Cocaine

School Library Journal

Gr 6-10--Cocaine defines drug dependency and discusses its warning signs and its preponderance to run in families. Following chapters deal with facts about teenage chemical abuse and some of the reasons that teens use drugs. The physical and social effects of cocaine are included with a mention of the specific dangers of crack. The final chapter is devoted to ways of saying no to drugs. Sweeping indictments such as, ``Teens have so many sex partners that they don't remember them all'' are simplistic and offensive. Smith describes marijuana from a historical perspective and outlines its current use and production. She uses a series of case studies as a vehicle for delineating the effects of marijuana. Both books conclude with a list of sources of help, emphasizing that any drug habit is difficult to break alone. Black-and-white and full-color photographs of varying quality are interspersed throughout the texts. Smith's book includes a photograph of a pot party that is clearly '70s vintage, but is not presented as such. These titles are utilitarian but not significantly different from myriad other series.-- Sylvia Meisner, Allen Middle School, Greensboro, NC