Animal Experimentation and Testing: A Pro/Con Issue

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Experimenting on animals has been controversial since ancient times and many of the world's foremost philosophers have offered opinions on the matter. Woods examines the history of the debate, presents the pros and cons of the issue, and supplies a wealth of information about legislation and government programs dealing with animals and laboratories. The text incorporates direct quotations, fact boxes, and a few full-color photographs. Addresses and Web sites of groups for and against animal experimentation are provided along with extensive footnotes. This worthwhile purchase is for slightly younger readers than Andrew Harnack's Animal Rights (Greenhaven, 1996).-Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

From The Critics

"Only humans can think," said Aristotle, "Therefore, we have the right to use animals as we wish." Thus begins a good discussion of the pros and cons of using animals for biomedical testing. The short chapters, written in clear, simple language, contain basic information about how researchers use animals to test everything from eye makeup to artificial hearts to drugs for AIDS and how antivivisectionists are working to put these researchers out of work. The pros and cons of this thought-provoking issue are given equal time and consideration, and each side is reinforced with accurate facts and figures. Pictures of animals undergoing testing procedures are disturbing but necessary adjuncts to the text, although they do tend to sway the reader towards supporting plans that would put an end to animal testing. A glossary helps with unfamiliar words, even though most are well defined parenthetically within the text. The reading levels suggests that this book is appropriate for fifth to sixth graders, but the material is probably best suited to the middle and junior high school student who needs concise, up-to-date information about a controversial issue. Overall, this is a good resource for a curriculum that requires analyzing and defending a controversial issue. (from the Hot Pro/Con Issues Series.) Highly Recommended, Grades 7-12. REVIEWER: Cathy J. Walters (La Salle Academy)