(4) YA Essential Issues series. Chapters cover abuse of a range of common drugs including prescription, over-the-counter, inhalants, and club drugs such as ecstasy. Bodden uses anecdotes, facts, and quotes from professionals and teens to support her thesis. The pages can be crowded and the prose dry, but the volume may be useful for high school research. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Readable if bland prose explains the basics of self-injury, including history, psychology regarding the practices of cutting, and avenues for help. The informative pages are crowded with stock photographs (lots of close-ups of razor blades and scars), sidebars, and quotes from professionals and teens. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Chapters cover peer pressure and sexual violence, consequences and choices facing teen parents, and resources for preventing pregnancy. Kenney's writing is straightforward if bland; she uses anecdotes and quotes from professionals and teens to enliven her prose. Posed photographs and sidebars break up the text. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Chapters explore the problem of bullying in schools and cyberspace including the distinction between the bullied, the bully, and the bystander; laws regarding bullying; and the action young people can take to address the issue. Stock photographs (a few melodramatically staged) and sidebars break up the otherwise uninspired page layout. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Domestic Violence presents a brief historical overview of abuse (mostly of women), including ill-conceived laws originally designed to protect abusive husbands; statistical data and preventive procedures are also discussed. Homelessness looks at causes, describes situations, and discusses possible solutions to the problem. Photographs and sidebars add immediacy but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Homelessness and Domestic Violence.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Trafficking deals with the exploitation of individuals (usually from poor, underdeveloped countries) as forced workers or sex slaves. Arms discusses the proliferation of illegal guns and explosives and how they threaten the safety and stability of numerous regions. Informative sidebars and photographs crowd the readable texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Human Trafficking and Arms Trade.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. This book presents a brief history of economic problems facing developing countries, from the establishment of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 1944 to the present. Foran focuses especially on the poverty and hardships placed upon poorer countries that have incurred unsustainable debts; possible solutions are suggested. Photographs and sidebars enhance the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Trafficking deals with the exploitation of individuals (usually from poor, underdeveloped countries) as forced workers or sex slaves. Arms discusses the proliferation of illegal guns and explosives and how they threaten the safety and stability of numerous regions. Informative sidebars and photographs crowd the readable texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Human Trafficking and Arms Trade.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Domestic Violence presents a brief historical overview of abuse (mostly of women), including ill-conceived laws originally designed to protect abusive husbands; statistical data and preventive procedures are also discussed. Homelessness looks at causes, describes situations, and discusses possible solutions to the problem. Photographs and sidebars add immediacy but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Homelessness and Domestic Violence.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Trade discusses the issues related to commodities grown and sold on world markets; safe working conditions and living wages are also touched on. Energy presents different types of energy sources and suggests ways of dealing with shortages and potential sabotage. The readable texts are crowded by (informative) sidebars and photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Energy Security and Fair Trade.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. Trade discusses the issues related to commodities grown and sold on world markets; safe working conditions and living wages are also touched on. Energy presents different types of energy sources and suggests ways of dealing with shortages and potential sabotage. The readable texts are crowded by (informative) sidebars and photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Energy Security and Fair Trade.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. This book provides basic information about alcohol use and abuse with emphasis on the dangers of overindulgence by teens and young adults. A brief history of alcohol is presented, as well as laws and statistics related to its consumption; programs designed to help young people make wise decisions are also identified. Photographs and sidebars extend the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. These books examine societal issues, reviewing their histories and relating steps taken to combat problems, including laws enacted to protect citizens. Warfare involves issues of national security and chronicles the use of deadly poisonous agents employed against countries and individuals, whether in war or peacetime. The readable texts are enhanced with numerous photographs and sidebars that, while informative, crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Children's Rights, Biological & Chemical Warfare, Gangs, and Drug Trafficking.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. These books present overviews of the illnesses. In both cases, the matter-of-fact texts discuss the ignorance and misunderstanding that led to the ostracizing of sufferers; challenges in finding cures are also explored. HIV / AIDS deals extensively with the pandemic affecting Africa. Sidebars (which crowd the main text), photographs, and illustrations accompany the readable texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Mental Disorders and HIV / AIDS.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. These books examine societal issues, reviewing their histories and relating steps taken to combat problems, including laws enacted to protect citizens. Warfare involves issues of national security and chronicles the use of deadly poisonous agents employed against countries and individuals, whether in war or peacetime. The readable texts are enhanced with numerous photographs and sidebars that, while informative, crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Children's Rights, Biological & Chemical Warfare, Gangs, and Drug Trafficking.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. These books examine societal issues, reviewing their histories and relating steps taken to combat problems, including laws enacted to protect citizens. Warfare involves issues of national security and chronicles the use of deadly poisonous agents employed against countries and individuals, whether in war or peacetime. The readable texts are enhanced with numerous photographs and sidebars that, while informative, crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Children's Rights, Biological & Chemical Warfare, Gangs, and Drug Trafficking.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. These books present overviews of the illnesses. In both cases, the matter-of-fact texts discuss the ignorance and misunderstanding that led to the ostracizing of sufferers; challenges in finding cures are also explored. HIV / AIDS deals extensively with the pandemic affecting Africa. Sidebars (which crowd the main text), photographs, and illustrations accompany the readable texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Mental Disorders and HIV / AIDS.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Issues series. These books examine societal issues, reviewing their histories and relating steps taken to combat problems, including laws enacted to protect citizens. Warfare involves issues of national security and chronicles the use of deadly poisonous agents employed against countries and individuals, whether in war or peacetime. The readable texts are enhanced with numerous photographs and sidebars that, while informative, crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Issues titles: Children's Rights, Biological & Chemical Warfare, Gangs, and Drug Trafficking.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg