(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) YA Eighteen-year-old Sammie, star debater and high-school valedictorian, refuses to give up her bright future--even to Niemann-Pick Type C, the fatal genetic disease robbing her of memory and eventually bodily control. So Sammie keeps a "memory book" to guide her future self. That book, and this novel, ultimately becomes a gut-wrenching but perceptive record of Sammie's decline and its effects on those around her.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. This slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces oft-debated issues surrounding obesity. Chapters open with a key question (e.g. "Can the Government Prevent Obesity?"), followed by "Yes" and "No" arguments that advance opposing theses; follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy text. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Earth Debates series. The debates in these titles center on the benefits and/or problems associated with attempts to circumvent or remedy environmental depredation. The slim volumes don't get deeply detailed; Chambers's dispassionate, generally even-handed approach is realistic about the lack of clear answers to these dilemmas. Relevant photos, graphs, sidebars, and "eyewitness" accounts supplement the narratives. Each book includes a quiz. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Debates titles: Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere? and How Effective is Recycling?.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Earth Debates series. The debates in these titles center on the benefits and/or problems associated with attempts to circumvent or remedy environmental depredation. The slim volumes don't get deeply detailed; Chambers's dispassionate, generally even-handed approach is realistic about the lack of clear answers to these dilemmas. Relevant photos, graphs, sidebars, and "eyewitness" accounts supplement the narratives. Each book includes a quiz. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Debates titles: Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere? and How Effective is Recycling?.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Perspectives Flip Books: Issues series. Designed to help students understand and debate the two titular issues, each book presents one side; flip it over to read about the other. Both books present reasonable ideas and approaches but will become out-of-date soon (e.g., social media rapidly changes). Stock photos and graphs illustrate the texts; discussion questions and a pro-and-con summary are included. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Perspectives Flip Books: Issues titles: Punishing Bullies and Social Media.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Perspectives Flip Books: Issues series. Designed to help students understand and debate the two titular issues, each book presents one side; flip it over to read about the other. Both books present reasonable ideas and approaches but will become out-of-date soon (e.g., social media rapidly changes). Stock photos and graphs illustrate the texts; discussion questions and a pro-and-con summary are included. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Perspectives Flip Books: Issues titles: Punishing Bullies and Social Media.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Always-noble-intentioned Theo Boone, son of lawyers and aspiring attorney himself, returns for another entertaining good-guys-versus-bad-guys ethical fight. Strattenburg is hot with debate over a planned highway bypass that opponents like Theo claim will pollute the air, take away valuable personal property, and fill crooked pockets. Grisham's pacing is steady, and he provides plenty of background for readers new to the series.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA When a car crash ends Ezra's sports career he feels alienated from his popular peers. Adrift, he reconnects with an old friend, joins the debate team, and falls in love with an eccentric girl who keeps him at arm's length. Although Ezra's frequent philosophizing hovers near pretentious, fans of sharp-tongued, well-read teen characters will be very satisfied.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Life Skills series. These profusely illustrated how-to manuals feature lots of charts, checklists, photographs, and quizzes. Additional tips and Do's and Don'ts appear throughout each book in text boxes. There's useful information in each busily designed volume. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Life Skills titles: Let's Debate! and Panic-Free Presentations.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr