From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9?Students doing a report on the AIDS epidemic need only grab the A volume of the World Book (1995) to find a perfectly adequate summary to do the job. YAs looking for information that may affect their sexual behavior need the best concise, convincing material available to persuade them that the AIDS threat is real, and to show them specifically how to avoid it. This book falls far short. The text is rather dry and filled with references to people and events that will not capture the interest of the target audience. To teens, Rock Hudson is just an old dead movie actor. And Kimberly Bergalis was infected by bizarre events beyond her control. Instead of a title that focuses on the tragic legacy of a tainted blood supply and homophobia, young people need AIDS information that pertains directly to their great risk factors: unprotected sex and IV-drug use. Yes, this book lists steps in using a condom, for example, but it neglects to provide an illustration. Karen Hein's AIDS (Consumers Union, 1994), Jeanne Blake's Risky Times (Workman, 1990); and Lynda Madaras Talks to Teens About AIDS (Newmarket, 1993) are better choices and may actually save some lives.?Virginia E. Jeschelnig, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 7^-12. Pulling no punches regarding HIV's routes into the human body, the authors of this attractive and informative resource on HIV and AIDS explain in clear language the mechanics of vaginal and anal intercourse (heterosexual and homosexual) and the means available to protect both one's self and one's partners from HIV. They also clearly delineate how HIV is transmitted through the sharing of needles during intravenous drug use and how some individuals have contracted HIV through blood transfusions. They explain the etiology of the AIDS pandemic, with its effects on groups of individuals in its first, second, and third waves, and discuss the pandemic's impact on urban African American and Hispanic communities. The book is illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs and with color graphs. Both authors are educators, and Flynn is an AIDS specialist in the Minneapolis^-St. Paul area. Glossary; list of resources. Merri Monks
