BrightPoint Press In Focus Reviews

Fake News: ISBN 978-1-68282-715-4 / eBook: 978-1-68282-716-1
School Library Journal, August 24, 2020

This authoritative work clearly describes the basics of fake news for upper elementary and middle school students. Of particular note, the text contains fascinating examples of the use of propaganda in early United States history. Readers are advised to be wary of doctored photos as a tool in fake news, an aspect often missing from elementary works on the topic.
Featured in Spotting Misinformation and #FakeNews: 10 Resources To Teach Students Media Literacy


Refugees: ISBN 978-1-68282-719-2 / eBook: 978-1-68282-720-8
Booklist, October 1, 2019

Like its counterparts of the In Focus series (5 titles), this provides content on topics intended for teens who may be struggling readers. Four chapters contain succinct explanations of the various aspects of refugeeism; subtitles lead to descriptions of concepts such as types of displaced people, the UNHCR, and laws that affect refugees. The text is clear, avoiding jargon, with terms in bold corresponding to definitions in the glossary. Occasionally, anecdotes from displaced youths break up the expository text with a more personal element. While focus is placed on Syrian and Central American crises, historical context is also provided with reminders that this is not a recent phenomenon. Other topics include responses to refugee resettlement, the application process, and a call to our global responsibility to reach out when needed.
—Amina Chaudhri