Filled with colorful pictures. . ., these volumes are written in a direct and relatable style that brings the basics of critical theory to life. Following a biography of the writer, the authors go back and forth between plot summaries of their subjects’ works and critical analysis. A different criticism is applied to each book discussed. . .[and] the authors do a great job of highlighting and using explanatory sidebars to give readers a real sense of how a literary essay ought to be written. Each of these chapters ends by asking readers to think critically and consider several questions about the featured book. Similarly, a great closing section called, “You Critique It” encourages students to model what they have just read and gives them helpful starting points in creating their own essays. These volumes are a great way to bring popular culture into the classroom in order to engage students and enable them to make meaningful connections to other works