Gun Control: An Issue for the Nineties

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-- Two similar efforts about the same topic presented in different styles. Bernards gives a clear summary of the debate. In a matter-of-fact tone, he discusses the history of the gun culture and the efforts to regulate their usage in the U. S. and in other countries. The question of whether the Second Amendment condones or prohibits gun control is explored. The accompanying black-and-white photographs and editorial cartoons add interest to an otherwise dry text. Newton covers much of the same material but in a more readable and interesting manner. Using actual incidents to illustrate both sides of the debate, he shows how the statistics can be skewed to endorse either side's position. The main organizations involved are profiled without bias; their addresses are appended. The illustrations are decorative rather than informative. The future of gun control is thoroughly explored and the philosophy behind the issues is presented. Each chapter has footnoted statistics and quotes, and the list for further reading is more extensive and current, but also more difficult, than in Bernards's book. Both are thorough explorations of the topic and use many of the same statistics and examples to explain their points. Bernards is more philosophical; Newton is more accessible. This one is a tossup. --Kathryn Havris, Mesa Public Library, AZ