Notes that Juvonen and Graham's edited work brings together perspectives on peer harassment from eight different countries in articles ranging from a focus on the individual as victim or bully to group processes that support peer harassment in school, and theoretical perspectives. Considers the book valuable for scholars interested in peer…

"Creating the Dropout" traces the history of school leaving and the concept of the dropout. The dropout was invented, not discovered, only being explicitly recognized after 1960. Inventing the dropout became a way to channel general concerns about the condition of cities, identifying dropouts as authors of their own troubles. (SLD)

This book presents a timely, refreshing, and fairly solid contribution to the assessment field. It focuses on differential psychology and psychological testing related to Hispanic Americans, emphasizing the proper role of tests and several technical and social issues pertaining to Hispanic Americans. (SLD)

Reviews six books: "Teacher Lore" (Schubert and Ayers), about teachers' accounts of their experience; "America's Best Classrooms" (Seymour and others); "Another Door to Learning," (Schwarz) about learning-disabled children; "Talking with Your Children about a Troubled World" (Dumas); "Our Family, Our…

Mike Davis's book presents a history and current sociology of Los Angeles from a socialist perspective, arguing that inequalities in the distribution of power and wealth underlie the area's serious, growing problems: ethnic fear and discrimination, social disinvestment and withdrawal by the "haves," and an epidemic of youth violence. (SV)

Examines research on racial bias, focusing on the discretionary decision-making junctures of the juvenile court system. Research and statistics continue to suggest that the public, the police, the prosecution, and the jury all treat blacks more unfairly based to a large extent on race. (SLD)

Suggests that Corsaro's well-written book has a number of especially useful sections, specifically those on the history of childhood, social problems, and children's cultures. Notes that segments from Corsaro's and other researchers' work and numerous photographs and figures contribute to the book's accessibility. Problems noted include the…

Discusses R. Herrnstein's and C. Murray's attempt to persuade an educated white readership that they, the readers, are genetically, socially, and intellectually superior. The most effective criticisms are those that rely on scientific evidence about the manipulation of data and flawed analyses rather than the display of moral outrage. (SLD)

This book, a critique of "The Bell Curve" by R. Herrnstein and C. Murray, explores what "inequality" in society means, how it arises, and how it can be measured or dealt with quantitatively. It also considers how societal and other variables work to increase or decrease inequality. The book argues that "The Bell…

Four categories (language arts, social issues, animation, music) of videos suitable for classroom use are reviewed in this article, which includes a list of video distributors. (IAH)

Reviews six books on the social ills that are threatening to overwhelm our nation's children. Issues discussed include violence as a learned behavior and hate crimes; psychiatric testing of young people used as a control mechanism; educating homeless children; inadequate health care for adolescents; and young unwed fathers. (MLF)

Reviews two youth-produced videos: one about life in a Croatian refugee, the other about racism. The techniques, processes, and problems of young people's video production are discussed. The roles of youth-produced videos as agents of social change and as an alternative to mainstream media are explored. (GR)

"Teaching for Social Justice," by Ayers, Hunt, and Quinn, advocates inclusion of social-justice concerns as part of schools' official curriculum. Although the authors do not move some issues far enough, the book can serve as a primer for teachers concerned about social justice and democratic values. (MLH)

This commentary documents errors in the statistical analyses and interpretation of empirical evidence in "The Bell Curve" by R. Herrnstein and C. Murray (1994). "The Bell Curve" neglects the role of education and grossly overstates the case for IQ as a determinant of social success. (SLD)

Critiquing two "Handbook" chapters on gender and race, this article observes that equity concerns have given way to concerns with quality and excellence. Both chapters explore reasons behind lack of equity (for poor students of color and women in school administration) and criticize "liberal" solutions to social problems.…