Marijuana: Legal & Developmental Consequences

From School Library Journal Gr 6-8-Written with a Harvard Medical School consultant, this series discusses drugs in a tone that is appropriately sober yet not alarmist or condescending. The authors demonstrate empathy toward teens and the pressures they face. Many graphics seem macabre and over-the-top, such as an image of the Grim Reaper in ADHD Medication Abuse, whose unintentional humor belittles the serious message. However, many diagrams convey useful content, including a diagram in Dangerous Depressants and Sedatives that shows parts of the body affected by depressants and another one demonstrating how the chemicals impact the brain. Readers will absorb vast amounts of information through the text and the sidebars, which lend themselves to discussion and further research.