Food Safety (What If We Do Nothing?)

Gr 7 Up–The eye-opening facts in these books may leave readers troubled. Each chapter begins with a one-paragraph scenario and the line, “It is 2025.” The vignettes are for the most part negative: cases of mad cow disease are increasing at an alarming rate; the hospital system is unable to care for all of the drug addicts, and recovery is unlikely; air pollution in Los Angeles is so bad that most people remain indoors on hot days. Readers are left with a sense of dread for the future–and perhaps motivated to make a difference. Safety discusses potential health problems associated with the growth, care, processing, transportation, storage, and packaging of foods. The second title covers the main sources of air, water, and ground pollution and offers some suggestions for reducing it. Trafficking explains how drugs are grown, created, and distributed, and the problems individuals face when they become addicted. Meaningful illustrations include color photos and text-enhancing charts. Each chapter ends with a boxed sidebar that asks, “What Would You Do?” and describes a problem that readers need to solve for the greater good; suggested solutions are included in the back matter. These sobering titles are well written and useful for reports.Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL
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