Phobias

November 1, 2008
Gr 9 Up-Each of these books contains the same foreword, stating that part of the series goal is to present information on a current topic in a user-friendly style that invites, intrigues, and fosters understanding. Mission accomplished. The organized, uniform structure includes an opening overview of the disease or disorder, with subsequent chapters divided into three parts: text, quotations from primary sources, and Facts and Illustrations, which includes bulleted snippets of information and color photographs and drawings. While the illustrations are helpful access points, their separation from the text can be inconvenient. The firsthand or expert accounts that open chapters and are sprinkled throughout are astutely selected and seamlessly woven into the presentation. These quality sources could be used in a variety of different waysstraight reporting for speech or debate ideas ("Anorexia"s discussion of pro-Ana Web sites could be used in debates on free speech, for example), or as a springboard for further research.

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January 1, 2009
This book examines the differences between everyday fears and debilitating phobias. Though the text invites critical thinking, little context is provided, and a Cliffs Notes approach may encourage readers to skip doing their own research. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)