Sleep Problems.

Nardo, Don.  Sleep Problems.  Gale/Lucent  2014  104p  $32.10     ISBN 978-1-4205-1150-5  ms/jr  series: Nutrition & Health  Nonfiction  VG   

This brief book provides a lot of information about sleep disorders.  Each succinct chapter provides a wealth of information but is presented in a manner understandable to young readers.  Although the author does present technical terms, they are thoroughly explained.  The text is very informative, and text boxes and graphics enhance and clarify it.  The text flows well, and the brief text on pages will not intimidate or overwhelm readers.

In addition to the informative text there is also plenty of visual appeal. Use of full-color photographs and charts will engage and excite the reader.  Color text denotes new concepts within chapters and highlights the captions.  Colored “Health Fact” boxes stand out and provide additional information.

This book will resonate well with young readers and researchers.  The table of contents, notes, glossary, list of organizations to contact, and index make this a great resource for middle-school libraries.
     

This is one book in the Nutrition & Health series.

Summary: This volume describes sleep myths, why sleep is vital, the chief sleep disorder of insomnia, other sleep disorders, odd behaviors during sleep and finding paths to better sleep.          

Sleep disorders                                       --Virginia McGarvey

Espejo, Roman. What Is the Impact of Twitter?

Espejo, Roman.  What Is the Impact of Twitter?  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/ Greenhaven)     2013 99p  $25.45  ISBN 978-0-7377-6216-7  series: At Issue #12  ms/hs  Nonfiction  VG-BN

Several articles are collected here to discuss the impact of Twitter on culture, its positive and negative features, its history and future, as well as whether it can ever be profitable.  This is one of the very few books for middle- and high-school students on this topic.  The only concern is that several of the articles are from 2009, which will quickly date this compilation.  Yet the points raised are valid: will Twitter dumb down the written language, can Twitter be profitable, can Twitter eclipse other journalistic sources, can Twitter affect politics locally, or even internationally?  This would be a good place to find information for research papers and pro/con writing.  Each chapter starts with a summary of the question presented and a biography of the writer of the article.  A list of organizations that have an interest in how Twitter is evolving, an index and a list for further reading complete the book.  One minor grammatical issue on page 30: within a space of four lines the word “spaciality” is also written as “spatiality”; granted that these are alternate spellings for the same term, but that will confuse the linguistically challenged student.

Summary: Several articles are collected that focus on the profitability of Twitter, its impact on society, its political power, its journalistic power, and its history and development.  The book gives a pro/con presentation that provides insight into this newest technology craze. Gr 7-12.    

     

Twitter                                                           --Lois McNicol

Parks, Peggy J. Waterborne Illnesses.

Parks, Peggy J.   Waterborne Illnesses.   Gale/Lucent  2013  104p  ISBN 978-1-4205-0935-9   series: Diseases & Disorders  hs      E-BNS      Nonfiction 

The problem of contaminated water that causes illness in human beings is examined in depth in this well written, informative book.  Especially in countries where sanitation is not good, various viruses and bacteria thrive in water and cause devastating illness.  The author explains how these viruses and bacteria behave and how the water supply spreads them.  She discusses the ways in which human behavior adds to the problem, from the use of “flying toilets” in poor countries to the use of contaminated well water during a 1999 drought in New York state.  Several different diseases are discussed in detail, among them cholera, dysentary, diarrhea, and typhoid fever.  Several recent instances of water-borne disease in parts of the world that have experienced humanitarian crises are highlighted, such as the outbreak of cholera in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and the 2009 tsunami in the Philippines. 

The writing is compelling, the photographs are appropriate and well placed, and there are end notes, a glossary, a list of organizations to contact, an index, and a list of references, both print and electronic, for further study.  The inclusion of brainpop in the list of references seemed a bit juvenile for the age group this book is written for, however. Diseases & Disorders is the series of which this book is a part.      

Summary: The problem of contaminated water that causes illness in human beings is examined in depth in this well written, informative book.  Especially in countries where sanitation is not good, various viruses and bacteria thrive in water and cause devastating illness.   

Illnesses                                              --Carol Kennedy

Lynette, Rachel. Ogres (Monsters).

Lynette, Rachel.   Ogres  (Monsters). 

Cengage (Gale,Lucent,Kidhaven/Blackbirch 2011  48p   27.50 978-0-7377-5075-1 

elm/ms                  E-BNS 

Traces the history of ogres from tales found in Germany, France and the British Isles. It

highlights their appearances in literature, tales and film.   Similar creatures

are Orcs and Oni.       Beginning with Grendel in Beowulf and old fairy tales

from Germany, ogres are always shown as ugly, huge and horrible, and they eat

humans.  They are similar to the Oni of Japanese tales and have some

similarities with Orcs.  Several of the old tales are briefly told.

  Bringing the creatures to life is the work of film and animation artists.  The

Orcs in the Lord of the Rings movies are mostly from the imagination of the

artists.  Shrek was shown to be lovable in the movies.

  The text is very readable but includes plenty of information to meet the needs

of middle school students.  The illustrations enhance the text and credit is

given for each of the images.  There is a glossary and the words are highlighted

in the text.  The list of resources for further information include some of the

fairy tales as well as books and web sites on the making of the modern movies

which show ogres.  The index is very extensive for the length of the book.

  This is an excellent resource on the subject that will attract students just

browsing but it is also packed with information. The Monsters series includes

well-researched texts on the different weird, creepy and mysterious creatures.

There are 38 titles pending or in publication.  Theal, Joan

Shelley, Mary adapted by Brigit Viney Frankenstein

Shelley, Mary adapted by Brigit Viney Frankenstein (graphic novel)
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 144p 32.45
978-1-4205-0374-6 ms/hs VG-BN Classic Graphic Novel Collection(Cengage)


Mary Shelley created a classic horror story on a rainy night in 1816 in Switzerland. It is the story of a scientist who experiments with science to create a cloned human being.
Brigit Viney has adated Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in graphic style accompanied by Jason Cobley’s script.. The choice of wording is apropos to the story as well as the age group. Readers will enjoy the intermingling of words and graphics as they progress flows through the book.
The illustrator created crisp and ominously dynamic watercolors to accompany the text. The blended palette of dark saturated colors effectively relate the context of the wordings in the story and present the reader with a suspense filled experience.
This is a great book for young readers and non-readers. It’s distinctive and expressive watercolors will enticed the active minds of young children.
The format and layout of the book is beautifully placed for the most effective enjoyment of the readers. The additional materials at the back of the book coordinated the book with further activities. Teachers and parents will appreciate the character visuals and the introduction in the front of the book. The rear of the book provides additional information in the form of a glossary, character summary, biography of Shelley, and other materials. Graphic novel McNeil, Linda

Sheen, Barbara. Michael Phelps

Sheen, Barbara Michael Phelps
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 96p 33.45
978-1-4205-0282-4 ms/hs Phelps, Michael, Swimming VG-BNS
People in the News (Gale/Lucent)


Part of a series of biographies on some of today’s “most prominent newsmakers,” this is a well-rounded book about the personal life and swimming career of Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps is one of the premier swimming stars of the twenty-first century and one of the members of the 2008 United States Olympic Swim Team. In Beijing, Phelps won an incredible eight gold medals, a feat never previously accomplished. This book covers his life from his earliest days watching his older sisters practice and compete in the pool to the discovery of his incredible talent and his quest for Olympic glory. The book gives an evenhanded picture of a nice young man who is incredibly self-competitive and determined to accomplish his chosen goals. His personal life is presented in relation to his sports life and includes his two brushes with the law.
This is a very well written and insightful book, a succinct and lucid treatment of Michael. It is remarkably nonjudgmental and non-sensationalized and objective in its treatment of a remarkable athlete. The descriptive text is enhanced by excellent well-captioned photographs and informative fact boxes of interesting trivia, and important statistics about the superstar and his sport. It ends with a timeline, source notes, a bibliography of books and web sites, and an index. Ogintz, Susan

Nardo, Don Religious Beliefs in Colonial America

Nardo, Don Religious Beliefs in Colonial America
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 96p 33.45
978-1-4205-0266-4 ms/hs E-BN
Lucent Library of Historical Eras(Gale/Cengage)


North American religions are presented from an historical perspective, specifically up to and including those present during Colonial America. These include, but are not limited to Native American beliefs, Catholicism, Judaism and African beliefs. Well documented history of the early religious beliefs found in North America. The writing is lucid and the information provided well documented. There are a lot of references throughout this book to primary source documents, most often with excerpts from these documents. Illustrations work well with the material being addressed where they appear. The author also brings in a lot of sidebars that further inform the reader about associated text items. For instance, the “Common Themes in Indian Religion,” page 19, “Prison Time for Swearing,” page 37, and “Ticks and Biting Horse Flies,” page. 67. The book is obviously well researched as indicated with the many notes found at the end of the book. Also included is a timeline, and resource for obtaining more information both print and from the internet. Fisher, Lynn

Marcovitz, Hal. Bias in the Media

Marcovitz, Hal Bias in the Media
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 112p 33.45
978-1-4205-0224-4 jr/sr News E-BN Hot Topics (Lucent/Cengage)


This “Hot Topics” book is an excellent source of fully documented primary and secondary sources for students to start investigating bias in the media. This text contains a well written and fully documented presentation concerning bias in the media. The author starts with the questions of: what is bias?, what are liberals and conservatives?, and what are the differences between editorials, op-eds, and columns?. Next the author discusses the cable wars in which Fox is termed conservative right winged media led by the O’Reilly Factor in which crews are sent out to blindside politicians. In time it has been noted for its bombastic, opinionated and breezy style of news reporting. On the other hand MSNBC started as a technological news network. It has since added several more liberal commentators such as Keith Obermann and Rachel Maddox.
With the turn of the century, the world of news media was expanded with the introduction of citizens as journalists and bloggers. Many question the validity and/or bias of the bloggers in respect to breaking news. In 2007, Talking Points Memo (a blog) scored points by providing the initial reports of the Justice Department initializing criminal investigations against Democrat Party officicals.
In other chapters the book discusses the concepts of pockets of bias against women political leaders and minorities. It also touches on watchdog organization that oversee and present documentation on their findings.
In the back of the book there are notes, discussion questions, lists of organizations, books, periodicals, and websites. A detailed indexed makes this book useful for research. McNeil, Linda

Hillstrom, Laurie Collier. Online Social Networks

Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Online Social Networks
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 96p 33.45
978-1-4205-0167-4 ms
online social networks; Internet - social aspects VG-BNS Technology 360


Trace the development of online communities and speculate on the impact these websites hold for the future. In “Online Social Networks,” the history of the Internet evolves as the development of social networks unfolds. The clearly written text details the changes in the World Wide Web from a text-based to graphic interface, describes some of the earliest social sites, and the signature characteristics of MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

The well-researched text further explores applications of social networks/communities beyond connecting with friends, such as politics and business. Consideration is given to future developments, including standardization, access, and global location devices.

Student researchers will appreciate the homework-friendly, informative text, as it is enriched through an attractive layout featuring colorful photos and illustrations, fascinating fact boxes and sidebars, and useful charts. Other features include a timeline, chapter notes, glossary, and index. Sources for additional study include websites, periodicals, and texts. Welliver, Hilary

Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre

Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 144p 32.45
978-1-4205-0375-3 all ages Graphic Novels - classics -Governess - Mentally ill women - Charity schools E-BN
Classic Graphic Novel Collection(Cengage)


The Graphic novel of the very popular story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Beautifully illustrated.
The graphic novel of Jane Eyre is as impressive as the printed version and maybe even more so because you see what is actually happening. Illustrated in full color, this book will capture your attention and imagination. The story of an orphan girl left with an uncle and his wife. The uncles passes away to soon and Jane falls to the mercy and cruelty of her aunt. Unwanted and mistreated even as the children of the aunt are spoiled, Jane does her best to stay out of everyone’s way. She hides and reads her books but she is always found and the mistreatment begins again at the unmerciful hands of her cousin ho is a bully. She is finally taken to an orphanage where she grows to womanhood. She take a job as a governess and goes to this very strange estate. There she meets Mr. Rochester and fall in love. What happens to Jane on this estate is a story worth reading over and over again. A love story that will come back to life.

Includes: glossary,biographical information on the author Charlotte Bronte, a family tree of the Bronte family, and a chronology of the Bronte Family. Graphic novel Diaz, Magna

Traugh, Susan M. Vegetarianism.

Traugh, Susan M. Vegetarianism
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2011 96p 30.80
978-1-4205-0272-5 ms/hs VG-BNS Nutrition & Health (Lucent/Cengage)


This is the book for teens who are questioning whether they want to become a vegetarian or for those who are researching the topic of vegetarianism. Includes chapter notes, glossary, an annotated list of organizations to contact, an annotated list of books, films, and web sites and an index.
This is the book for teens who are questioning whether they want to become a vegetarian or for those who are researching the topic of vegetarianism. The statistics about vegetarianism are up to date; the information in this title is based on many studies which are all documented by the author. The author notes the reasons that people become vegetarians and delineates the various types of vegetarians. This title also describes how vegetarian diets are changing the eating habits of Americans even though some may not be strict vegetarians. Traugh explains dietary effects on diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The tone of the book seems to lean a bit towards the vegetarian diet but also presents many arguments for and against this type of diet. There are clear and colorful photographs and charts throughout the book, all located at the appropriate places within the text. I found the sidebars to be unhelpful and unnecessary to the text, though. Sample recipes and meal plans will be valuable to readers who already are vegetarians or who are deciding whether to become one. The book includes chapter notes, a glossary, an annotated list of organizations to contact, an annotated list of books, films, and web sites and an index. This title is recommended for Tristate Books of Notes, Series for 2011. It is a very good, current title on the topic for middle and high school libraries. Weinraub, Tina

MacKay, Jenny. Robots.

MacKay, Jenny Robots
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 104p 33.45
978-1-4205-0168-1 ms/hs Robots VG-BNS Technology 360 (Cengage)


This book discusses the origins and development of robots and their use in the present-day world.
This book offers a thorough discussion of the history of robots, including concepts that appeared as early as ancient Egypt and ancient Greece. Also included are ideas that Leonardo da Vinci came up with that were implemented centuries after his death.
The color illustrations and the peach-colored inset comments lend visual interest to the narrative, covering subtopics like "Robot Champs" and "Lying, Cheating Robots". The notes, glossary, "for further information╙ section and index are all helpful. Kennedy, Carol

Currie, Stephen. African American Inventors.

Currie, Stephen African American Inventors
Lucent Books see Gale/Cengage 2010 104p 33.45
978-1-4205-0121-6 ms/hs African American inventors VG-BN
Lucent Library of Black History (Cengage)


In this thoughtful book about the long list of African American inventors, Currie chronicles their lives and work. He discusses the earliest of these "mechanics and tinkerers," and then moves to the great names: Lewis Latimer, Granville Woods, Garrett Morgan, Madam C.J. Walker, and George Washington Carver as well as those currently active.
The history of African American inventors was fraught with difficulties. During the early days of this country, many of these men were slaves whose owners took credit for their work or, if free men, they had great problems getting their inventions patented and manufactured. In this thoughtful book about the long list of African American inventors, Currie chronicles their lives and work. He discusses the earliest of these ╥mechanics and tinkerers,╙ and then moves to the great names: Lewis Latimer, Granville Woods, Garrett Morgan, Madam C.J. Walker, and George Washington Carver as well as those currently active. As time and the country progressed, more and more African Americans became successful at both creating and profiting from their work. This book discusses these people in relation to the social mores of the times describing the prejudices that they found in their communities and the extraordinary efforts that it took to get their discoveries accepted as the work of African Americans. The author has done an excellent job of describing the difficulties and the determination necessary to achieve their goals. The book is enhanced by primary source quotations and period photographs and ends with chapter notes, a bibliography of books and web sites, and an index. Ogintz, Susan