Child Abuse : Detecting Bias

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-- This entry in a series designed to teach critical thinking skills aims to help readers determine whether the authors of various pieces are presenting their arguments in a fair, objective manner or are biased. Four topics cover whether abusers should be imprisoned, whether children should be allowed to testify in child sexual abuse cases, whether foster care protects abuse victims, and if school prevention programs work. Throughout, a variety of relevant charts and graphs are presented, adding validity to the whole. The choice of issues for consideration is good, but the strength of this volume lies not so much in information presented but rather in its use as a vehicle for exercises in thinking-skills development. Useful for research, but more so in classroom curriculum. --Celia A. Huffman, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Cleveland