Autoimmune Diseases (Venture Book)

Features

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Library Binding: 112 pages
• Published by: Franklin Watts March 1995
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 053112553X
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0531125533
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 12 ounces

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?Aaseng defines the term and goes into detail about 9 of the more than forty diseases now categorized or suspected to be autoimmune. He explains how the immune system works and outlines current theories, research, and efforts to find prevention and cures. The book begins with the author telling of his own son's battle with hemolytic anemia and concludes with biographical sketches of famous individuals who suffer from and have learned to cope with various autoimmune diseases. The conversational style makes for easy reading and the human-interest stories will grab the attention of casual readers. The terminology is simple, with words in the glossary italicized in the text. Good-quality black-and-white photographs range from publicity shots of the biographees to an X-ray of the human hand. There are footnotes, an extensive up-to-date bibliography, and a good index. The only fault is that the other 31 diseases are never named. Nonetheless, this is a solid introduction to this class of disease.?Marilyn Fairbanks, East Junior High, Brockton, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 7^-12. In a clear, informative, and engaging style, Aaseng tackles the frightening yet fascinating topic of those mysterious diseases in which the body essentially attacks itself. The dramatic first chapter, detailing his son's battle with an autoimmune attack, will grab readers, and the following scientific explanation is concise and easy to understand, covering what is both known and unknown about the immune system--how it works and rebels. The summary discussions of several of the most common of the more than forty autoimmune diseases provide enough information for short reports and can serve as a good starting point for longer projects. Teens researching the topic for personal reasons will be encouraged by the no-nonsense yet upbeat approach. These diseases can be debilitating and they cannot yet be cured, but many of their victims live full, productive lives. The black-and-white photos, helpful illustrations, and celebrity anecdotes serve to break up the scientific text, create immediacy, and maintain reader interest. Jeanne Triner