Older Readers
Borrowing Basics: A Teen Guide to Credit and Debt.
By Nicholas Suivski.
2024. 64p. illus. Lerner/Twenty-First Century, lib. ed., $34.65 (9798765611340). Gr. 7–12. 332.7.
Teens will learn how to manage credit cards and other forms of debt in this practical book from the Fund Your Future series (4 titles). Over the course of six well-organized chapters, the text explains the what and why of debt, its advantages and disadvantages, loans (plus loan interest), and credit scores. While the stock photos don’t add much, the inclusion of statistics and informational tables are quite useful in breaking down core concepts and drawing comparisons among different types of debt and credit lines. Frequent lists and tips also help parse the topics into manageable chunks. Readers will find suggestions for ways to safely build credit without going into debt and ways to repair credit. This helpful primer for financial literacy includes source notes and a well-curated further-reading list. —Sharon Rawlins
The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence.
By Jennifer Kaul.
2024. 64p. illus. ReferencePoint/BrightPoint, lib. ed., $33.95 (9781678209506); e-book, $33.95 (9781678209513). Gr. 7–9. 006.3.
In this entry in the Focus on Artificial Intelligence series (4 titles) designed for high/low readers, Kaul explains the details of AI, including potential uses, dangers, and technological developments. Kaul also takes care to describe public opinion on AI, citing studies that reflect both excitement and fear toward AI from professionals and everyday users, as well as AI’s use of bias. There are predictions of AI developments over the next several years that provide context to readers, allowing them to get a sense of how AI development might evolve over time. Kaul describes AI use in medicine, technology, and the military-industrial complex, as well as the environmental effects of its development process. The result is a cautionary information piece as opposed to a look into a doomed future. Wide-spaced lines of text and lots of stock photos make for an inviting package. —Vi Kwartler
A Divided Nation.
By Kremena Spengler.
2024. 48p. illus. Creative Company/Creative Education, lib. ed., $30.95 (9781640269064). Gr. 6–10. 306.20973.
The current political climate in the U.S. is a hot topic, and this entry in the Living in America series (8 titles) offers a deeper look into the history of political division, from the nation’s founding to our current moment. Eye-catching images accompany the dense but strongly written text to explain how decisions of the past have impacted our contemporary issues and the ways political parties have grown and shifted over the centuries. A breakdown of current political divides examines some of the primary differences between parties, as well as some of the elements exacerbating that divide and potential actions to diminish it. A time line, an extensive glossary of terms, and source notes round out this thoughtful, informative, and evenhanded book that will be particularly useful in an election year. —Aurora Dominguez
Land Preservation.
By A. W. Buckey.
2024. 112p. illus. ABDO/Essential Library, lib. ed., $42.79 (9781098293444). Gr. 6–10. 333.951.
This entry in the Protecting Our Planet series (6 titles) offers a comprehensive exploration of land use by humans. Because human activities, such as agriculture and construction, have disrupted natural environments, degraded soil, increased carbon dioxide, and caused other harmful effects, Buckey explains why land preservation is needed. Following a look at early preservation efforts—for example, controlled burns by Native Americans and the creation of U.S. national parks—the author dedicates individual chapters to preserving specific ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, drylands, and the Arctic and Antarctica. Each chapter, in turn, describes the role the ecosystem plays in the health of the planet, threats from and destruction by humans, and strategies to protect it. The final chapter, along with activist spotlights, gives readers ideas on how to become agents of environmental change. —Angela Leeper
Latin American Immigrants.
By Hal Marcovitz.
Sept. 2024. 64p. illus. ReferencePoint, lib. ed., $32.95 (9781678208400); e-book, $32.95 (9781678208417). Gr. 7–10. 305.868.
Marcovitz provides interesting statistics in this straightforward account of immigration to the U.S. from Latin America. The opening biographical story, “An Immigrant’s Path to Stardom,” tells of a young woman’s journey from poverty in Cuba to fame and fortune as an actress in America. Others similarly profiled include a small-business owner, a famous fashion designer, and the inventor of a widely used product. Marcovitz also describes the history of immigrants arriving from Mexico, some fleeing violence during the 1910 revolution as well as later, in the period leading up to WWII, when farm laborers were needed to replace Americans who had joined the armed forces. From the Immigrants Build America series (6 titles), this volume offers personal stories, facts, photos, and relevant historical context. —Carolyn Phelan
Plants.
By Gerald Legg. Illus. by Steve Weston and Jim Channell.
2024. 48p. Cavendish Square, paper, $13.93 (9781502671974); lib. ed., $33.07 (9781502671981); e-book, $33.07 (9781502671998). Gr. 6–9. 580.
This volume in the How It Works series (10 titles) takes readers on a detailed journey of plant life, beginning with impressive cross sections of microscopic plant cells juxtaposed with photographs and diagrams of plant parts. Seeds, roots, flowers, and more are explained and illustrated in fine detail alongside familiar and unfamiliar examples. Reproductive information leads into a discussion of atypical plants, such as those that reproduce through spores. A short discussion of trees precedes information on plants in a variety of habitats (e.g., deserts and oceans), and depictions of carnivorous and parasitic plants are sure to fascinate. Regrettably, the title veers off course by including fungi, and the author uses complex, domain-specific vocabulary without always elucidating.
