(4) 4-6 Hot Topics in Media series. This series, aimed at middle-grade readers, explores controversial issues in the media, looking at both sides of a topic and including discussion questions to prompt critical thinking. The page design is uninspired, but photos and sidebars enhance the texts. Body Image offers the most interesting discussion of a topic not generally found at the elementary school level. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hot Topics in Media titles: Body Image and the Media, Parental Guidance Ratings, and Banned Books.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Hot Topics in Media series. This middle-grade series explores controversial issues in the media. Once considered a bad influence on children, comics and graphic novels are now far more accepted; this book focuses on the genre's history, beginning with comic books in the 1930s. The page design is uninspired, but photos and sidebars enhance the texts, and discussion questions prompt critical thinking. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Hot Topics in Media series. This series, aimed at middle-grade readers, explores controversial issues in the media, looking at both sides of a topic and including discussion questions to prompt critical thinking. The page design is uninspired, but photos and sidebars enhance the texts. Body Image offers the most interesting discussion of a topic not generally found at the elementary school level. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hot Topics in Media titles: Body Image and the Media, Parental Guidance Ratings, and Banned Books.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Hot Topics in Media series. This series, aimed at middle-grade readers, explores controversial issues in the media, looking at both sides of a topic and including discussion questions to prompt critical thinking. The page design is uninspired, but photos and sidebars enhance the texts. Body Image offers the most interesting discussion of a topic not generally found at the elementary school level. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hot Topics in Media titles: Body Image and the Media, Parental Guidance Ratings, and Banned Books.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Hot Topics series. This volume provides a broad overview of its teen-relevant topic. The main text is supported by sidebars, many focusing on pop culture (Juno, Lady Gaga); pull-quotes add interest. Though a good number of stock photographs are included, readers will have trouble taking some of them seriously (e.g., a few of the pregnant girls look like they're from the '80s). Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These volumes provide broad overviews of their teen-relevant topics. The main texts are supported by sidebars and pull-quotes. Though a good number of stock photographs are included, readers will have trouble taking some of them seriously (e.g., a "gang" of suburban-looking teens hanging at an outdoor mall). Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Cliques, Gangs, and Racism.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These series entries provide useful overviews of their topics. The information is fairly well contextualized in the main texts and further supported through sidebars and pull-quotes. Many photographs (some illogically placed or only marginally related to the subjects), in addition to charts and graphs, appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Eating Disorders and Body Image.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These volumes provide broad overviews of their teen-relevant topics. The main texts are supported by sidebars and pull-quotes. Though a good number of stock photographs are included, readers will have trouble taking some of them seriously (e.g., a "gang" of suburban-looking teens hanging at an outdoor mall). Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Cliques, Gangs, and Racism.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These series entries provide useful overviews of their topics. The information is fairly well contextualized in the main texts and further supported through sidebars and pull-quotes. Many photographs (some illogically placed or only marginally related to the subjects) in addition to charts and graphs appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Freedom of Expression and the Internet, Poverty, and Bias in the Media.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. This series entry provides a useful overview of the topics of energy, alternative energy, and energy conservation. The information is fairly well contextualized in the main text and further supported through sidebars and pull-quotes. Many photographs (some illogically placed or only marginally related to the subject) in addition to charts and graphs appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These series entries provide useful overviews of their topics. The information is fairly well contextualized in the main texts and further supported through sidebars and pull-quotes. Many photographs (some illogically placed or only marginally related to the subjects) in addition to charts and graphs appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Freedom of Expression and the Internet, Poverty, and Bias in the Media.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These series entries provide useful overviews of their topics. The information is fairly well contextualized in the main texts and further supported through sidebars and pull-quotes. Many photographs (some illogically placed or only marginally related to the subjects), in addition to charts and graphs, appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Eating Disorders and Body Image.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These series entries provide useful overviews of their topics. The information is fairly well contextualized in the main texts and further supported through sidebars and pull-quotes. Many photographs (some illogically placed or only marginally related to the subjects) in addition to charts and graphs appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Freedom of Expression and the Internet, Poverty, and Bias in the Media.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. This accessible (if dull) volume examines waste management from practical and ecological standpoints in addition to discussing recycling initiatives. Miller helps contextualize the issues by providing background on "the history of garbage" then discussing the pros and cons of various waste solutions. Many relevant stock photos, sidebars, and some charts and graphs illustrate the volume. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Hot Topics series. These volumes provide broad overviews of their teen-relevant topics. The main texts are supported by sidebars and pull-quotes. Though a good number of stock photographs are included, readers will have trouble taking some of them seriously (e.g., a "gang" of suburban-looking teens hanging at an outdoor mall). Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Cliques, Gangs, and Racism.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) YA Hot Topics series. Offering facts and opinions from opposing viewpoints, these books present the title issues from cultural, legal, moral, and religious perspectives. The subjects' complexities are further explored through famous cases including Kevorkian and Schiavo (Die) and the Rosenbergs (Penalty). Discussion questions and organizations to contact are appended. Relevant photographs illustrate the texts. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Death Penalty and The Right to Die.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) YA Hot Topics series. Offering facts and opinions from opposing viewpoints, these books present the title issues from cultural, legal, moral, and religious perspectives. The subjects' complexities are further explored through famous cases including Kevorkian and Schiavo (Die) and the Rosenbergs (Penalty). Discussion questions and organizations to contact are appended. Relevant photographs illustrate the texts. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Hot Topics titles: Death Penalty and The Right to Die.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) YA Hot Topics series. This informative and accessible survey charts the global trajectory of AIDS, from its first appearances in the early 1980s to the present day. Chapters focus on the AIDS stigma; the particular vulnerability of women, children, and poor people; the controversy surrounding abstinence-only sex-ed school programs; and scientific progress toward treatment and a cure. Many photographs and sidebars are included. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Hot Topics series. This solid tour of the history of drug use and abuse in the United States discusses the physiology of addiction, its social costs, notorious examples of drug casualties, the war on drugs (and its critics), and the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Sidebars and photographs appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Hot Topics series. This dutiful but dull overview gives background about terrorism throughout history, then narrows in on "The Current Threat: Islamic Terrorism." The text speculates on the psychology of terrorists and describes the human and material costs of their actions, especially following 9/11. Maps, photographs (some illogically placed), and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram