From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up Contrasting case histories with discussions about different kinds of cancers, Hyde clarifies facts about cancer. Common fears and myths are discussed and refuted. Although discussions are detailed, they are not as easy to follow as those in Afraid to Ask: a Book About Cancer (Kids Can Pr, 1984) by Judylaine Fine. This may actually be due to the choice of print size rather than detail of discussion, for the small print without any illustrative material to break it up makes reading tiresome and the information more difficult to grasp. Statistics are included, yet these change so quickly that they tend to date and detract from the accuracy of the book. In general the book does have lots of well-organized information worth reading, but readers need to be aware of these flaws. Parents, teachers, librarians and medical staffs will be particularly interested in the lists of national camps, organizations and hospitals as well as cancer magazines and telephone hotlines. Also, the glossary provides quick, clear definitions. The book's strong points are that while it touches upon so many types of childhood cancers, it is still short and concise. Ruth Amernick, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1985 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
