Vegetarianism

Gr 9 Up—Vegetarianism stays very much in keeping with the series goal to "help young people sift through the mountain of confusing facts, opinions, and recommendations" in order to make informed decisions about their health. Traugh cites the various studies that fuel every statistic and complements these facts with a smattering of personal accounts culled from interviews. Readers get a sufficient idea about the history of vegetarianism, the growing trends and their effect on the food industry, and the various diet choices within the vegetarian spectrum. The discussion about the three philosophies of vegetarianism and a brief overview of multicultural cuisines that are primarily vegetarian provide variety in terms of topics for potential reports. This book has value beyond school use; should someone decide to make this change in diet and lifestyle, there is much here that gives healthy first steps for doing so. Sidebars, color photos, and a list of organizations are included.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library