Photojournalist Jenny Matthews begins her book by discussing what it means to be a freelance photographer, how she got started and how she is able to go into conflict zones and do her job. She ends her introduction with the UN Convention Rights of the Child. She uses these rights as an organizational tool; each chapter is devoted to certain rights. Although it might seem disjointed to some, this method allows Matthews to cover a significant number of conflicts all over the world instead of just a few.

Matthews puts a personal face on conflicts. She discusses the expectation that journalists should be objective and neutral, but says she that tries to get as close as she can to her subjects. She tries to listen and observer; she wants to understand what they are going through. Trying to minimize the distance between herself and her subjects serves her well; her photographs are moving. While some of them depict the result of violence, they are not gratuitously violent. Some of them are hopeful.

There are charts with important data intermingled with the photos: how many people are displaced by war, the percentage of refugees who are children, or the percentage of children who are killed or maimed by land mines. At the end of the book, there is a map of countries referred to in the book, a short description of the major conflicts, a glossary and a list of websites for further information.

This volume provides a range of opinions on issues related to fracking: the environmental risks, possible contamination, pollution, chemicals used and more. The sources range from government agencies to news reports to industry reports. The articles are short and accessible; the reading level is appropriate for high school students. The resource contains a list of organizations to contact for more information and a bibliography. This book is a useful addition to a secondary school library for research and could be used to support more nonfiction reading in the classroom as teachers align curriculum to ELA Common Core Standards.

In this volume of the series, violence in music lyrics and videos, exposure to violence in television and movies, violent video games and society’s reaction to violence in the media are considered. Opposing views on each of these issues are presented.  The topics are timely and likely to appeal to teens. I think many teens will enjoy the article that questions whether PacMan will lead to the demise of a generation. (If they know what PacMan is.) Each chapter begins with an overview  or a preface and several includes a list of references. The book ends with organizations to contact and a bibliography. With Common Core Standards necessitating the need for more nonfiction reading in the classroom, a book like this with timely, interesting articles is a good addition to a secondary school library.

The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the first step in what was to become a global conflict. When the United States entered the war on the side of the Allies, most believed that the “war to end all wars” would soon be over. This reference covers WWI from the sinking of the Lusitania to the Treaty of Versailles, beginning each chapter with an excerpt from a song, poem, letter or speech from the time. There are maps, photographs, posters and paintings throughout the book, but I was disappointed that there was so little primary source text material.  The book ends with a timeline, glossary and a list of resources for further reading. I would only recommend this for 4-7th grades; it does not have the depth of information necessary for any kind of research at the secondary level.

The Harlem Renaissance, the period of time when art and literature of the African American culture flourished, is briefly explored in the preface of this book. The chapters are devoted to well-known artists and writers such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Josephine Baker, in addition to others with whom I was not familiar such as Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, and Alain LeRoy Locke. I was disappointed that there were no excerpts of any of the authors’ works or reproductions of the artists’ works. There were photographs of the people profiled and further resources.

This book explains the history of the theories of the universe. Miller provides a short segment on Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology before exploring the Greek theories that eventually formed the basis for Christian thinking on the geocentric view of the universe. These views became so fixed in church doctrine that anyone questioning the theories was deemed a radical and an enemy of the church.

Miller does an excellent job explaining the theories of the scientists who have considered the nature of the universe over time: Anaximander, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton among others. The information is accessible even for those who are not well-versed in science. His emphasis, however, is on the courage the scientists of the Renaissance and later displayed in the face of condemnation by the church for their pursuit of knowledge. While many people are aware of Galileo’s trial, not as many know Copernicus, who died in 1543, was buried in an unmarked grave and the Catholic Church banned his book. His remains were not discovered until 2005 and he was finally given an honorable burial in 2010. Photographs, sidebars, a glossary and a list of additional resources provide even more information on the topic. This book was surprisingly interesting and would make a excellent addition to a school library’s nonfiction section.

This reference presents essays that discuss not only the historical background of the Kurds, but also the actions against Kurds in modern Turkey and Iraq. The first chapter provides the background information, including information on the Turkish Settlement Law and the actions of Saddam Hussein against Kurds. Chapter two presents essays about several controversies, such as whether Hussein’s actions constituted genocide, whether the Kurds should be granted an independent state, whether Turkish actions against Kurds constitute genocide and more. The third chapter recounts personal experiences, such as a Turkish American Kurd who was tortured in Turkey, a Kurdish politician’s first impressions of Hussein in his early days of power, and others who experienced atrocities at the hands of Hussein and his forces. I don’t think many of our students know about the persecution of Kurds, and I think fewer understand the root of the problems; this book does a good job explaining it. There are exercises at the start of each chapter, including analysis of data and political cartoons, writing prompts and group activities. The reference includes a timeline, maps, and lists of websites and books for further information.  I see this as an excellent addition to a high school library, both for students looking for more information on genocide or teachers interested in developing a lesson/unit on the topic, particularly one supported by primary source documents.