Teens With AIDS Speak Out

School Library Journal

Gr 7-12-- Seven young people who contracted AIDS as teenagers describe how the disease has changed their lives, feelings, and relationships. They also offer advice to those who remain at risk, reminding them that the choice is actually between life and death. Repeatedly stating that the disease can be transmitted : only through infected semen (unsafe sex) or infected blood, Kittredge attempts to portray AIDS victims as unfortunate but ordinary people. She frequently stresses that neither lifestyle nor habits cause AIDS and that neither youth nor age is a protection against it. The text argues that the disease cannot be transmitted by casual contact and that AIDS victims need hugs and attention as much as anyone else does. Citations for sources are inconsistent, and other information also seems incomplete. For example, most of the stories indicate specific dates when the teens became infected but do not explain how those dates were determined since the teens apparently were unaware of the circumstances at the time. With a serious but not overly depressing presentation, the well-mixed combination of facts, figures, and stories will hold the interest of researchers as well as readers. While the supply of AIDS materials is up, this book should be considered by libraries serving YAs since teens will relate to these first-person accounts. --Dona Weisman, Northeast Texas Library System, Garland