Starred Review The Special Reports series (8 new titles) gives serious, in-depth, yet highly readable treatments to hot topics kids hear or read about every day. All of the books begin with personalized incidents and stories and then branch out to discuss history, important landmarks, statistics, and the various sides of an issue, all peppered with more individual accounts. The Opioid Crisis is a probing examination of this problem, featuring a wide-ranging discussion that looks at everything from pain management to poverty, race, and class issues to Big Pharma. Attractively designed with well-chosen stock photos, these excellent books will certainly be useful for reports; but, perhaps more important, they may well be picked up by readers who want to be better informed about current events d they will be.

This excellent, extensively researched, and well-balanced series unpacks the details behind trending topics and current events. Topics covered include the widespread use of opioids, prevalence of addiction, history of opioid use, effect on the brain, difficulties in fighting the crisis, and medical and therapeutic treatments available. Sidebars, photographs, and individual profiles are featured throughout. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.