Editorial Review

“The USA TODAY Health Reports: Diseases and Disorders series adds five new titles to bring its offerings to a total of sixteen. One of the new volumes, Diabetes, provides an up-to-date overview of a disease that is reaching epidemic proportions among young people. From how it is detected to how people control their blood sugar on a day-to-day basis, Brill is practical but friendly in her presentation of information and advice, noting that ‘in the end, the patient is the most important person on the [diabetes] care team. . . . It’s up to you to take charge of your treatment.’ She also interviews several teens diagnosed with diabetes, and their input enlivens the text. New developments, such as the use of an infrared thermometer to detect possible infection in the feet, will be of interest to teens researching the disease on behalf of themselves, a loved one, or a school project. In STDs, Yancey writes in a straightforward manner about sexually transmitted diseases, opening with the profiles of several teens coping with an STD. With no interviews cited in the back matter, it is assumed that these are fictional teens. Quotes from actual young people (including middle schoolers and more than one LGBTQ teen) would increase the book’s teen appeal and lighten its sometimes formal tone. The causes, symptoms, and treatments of the main STDs, however, are thoroughly covered, from the emotional side effects of genital herpes to the dangers of ordering an HIV home sample collection kit online (there is only one FDA-approved kit). Both books prominently feature the USA TODAY brand on the page footers, graphs and charts, and articles pulled ‘From the pages of USA TODAY.’ Though a reader may benefit from seeing these articles in the subject context, some date as far back as 2000 and interrupt the flow and layout of the text. Teen readers seeking health information on their own may find more appeal in a book such as Sex: A Book for Teens: An Uncensored Guide to Your Body, Sex, and Safety, by Nikol Hasler, but students, teachers, and librarians looking to supplement health textbooks with current information will find this series valuable. Other new titles in this series include Leukemia, Allergies, and Obesity.” —VOYA