For over 25 years, the Greenhaven Press Opposing Viewpoints Series has developed and set the standard for current-issue studies. With more than 90 volumes covering nearly every controversial contemporary topic, Opposing Viewpoints is the leading source for libraries and classrooms in need of current-issue materials. Each title explores a specific issue by placing expert opinions in a unique pro/con format. The viewpoints are selected from a wide range of highly respected and often hard-to-find sources and publications. By choosing from such diverse sources and including both popular and unpopular views, the Opposing Viewpoints editorial team has adhered to its commitment to editorial objectivity. Readers are exposed to many sides of a debate, which promotes issue awareness as well as critical thinking. In short, Opposing Viewpoints is the best research and learning tool for exploring the issues that continually shape and define our turbulent and changing world.

Illustrated by Victor Juhasz

Democracy -- America has it and it seems like many other countries want it. But what exactly is a democracy and how easy is it to maintain? Despite the banter in today's media, many Americans are still in the dark when it comes to knowing and acting upon their rights and responsibilities as citizens of a democratic society. In refreshingly candid and straight-to-the-point language author Elissa Grodin takes readers of all ages on an A-Z trip through our government's structure, from its earliest beginnings to definitions of basic components and concepts (including immigration and taxation). Engaging, disarming, and frequently thought-provoking artwork from illustrator Victor Juhasz emphasizes the magnitude of the subject. From founding fathers, first ladies, and the First Amendment to the presidential oath of office, "D is for Democracy" details the political processes, parties, and people of democracy, American-style.

Elissa D. Grodin grew up in a large family in Kansas City, Missouri, and was fifteen years old when she started to write short stories. While living in London in the late '70s, she wrote for the "Times Literary Supplement "and "New Statesman. "After moving to New York, she studied at the School of Visual Arts and met her husband, actor Charles Grodin, while interviewing him for "American Film "magazine. "D is for Democracy" is her second children's book with Sleeping Bear Press. She also wrote "N is for Nutmeg: A Connecticut Alphabet. "Elissa lives with her family in Wilton, Connecticut.

A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Victor Juhasz began illustrating in 1974 while still a student and has been working non-stop ever since.His humorous illustrations and caricatures have been commissioned by major magazines, newspapers, advertising agencies, and book publishers both national and international, and his clients include "Time, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post," and "GQ. "Victor lives in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

From a subject close to my heart, a work of love and understanding in a titled book formed. Watching and listening to my daughter led me to become a voice and advocate for children who struggle daily with sensory issues and their journeys with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Emelie was the inspiration for me to pen this book. She had shown me insight into her world that I felt compelled to write and keep safe. Around her twelfth birthday, I was rereading these jewels and realized a pattern was established. Had I been more aware of these things when she was a younger age, I could have assisted my daughter through the challenges and daily struggles with sensory issues. Piecing together the written memories, a message was there, ready and waiting to be heard. As Emelie shared her voice with us, we wanted to share her voice with you. From a child's perspective, this book shows insight into the daily challenges and issues that are abounding around children living with sensory issues and/or Autism. It's her voice crying for understanding from those who can't understand and shouting support for those who may feel they are alone. From the adult perspective, it's a guide into one child's world. Emelie's voice to adults is that seeking patience, compassion and understanding. She's asking adults to look deeper into the experiences of the children in their lives and see it through the eyes of that child. While each child with Autism and sensory issues is in a unique and diversified situation, to even have the notion or inkling of what may be happening, I believe would have helped anyone in their interactions with Emelie.

"When I was diagnosed Paranoid Schizophrenic it I felt as though a lightning bolt had struck me. It shattered my world. I was put into a mental asylum. I was labeled. I was shunned. My friends fell away. I was walled by a screen of prejudice and fear from the general public. Was this to be a life sentence? Was there a way to escape from the straitjacket of serious mental illness? This is my story, the story of how I learned to survive. Is it success? You be the judge."

Series of essays about issues surrounding treatment of the mentally ill with violent tendencies.

"The Twinkie Bin" is the story of a teenage girl struggling to survive an unhappy and destructive home life as well as the pressures inherent in growing up. The main character desperately wants to be a successful, good kid. But there are so many issues, and there is too much pain. Without supportive adults in her life, she is unsure of what to do. She turns to alcohol.
Her drinking sends her out of control, spiraling down a path of self-destruction. She winds up in an adolescent drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. She is unable to open up to the counselors there. Her life becomes increasingly unhappy rather than better. Depressed and suicidal, she is transferred to a mental hospital. She hits hard when she lands in The Twinkie Bin - a pivotal event in her young life. "The Twinkie Bin" is a powerful and heart-wrenching adolescent survival story. It courageously addresses teen issues such as drinking, depression and parental conflict. The novel takes the reader on an emotional journey through an honest account of teen angst. "The Twinkie Bin" is a poetic memoir with a message of hope.

While there has been considerable research on lesbian and/or gay parenting, very little research has focused on how the children of lesbian and gay parents negotiate between their family identity and the definitions of family imposed by society. Families headed by gay and lesbian parents do not fit into a "traditional," ideologically-driven definition of family - rendering them virtually invisible due to their lack of representation in the media, school curriculum, and "normal" society. This book is an exploration of the concept of family as it was defined by six early adolescents and their lesbian parents. In an era with increased political and social tension surrounding issues of gay and lesbian marriage rights and validity for same sex parents, this qualitative study explored how these youth experience the disjunctures between their family identity and the definitions of family imposed by the larger society. The authors of this study, informed by queer theory and inquiry, conclude that identity is not realized through definitive and rigid boundaries but within and between these locations. This book is addressed to counselors, educators, and researchers interested in understanding, and even promoting, social justice for those living in diverse family structures.