Booklist

Vol. 105
No. 4
10/15/08
Spotlight on Series Nonfiction
New Series Nonfiction for Youth
Page 52

 

Genocide.
By Thom Winckelmann.
2008. 64p. illus. Erickson, lib. ed., $23.95
(9781602179752). 364.15. Gr. 7-12

There are many books on genocide for advanced students, but this title in the Man’s Inhumanities series is for struggling and reluctant junior-high and high-school readers who are not ready for dense text, but old enough to handle the disturbing subject.  The open format – with simple sentences, large type, and lots of colored screens, photos, and maps – makes this a good title to introduce the topic for discussion.  Some parts tend toward oversimplification, especially in regards to history, with barely a mention of the Western role in the slave trade or the massacre of the Native Americans.  The focus is predominantly on the last 100 years, with whole chapters on the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust.  The discussion of the recent slaughter in Cambodia and Rwanda and the current crisis in Darfur raise the essential questions:  Why did the world stand by and do nothing?  Does genocide still occur?  The very spacious back matter, including chapter notes, will help readers explore the roles of perpetrators, victims, and, especially, bystanders, both in times past and the present day. – Hazel Rochman

 

Booklist

Vol.103
No. 15
4/1/07
New Series Nonfiction for Youth
Spotlight on Series Nonfiction
Page 62

Allman, Toney. Internet Predators. 2007. 64p. illus. index. Erickson, lib. ed., $23.95
(1-60217-000-1). 364.16. Gr. 6-9.

Allman pulls no punches about the dangers of sexual predators on many Web sites and chat rooms popular with kids today. He offers close-up profiles and full-color photos of real criminals and the tricks they use, of young victims and survivors and what happened to them, and of ongoing sting operations to catch the criminals online. The prose is terse, and lots of screen shots supply detailed advice and safety tips (never post your real name, ignore sexual messages, etc.). Part of the Ripped from the Headlines series, this will grab even young middle-school readers with the non-condescending warning of the dangers in Internet places where they spend their time. The fully documented chapter notes refer mostly to Web sites, and there is also an annotated list of sites that carry true stories and tips about safety in cyberspace. –Hazel Rochman

LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION

October 2007
Volume 26, Number 2
Page 91

Ripped From The Headlines
Allman, Toney
Internet Predators
2007, 64pp. $23.95 hc. Erickson Press.
978-1-60217-000-1. Grades 5-12

K-5 6-8 9-12 The Internet offers powerful ways for young people to interact: to find others with common interests, to make friends, to share views. But the Internet also offers clear dangers. In short simple sentences, using graphs, charts, and many unpleasant stories of real-life pedophiles and their victims, Allman aims her warnings at reluctant and below-grade-level readers. Chapter One, “Cyber Creeps,” focuses on the many ways predators engage children, describing especially the technique of “grooming,” in which they create a bond of trust with the naïve and emotionally needy. Ensuing chapters reveal ways of catching predators using stings and decoys. The book continually urges wariness, and the last chapter endorses education in Internet safety. Some sources include Web sites like I-SAFE (www.isafe.org/) and Weron2u (www.weron2u.ca/home), and CD-ROM games. The easy-to-read text with its frank, vivid, and often scary detail, along with its realistic warnings and safety tips, will help librarians and others teach how to outsmart dangerous predators and keep Internet communications safer. The author includes footnotes, a glossary, a short bibliography, and a longer list of Web sites. Index. Recommended. Carol Lefelt, Educational Reviewer, Highland Park, New Jersey