Everything You Need to Know about Street Gangs

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-- Two books for reluctant readers. Incest uses numerous first-person narratives and/or quotations to define, explain, and illustrate abusers, victims, and circumstances. Coverage is straightforward; readers who may be victims are urged clearly, strongly, and often to seek help. Suggestions for getting help are included. There is one contradiction when Spies says, ``Abusers know their actions are wrong. But they choose to put their sexual desires before the needs of the young people they abuse'' and later states, ``They believe their victims accept or even enjoy their actions. Most abusers think their victims will benefit from incest.'' Photos add nothing to the information or value of the volume, and while many basic terms are defined, ``having sex'' and ``intercourse'' are not. Street Gangs also makes effective use of illustrative anecdotes and defines basic terms, but the writing is uneven, with simplification to the point of confusion. In the historical coverage, some examples are neither dated nor identified geographically. And Oliver Twist seems a poor choice as an example of the perils of poor parenting. Sentences such as ``This made Johnny sad'' and ``Johnny felt very small'' smack of condescension. Photos of varying quality seem more relevant in this volume. Large print, wide margins, and frequent use of bold print subheadings give both books an attractive and user-friendly appearance. --Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, CA