Children's Rights (Overview Series)

Grade 7 UpAThis title, one of a recent spate of expositions on children's rights, presents opinions in a clear, simple manner. Malaspina discusses court cases and legal decisions that relate to equal access to education, students' rights in school, sensitive health-care issues, abuse and neglect, working, and treatment of juvenile criminals. Most of the issues are illustrated by events occurring in the 1990s with some as recent as 1997. Hot topics include mainstreaming of students with disabilities, confidentiality and privacy in relation to condom distribution in schools, pregnancy and abortion, AIDS, and drug and alcohol addiction. Black-and-white photographs, graphs, and political cartoons dramatize points made in the text. An annotated list of related agencies plus an extensive bibliography and list for further reading are appended. Elaine Landau's Your Legal Rights (Walker, 1995) offers a historical perspective on American attitudes toward and treatment of children. It also gives more detailed descriptions of some cases relating to child-welfare issues. Thomas A. Jacobs uses a question-and-answer format in What Are My Rights? (Free Spirit, 1997) to address many of the same topics.AAnn G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY
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