Disabilities.

Haugen, David, and Susan Musser.    Disabilities.  Gale/Greenhaven  2014  188p  $38.45  ISBN 978-0-7377-6995-1  ms/hs      series: Teen Rights & Freedoms.  Nonfiction  VG

This succinctly written book provides a wealth of information about the laws that have been created to protect those with disabilities, particularly teens and adolescents.  The crisply written text provides information about specific disabilities, the need for laws to protect the rights of disabled persons in the United States, famous court cases that relate to and have been instrumental in the creation of new laws, and implementation of new laws.  The first half of the book focuses on disabilities and the laws to protect in general, while the second half emphasizes how these laws pertain to teens and adolescents specifically.

The information is accurate and presented well, in a concise manner with a reading level appropriate to young readers.  While the visual aspect of the book is not overly attractive, it is consistent and leans toward the seriousness of the topic.  Colored lines and graphs are included for clarification of the text and to separate different sections.

Haugen and Musser have created a book that provides much information at a reading level that will not intimidate young readers.  This book is also a very good resource and research tool, as it contains an extensive table of contents with chapter descriptions, a comprehensive chronology, a list of organizations to contact, a list for further reading, and an index.

This is one book in the Teen Rights and Freedoms series. There are currently twenty-five titles in this series.  

Summary: Discusses disabilities and the laws that protect those with disabilities in the United States, particularly teens and adolescents.

Disabilities                                          --Virginia McGarvey

Merino, Noel. Privacy.

Merino, Noel.  Privacy.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)     2012  155p  $28.45  978-0-7377-5830-6  series: Teen Rights and Freedoms.  hs VG-BNS

     

This is an anthology of essays related to teen privacy, including school searches, drug testing, and consent for abortion.  The concept that children and teens have rights independent of their parents is a relatively new notion.  Although not explicitly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, privacy has come to be recognized as a fundamental right of  all American citizens.  In Privacy, readers explore essays and articles regarding the right to privacy and the responsibilities that right entails.  In addition to a diverse selection of articles drawn from journals, magazines, newspapers, nonfiction books, organizational newsletters, position papers, speeches, and other documents, special emphasis is given to Supreme Court and lower-court decisions and government documents.  First-person narratives bring an important human element to the topic.  To develop critical thinking, it would have been useful to include questions or prompts to springboard discussion.

Teen issues regarding privacy arise because children under the age of eighteen are minors and their rights under the law differ from those of adults.  However, as teenagers approach adulthood, the demarcation blurs and privacy issues have become controversial, with regards to contraception, medical care, treatment at school, and the use of electronic media.  A first-person narrative by a teen who was strip-searched at school as part of a drug search is sure to prompt reader response.

Each selection includes an overview to provide context and background.  An annotated table of contents is helpful in providing the highlights of court decisions and personal narratives, while illustrations, a brief chronology, an annotated list of organizations to contact, and a bibliography for further reading rounds out the volume.

Although the style is dry and academic, the text is informative, and student researchers and debaters will find this volume to be a useful source on issues of teen privacy, as it explores the controversies from many viewpoints and offers historic and contemporary views on the topic.           

Privacy                                                     --Hilary Welliver

Engdahl, Sylvia. Electronic Devices.

Engdahl, Sylvia.  Electronic Devices.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven) 2012 143p     $29.68  978-0-7377-5825-2  series: Teen Rights and Freedoms ms/hs  E-BNS  

This book is an amazing compilation of 16 controversial and contemporary issues relating to teenagers’ use of electronic devices, written by a variety of contributors.  Issues include academic cheating with phones, texting while driving, using phones for educational purposes, sexting, addiction to violent video games, and many more.  Some of the articles are presented in full, whereas others, like Susan Maushart’s, are excerpts that leave the reader wanting more!  Maushart’s issue was the imposition of an electronic media ban on her household and the conflicts that arose as a result.  Other contributors are authority figures rather than laymen, making for a nice variety.  Actual court cases are mentioned as well! 

The book represents a very high interest level, especially the chapter about addiction.  Parents can now track their children, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage as pointed out by the author of this chapter.  Parents, educators and psychologists alike need to read the chapters pertaining to the dangers facing our young people who overuse electronics, who abuse them and who do not know their rights under the law.  Everyone will find something of interest in this book, whether reading for pleasure or for researching cutting-edge information about a very controversial topic.  Extra features include a timeline of inventions and other dates of interest, an extensive resource list, an index, and a list of organizations to contact.

There are several errors in comma usage in the table of contents; however, they do not detract in any way from the excellent BON (“Book of Note”) recommendation.     

The series includes books about the free press, religion, social networking and other topics.  There is a great variety of contributors to each book offering interesting accounts of the numerous issues relating to each topic.  Each book offers an extensive list of resources at the end, names and addresses of agencies to consult, and a thorough index.  

Electronic devices                                   --Martha Squaresky