Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law. Edited by Jeffrey Wilson. Detroit, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 2006. 2 vols. 1552 p. $325.00. ISBN 1-4144-0402-6.

At first glance, this might seem to be a reference that would have less use in a high school library. However, many students may have legal questions that they need answered not only for themselves, but also for those who have parents who are less likely to use a library of any kind. The 240 articles range from 2,000 to 5,000 words. Each begins with a brief description of the issue and its historical background. Federal laws are discussed followed by variations of the laws from state to state. The foreword has an “Overview of the American Legal System” which would be interesting to civics classes. When one looks at the entries, students and driver’s education teachers should point out the information under “Automobiles” because it provides a national view. For those students whose parents or they were not born in the U.S., the section on “Immigration” would be helpful. Because students and teachers have become heavy users of the Internet, that part becomes informative reading. Within the volumes, boldfaced terms are defined in the glossary. In addition to the glossary, the appendix includes “State and Federal Agency Contacts” with websites. Should you decide this is not within your budget, you should try to share the purchase with the local public library and make sure your students and teachers know it is there.