Heart Disease

Children's Literature

This compact book does a commendable job of presenting a range of types of heart disease, causes and diagnosis, with an emphasis on teen concerns. Childhood and teenage heart disease and risk factors for heart disease are touched on. Prevention is emphasized—avoiding smoking and obesity, getting exercise and so forth—making this a useful reference for teaching about appropriate lifestyles. A heart-healthy lifestyle is described. One statement—that "Kawasaki disease is common in young children"—may be misleading, except in the context of it being an important cause of acquired heart disease in young children in the U.S. The book layout is attractive, with color photos and chapter overviews. Vignettes of real-life teen experiences and "Did you know" inserts add interest, highlight facts and dispel myths. The end-of-chapter questions are thought-provoking. Contains a glossary of key words, an index and references that include books, professional organizations and Internet sites. The book is part of the "Perspectives on Disease and Illness" series. Two professionals, one a physician, consulted on this well-written, introductory resource book. 2001, Lifematters/Capstone Press, $22.60. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Elaine Wick

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Each book gives a description of the disease-history, causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, and prevention. Heart concentrates on conditions found specifically in young people. Some of the facts may confuse this audience. For exam-ple, on one page the text notes "Just as many women as men die of heart disease" and on another page "Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do." The text notes that "Vitamin E affects cholesterol levels" but the American Heart Association Web site doesn't endorse this finding. Each chapter begins with an overview and ends with points to consider. Across the top of most pages are additional bites of information delivered un- der a variety of headings ("Myth vs. Fact" or "Did You Know?," etc.). Both books include captioned color photographs that aren't par-ticularly informative. The list for further reading in Heart only covers the related topics of nutrition, fitness, and high blood pressure but there is a good selection of titles in Lyme. Libraries owning Philip Johansson's Heart Disease (Enslow, 1998) will not need Greg-son's book and while Lyme covers the impor- tant points to know about this disease, Karen Donnelly's Coping with Lyme Disease (Rosen, 2001) is a better choice.-Martha Gordon, formerly at South Salem Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.