Illegal Immigration

Given the overwhelming volume of information available on the Web, students will welcome this in-depth, clearly organized volume in the Compact Research: Current Issues series that does an excellent job of looking at the arguments about immigration from all sides. After the detailed overview, Miller discusses conflicting opinions on assimilation, effects on the economy, amnesty, border enforcement, guest worker programs, and more. The design is highly readable, including extensive primary-source quotes, as well as facts and color charts with each chapter; in fact, browsers may start with the visuals and then go on to the in-depth arguments. The debate is balanced; opposing sides have their say, whether the argument is about immigration policy reforms or about whether illegals threaten American society. Extensive source notes, a bibliography, chronology, and an annotated list of key people and advocacy groups will help those who want to find out more.

These two titles are part of a new series aimed at streamlining the research process. For novice researchers, locating, sifting, and organizing relevant data can be problematic, yet developing such skills in an age of information overload is critical. The key concept behind the books, self-described as user-friendly, is to help the process along by compiling information for students on a current topic into one place. Each volume is written by a different author, but the format is identical. The books begin with an at-a-glance section that introduces basic vocabulary. In Illegal Immigration, these words include border enforcement, amnesty, and guest worker programs. In Biomedical Ethics, genetic testing and physician-assisted suicide are mong those listed. That section is followed by an overview that offers historical and legal background necessary for understanding the issues. Finally four hot-button are presented with support for both sides of the argument. Each section includes subsections of related primary source quotes, bulleted facts, and full-color graphs and charts. The writing in both of these books is top-notch – clear, concise, and unbiased. The page layout makes it easy to skim, and the font size and minimum amount of text keep the information from overwhelming the reader. In addition, special sections at the end of the book offer significant people and advocacy groups, a chronology, related organiztions, a list of sources for further research, and the author’s own source notes. This series is best suited to middle school and junior high students who are just beginning to practice their research skills. Although an argument could be made that the authors have done work that should be done by students, the basic purpose behind the series is to provide a complete research package. These books will undoubtedly help students recognize what organized, valid research looks like. One hopes that they can eventually move on to do the gathering and organizing on their own. Other series titles include The Death Penalty, Gun Control, and World Energy Crisis.

Gr 9 Up These books are deceptively thin as they are packed with well-organized, useful information. They include primary-source quotes, several types of graphs, lists of facts, and brief time lines of seminal events. The design is well thought out and the presentations are much more user-friendly for ELL learners and lower-ability researchers than the “Opposing Viewpoints” series (Gale). The authors touch on many of the areas that teens need when researching for reports or speeches, and each volume presents the most current information feasible in books on such ever-changing, timely topics. They also cater to different research styles with straight text, photos, lists, charts and graphs, and illustrations about each topic. Students will welcome these information-rich titles.

Given the overwhelming volume of information available on the Web, students will welcome this in-depth, clearly organized volume in the Compact Research: Current Issues series that does an excellent job of looking at the arguments about immigration from all sides. After the detailed overview, Miller discusses conflicting opinions on assimilation, effects on the economy, amnesty, border enforcement, guest worker programs, and more. The design is highly readable, including extensive primary-source quotes, as well as facts and color charts with each chapter; in fact, browsers may start with the visuals and then go on to the in-depth arguments. The debate is balanced; opposing sides have their say, whether the argument is about immigration policy reforms or about whether illegals threaten American society. Extensive source notes, a bibliography, chronology, and an annotated list of key people and advocacy groups will help those who want to find out more. ––Hazel Rochman