(4) YA Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy series. These bland-looking volumes provide useful, practical advice about topics related to "financial literacy." The direct-address texts ("Even though you work and make money, do you sometimes feel like you never have any cash?") are accessible if a little dry. Sidebars provide "good sense" and "nonsense" tips; word problem "Do the Math" exercises allow readers to practice applying what they've learned. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy titles: Be Smart About Your Career, Be Smart About Your Future, Be Smart About Money, Be Smart About Credit, Be Smart About Investing, and Be Smart About Shopping.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy series. These bland-looking volumes provide useful, practical advice about topics related to "financial literacy." The direct-address texts ("Even though you work and make money, do you sometimes feel like you never have any cash?") are accessible if a little dry. Sidebars provide "good sense" and "nonsense" tips; word problem "Do the Math" exercises allow readers to practice applying what they've learned. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy titles: Be Smart About Your Career, Be Smart About Your Future, Be Smart About Money, Be Smart About Credit, Be Smart About Investing, and Be Smart About Shopping.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy series. These bland-looking volumes provide useful, practical advice about topics related to "financial literacy." The direct-address texts ("Even though you work and make money, do you sometimes feel like you never have any cash?") are accessible if a little dry. Sidebars provide "good sense" and "nonsense" tips; word problem "Do the Math" exercises allow readers to practice applying what they've learned. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Be Smart About Money and Financial Literacy titles: Be Smart About Your Career, Be Smart About Your Future, Be Smart About Money, Be Smart About Credit, Be Smart About Investing, and Be Smart About Shopping.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? series. These books provide accessible overviews of the U.S. government. Documents looks at the creation of three essential documents from the late 1700s. The other volumes discuss running for elected office and the three branches of government. Lots of archival illustrations and/or photographs break up the concise, choppily written texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? titles: Checks and Balances, Judges and Courts, The President, Vice President, and Cabinet, The Congress, Getting Elected, and Documents of Freedom.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? series. These books provide accessible overviews of the U.S. government. Documents looks at the creation of three essential documents from the late 1700s. The other volumes discuss running for elected office and the three branches of government. Lots of archival illustrations and/or photographs break up the concise, choppily written texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? titles: Checks and Balances, Judges and Courts, The President, Vice President, and Cabinet, The Congress, Getting Elected, and Documents of Freedom.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) YA Famous Court Cases That Became Movies series. This series provides detailed accounts of the court cases in question; the movie aspect is both less prominent and less interesting than information about the actual trials (in large part because none of the movies was made anytime recently). Historical photographs and documents are interspersed with movie stills. Sidebars provide related information. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Famous Court Cases That Became Movies titles: Racism on Trial, Evolution on Trial, Presidential Power on Trial, and The Right to Counsel.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Issues in Focus Today series. Short chapters describe the changes in America's response to terrorism after September 11th. Topics include efforts to balance Homeland Security initiatives with the protection of civil liberties, types of security threats that exist, and preparations to meet potential attacks. Many photographs (a few awkwardly staged) and some historical reproductions illustrate the text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) YA Debating Supreme Court Decisions series. These books give information about Supreme Court cases that are of interest to teenagers. Each volume lays the groundwork for the case, introduces the principal participants, follows the preliminary legal action, reports on the Supreme Court decision, and explores the ramifications of the ruling. Black-and-white photographs and reproductions of documents are included. Interactive moot court activities will further intrigue interested readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Debating Supreme Court Decisions titles: The Gault Case, Miranda v. Arizona, The Earls Case, Tinker v. Des Moines, and Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Issues in Focus series. Poverty looks at America's relationship with its poor, highlighting the economics of poverty, and includes experiences of real people. Cyberwar, coherent if overly fatalistic, describes how U.S. dependence on technology makes it vulnerable to attack. The final chapter in each book offers ideas for action. Poorly reproduced black-and-white photos appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Issues in Focus titles: Poverty in America and Cyberwar.]

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA Open for Debate series. Using historical and contemporary facts and figures, this volume describes changes in the earth's climate, explains the possibly disastrous effects of global warming, and discusses potential remedies, such as those in the Kyoto Protocol, for decreasing greenhouse-gas emissions. Illustrated with a few color photos, the book is informative but dryly written. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Issues in Focus series. This introduction to genetically modified foods provides an overview of the science of biotechnology, states positions for and against GM foods, and a briefly discusses of governmental regulation. To firmly grasp the multiple positions on this complex topic, readers will need to consult additional sources. The content of the black-and-white photographs lags behind the text. A list of resources is appended. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) YA Pro/Con series. With clear, simple explanations of the impact of political parties, media polling, negative campaign ads, political action committees, and large money donors, this valuable guide clues readers in to the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that makes politics so interesting. Black-and-white and color photos and charts illustrate the historical and modern-day examples. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA Issues in Focus series. These books look at opposing sides of present-day social issues: right-to-die advocates vs. anti-euthanasia proponents; hunters vs. animal rights activists; freedom of information vs. right to privacy; teen rights vs. parental authority. Except for Hunting, the books are basically topical overviews, acknowledging but not delving very deeply into the conflicting viewpoints. A sprinkling of black-and-white photos illustrate the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli