of contents and then provide a brief example written in third person showing how someone might enjoy the topic brand. With vocabulary bolded and in a contrasting color, shorter paragraphs correspond with pictures and graphics throughout. From where it was invented to original prototypes/concept art, the history of the creator(s) to the philanthropy of the brand, such as Minecraft developers, Mojang Studios, who "teamed with the Block by Block Foundation to improve communities around the world," each title covers a wide variety of information in a short amount of time. Drawings and photos are labeled, and graphics, including maps, time lines, and graphs are used to further detail the where, when, and how the brand has been successful over time, such as how Pokémon has gone from card collecting to community connection through Pokémon Go Community Days. A glossary, further reading, and index are included in the back matter. While the amount of information could be overwhelming for younger readers, the pictures and graphics are eye-catching and allow for easy understanding. VERDICT: A broad overview of popular brands for young enthusiasts of each topic.
Educational Resources Lab / Oakland University
Each book in the Behind the Brand books follows a similar format with a look at how the brand is used in the world today, followed by a bit of history of how and where the brand got started. Mini-biographies of key players in the development of the product help the reader get to know the real people behind the companies that created favorite products of many students. Each book shows how the companies give back to their communities or the world with charitable events or money to various charitable organizations. By the end, readers see other ways fans of each brand can become involved beyond each product with cosplay events, conventions, or the like. Each book includes a glossary of key challenging words that were bolded during the reading of the book, ways to learn more from the library or a FactSurfer website, and an index that students can use to quickly get to a page on a specific part of the book. I appreciated the logical organization of information, the bold photographs and additional infographics included throughout each book. They were all engaging books about brands that are very popular. Some of the books had cross-connections. For instance, the book about Star Wars included information about Disney and the Disney book mentioned Star Wars. Similarly, the Pokemon & Nintendo books had crossovers. These are in their Blastoff! Discovery level, indicating books are at a 4th grade reading level. In my middle school library, anything about Minecraft gets frequently checked out. I’m sure this series will find footing with readers who love these products!', Kim Matthews, South Sound Book Review Council, Washington,'We have over 20 series of more than 200 Bellwether titles on our Tradebook Review Center. Bellwether Media is perfect for young readeres looking for high-interest non-fiction titles. The Behind the Brand series has been ideal for pre-service teachers looking to connect with their young readers this Fall. We can't keep these titles on the shelves.
