From School Library Journal Grade 6-9-About 20 percent of this revision of the 1996 edition is new, and the rest has been updated to some extent. Covering approximately 400 maladies and susceptible body parts, the one- to four-page articles systematically convey, as relevant, causes, symptoms, incidence statistics, treatments, and preventive strategies. The articles are geared more toward helping general readers to recognize the nature and gravity of ailments than to serve as reference for self-treatment, or even more than basic first aid. An urgent-looking "Phone Doctor" icon appears next to any condition that may require immediate attention. Access is a breeze, thanks to sheaves of see references (29 accompany the article on "Blood" alone) and a comprehensive index at each volume's end. Though enhanced by a sprinkling of small photos and diagrams, this is, by and large, a textual resource; that, and the near total lack of leads to further information, gives David Newton's Sick! Diseases and Disorders, Injuries and Infections (UXL, 2000) a leg up. Still, with its broader coverage and greater currency, this alphabetical catalog of ailments, from "Anthrax" to "Anxiety," and "Hypothermia" to "Fifth disease," will satisfy most curiosity and assignment-driven inquiries.
