School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-10-With only the barest dashes of skepticism, these handsomely produced surveys present budding cryptozoologists and conspiracy theorists with rich arrays of historical anecdotes and encounters, supposed evidence, "scientific" explanations of varying plausibility, and tantalizing speculations. Thanks to the magic of photo manipulation and digital painting, along with the usual blurry photos and cryptic artifacts a more satisfactory admixture of perfectly clear and realistic new images of Nessie, UFOs, Bigfoot, aliens, shipwrecks, floods, and weird natural phenomena provide suitably thrilling illustrations. Karst goes beyond standard issue recaps-ensuring, for instance, that readers will come away from Atlantis knowing more than they did about Madame Blavatsky, as well as Mu and Lemuria, and also expanding his topics with references to, at best, tangentially relevant mysteries such as the fate of Amelia Earhart in Loch Ness Monster. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Most books for kids about extraterrestrials begin with the events in Roswell, New Mexico, where a flying saucer crashed with an alien inside. But this story of Area 51 is more fact based and, in many ways, more fascinating. Located in an isolated region in the Nevada desert, Area 51 has been the subject of rumors for more than 50 years, and while it's still surrounded by secrets, it is now commonly assumed that it's a site used to develop experimental aircraft and weapons systems. Karst does an excellent job of setting the historical stage and combing through the rumors and facts. Science buffs will be fascinated by the different kinds of technology thought to be used in Area 51, while those interested in history will learn a lot about the world events that made a secret scientific location necessary. And not to worry, alien lovers, there's a typical ET-type creature on the cover, and there is lots of speculation about UFOs and alien life at Area 51. Well designed with many photographs, this lives up to the series title of Enduring Mysteries.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2014 Booklist
