The Horn Book Guide

TECHNOLOGY

Murphy, Wendy

Orphan Diseases: New Hope for Rare Medical Conditions

144 pp. | Lerner/Twenty-first Century | August, 2002 | Library ISBN 0-7613-1919-0 $$26.90

(3) YA Twenty-first Century Medical Library series. Murphy's clear, readable prose first defines orphan diseases (illnesses that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. at any one time), then devotes a chapter to disorders such as autism, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and rare bone and connective tissue disorders. Occasional black-and-white photos illustrate this well-researched, up-to-date text that deftly combines facts with human examples. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian