Being in a Gang: Stories from Survivors

"Stereotypes are broken in this series about difficult life situations. Each title tackles social issues relevant to young adults but still foreign to many readers. Teens are challenged to check their preconceived ideas about what it means to be homeless, who joins a gang, and how hard it is to battle drug addiction. Readers will learn about the nuisances of these trying situations: the various reasons people join gangs, transitional homelessness vs chronic homelessness, and the different types of eating disorders. These are supplemented with statistics from organizations and experts. While these are tough topics the author offers paths to recovery and ways to help. Each chapter contains a section called 'It Happened to Me' with fictionalized accounts of survivors told in a journal-like format. Vocabulary words are bolded and an extensive glossary is included along with an index, suggested books and websites, and organizations that can help. VERDICT It would have been more powerful if the authors had gathered true stories rather than fictionalizing the accounts, but this series still provides important information for research and for creating empathy toward impacted individuals. Recommended."--School Library Journal