School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-8-Selections from an array of books and periodical articles have been compiled into highly readable examinations of the topics at hand, without digressing or trying to include too much information. The well-captioned color photographs are mainly taken from Getty Images. Each volume contains an impressive number of resources for further information: books, government/not-for-profit Web sites, and URLs. The books work well as precursors to the "Opposing Viewpoints" series. Same-Sex Marriage examines the changes in marriage customs and laws over time and how other nations are handling this debate. Court decisions and legislative acts and both pro- and anti-gay marriage are discussed with clarity. However, there is a slight pro bias in paragraphs describing the publicized thoughts and feelings of the opposing party. The first half of Barack Obama is dedicated to the president's forerunners who paved the way for the historic 2008 election; both familiar personalities, such as the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and more obscure figures, such as P.B.S. Pinchback, are discussed in tracing the history of African Americans in state and national politics. The second half of the volume clearly outlines President Obama's path to the White House and addresses the many race-related hurdles he had to overcome along the way. Superbugs covers germs from their biology to their mounting resistance to strong antibiotics. While interesting and well written, it is heavily scientific and has a higher vocabulary level than the other two titles. Unfortunately, none of the books includes pronunciations in context or in the modest glossaries.-Rebecca Dash, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.