Everything You Need to Know about Protecting Yourself and Others from Abduction (Need to Know Library)

Accelerated Reader is a program based on the fact that students become more motivated to read if they are tested on the content of the books they have read and are rewarded for correct answers. Students read each book, individually take the test on the computer, and receive gratification when they score well. Schools using the Accelerated Reader program have seen a significant increase in reading among their students.

These books help teens, who often feel uncomfortable talking about their problems, find the information they need.

Grade 6-9-This title calls attention to the increasing number of abductions of teens and children. While it categorizes the different types of abductions, it focuses on those committed by strangers-about 4,000 a year in the U.S. according to government statistics. Preventive measures as well as strategies for escaping attempted kidnappings are described. Chapters are devoted to precautions to take at home, and while babysitting, jogging, bicycling, using the Internet, etc. The author addresses teens although there is some discussion of the vulnerability of children. Most suggestions are intelligent, practical, and easy to follow. However, readers should be leery of the suggestion to offer to call an ambulance if a stranger appears at the door asking to use the telephone to report an accident. The teen could be liable for the cost of service; instead, the police should be called. The many statistics included will aid report writers. Unfortunately, the book has copy editing errors. A government agency cited as a statistical source is referred to as the "U.S. Department." The author uses the pronoun "he" to refer to abductors on the grounds that most are male. The repeated use of singular nouns with plural pronouns is jarring. Despite its flaws, this book provides useful coverage of its subject. Black-and-white and color photographs appear throughout. Donna Chaiet's Staying Safe at Home, Staying Safe at Work, and Staying Safe on the Streets (1995, all Rosen) are written for young women and focus on preventing sexual attack.
Libby K. White, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.