Poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was the leader of the Romantic movement in British literature. He was strongly influenced by the ideology of the French Revolution and by the landscape of Britain's Lake Country, where he lived for most of his life. Among his most famous poems are "Tintern Abbey" (published in Lyrical Ballads , which he wrote with his friend and colleague Samuel Taylor Coleridge), "Ode: Intimations of Immortality," "The Solitary Reaper," "Daffodils," and numerous sonnets. Wordsworth's poetry is a staple of the U.S. high school English curriculum, and his home, Dove Cottage, is a much-visited tourist site in Britain's Lake District. About the series: The British Library is in a unique position when it comes to biographical research, especially concerning British authors. This revered institution boasts the world's largest collection of original manuscripts, as well as an outstanding collection of letters, personal diaries, first editions, and other literary treasures. The titles in this series take full advantage of this vast source of documentary evidence by illustrating each of these lively writers' biographies with state-of-the-art facsimiles of pertinent documents and reproductions of art from the period. Penned by expert biographers, each of these books also contains an index, further reading list, and a chronology of the writer's life. Grade 9 Up-These volumes fill a real need for high-quality works of literary criticism and history. Without oversimplifying or writing down to their audience, the authors supply accurate information in concise presentations that are formatted attractively and supplemented by outstanding illustrative materials. A careful choice of authors assures readable content and clearly stated theses. For example, Barnard, a well-known mystery author, literary critic, and past chair of the Bront' Society, engagingly describes his subject's short life and enigmatic character, and, based on the latest research, raises fascinating questions about her writings, especially Wuthering Heights. Hebron, a manager of England's Wordsworth Trust, presents an equally compelling outline of his subject's long and often complicated poetic career. He covers the significant issues in Wordsworth's life and works with care and clarity, and provides a lucid explanation of the poet's profound influence both on his contemporaries and on later writers. The many attractive color and black-and-white illustrations include reproductions of original manuscripts from the British Library's rich collections. There are many other books of similar scope, but few put together the information so succinctly and attractively. Overall, excellent reference sources for research. Starr E. Smith, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Gr. 7-10. This is an effective survey of the viewpoints that surround the issue of teen pregnancy. Hurley organizes her summaries around the questions of how serious a problem teen pregnancy is; what factors contribute to it; and how it can be prevented. Debaters will find this a useful tool, both for its concise summations of differing views, and its occasional inclusion of an unpopular viewpoint (pregnancy can arguably improve some teen lives). Needless to say, the arguments derive from both sides of the political spectrum. Each chapter lists exact sources of quotes, and two appendixes include quick facts, lists of organizations to contact for further information, and several documents and reports that address the teen pregnancy issue. A highly useful entry in the Opposing Viewpoints Digest series. Denise Wilms Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Hebron, a manager of England's Wordsworth Trust, presents a ... compelling outline of his subject's long and often complicated poetic career. He covers the significant issues in Wordsworth's life and works with care and clarity, and provides a lucid explanation of the poet's profound influence both on his contemporaries and on later writers."-- School Library Journal Stephen Hebron is at Wordsworth Trust.