While virtually all sex education books for teenagers focus on sexual health, Jo Langford's "The Sex EDcyclopedia" offers comprehensive and empowering information specifically for teen males about their sexuality and how it may be positively experienced. This review examines the strengths of "The Sex EDcyclopedia" as a sex education resource and…

"Mama's Boy; Preacher's Son" is Kevin Jennings's autobiographical account of growing up gay in the Southern United States. In his memoir, Jennings shares formative experiences relating to his impoverished childhood and his career as teacher and social activist. His rich description of the influence of family relationships on his personal…

Ressler's "Dramatic Changes" is a powerful guide for anyone brave enough to create a space for young people to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity. Her accessible style and tangible suggestions describe a creative and educationally sound approach to supporting youth in thoughtfully wrestling with one of the most controversial social…

Stephan Cohen provides a unique comparative study of three queer youth groups that were active in New York City during the early 1970s, including Gay Youth, Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), and Gay International Youth Society at George Washington High School. Cohen focuses on these three groups due to the related characteristics…

This article will briefly review resources in youth ministry--two groundbreaking classics and a recent surge of good work--that can guide the footsteps of those who work with teens within faith communities. The best resources for ministry with teens engage mind, body, and spirit--always moving toward the practical step of inviting new action in…

Discusses stereotypes of prevalent social attitudes in juvenile historical fiction. Examples of stereotyping of Blacks and native Americans in several well-known children's books are described. (MES)

Discusses several articles and books about codependency, the decline of public education, and public discourse. (MG)

Reviews Dinesh D'Souza's "The End of Racism: Principles for a Multiracial Society" (1995), exploring his neoconservative ideology in the context of concepts of the underclass and what it means to be Asian American or an immigrant. D'Souza perpetuates the Model Minority thesis, which is itself a form of inferential racism. (SLD)

Reviews Thomas A. Sebeok's "Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics." This book teaches the reader to use terms like "sign,""icon,""index," and "symbol" with greater precision and effect. Sebeok's work spans more than three decades and strongly contributes to a number of related disciplines, especially…

Reviews four books about the student protest movements of the 1960s. Two books, by Todd Gitlin and Tom Hayden, focus on the United States, while the others consider international events; all four examine student political activism, but none considers the resultant conservative political and social reactions. (DHP)

Reviews the book, "Within Our Reach: Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage," which takes a new look at research about and programs for disadvantaged young children and their parents. (BB)

"Forbidden Signs" explores the debate between manualists and oralists in deaf education into political, pedagogical, scientific, philosophical, historical, racial, sexual, economic, and linguistic contexts. The biggest weakness of the book is that it is a history only of the attitudes of hearing people toward oralism and manualism. (SLD)

Criticizes the book reviewed as a right-wing policy potboiler. Rebuts five main claims that devalue bilingual education and affirmative action while assuming that all Hispanics strive for the goal of measurable individual attainment, even at the cost of communal and cultural impoverishment. Suggests that the book glorifies the immigrant good old…

Reviews "Re-making Teaching: Ideology Policy and Practice" (Smyth and Shacklock), which focuses on the relationship between social ideologies, policies, and the work of teachers, highlighting timely issues concerning worldwide educational reform movements and the ensuing changes in teachers' roles. Suggests that the book has a gloomy outlook that…

Reviews "Appalachian Values," by author Loyal Jones and photographer Warren Brunner, which depicts the culture and values characteristic of Appalachian people. Although the book successfully illustrates the moral core of Appalachia, values are presented in a noncontroversial form, rather than as a part of individual or social conflict.…