Guilty?

October 1, 2014
Case studies form the nucleus of this introduction to the ever changing nature of crime and punishment in the United States. This slim volume seeks to introduce young readers to the various complexities of crime and punishment. An important aspect of these ideas is how society's views have changed over the years. By following the law school model and exploring actual cases, readers are able to ponder abstract ideas via concrete examples. One of the first cases involves a 12-year-old who knowingly purchased a valuable baseball card at much less than its market value. Was this theft or merely taking advantage of a clerk's error? Many of the examples are more consequential and show the far-reaching nature of criminal law. There are cases involving race, mental competence, the banking system, terrorism and more. This wide range is both a strength and weakness: Readers can get a sense of the law's pervasiveness, but it also means that each subject receives limited coverage. The author is clear that this book is designed to raise questions and encourage readers to delve further. The format does not add much to aid in engagement: Occasional photographs and sidebars do little to relieve the text. There is a helpful glossary, suggestions for further reading, source notes and a comprehensive bibliography. Given the paucity of books on the law for young readers, this fills a niche, but here's hoping a more engaging and vibrant replacement comes along soon. (photo credits, index not seen) (Nonfiction. 10-16)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-This book takes a look at the evolution of the American justice system. Kanefield scrutinizes the judicial system by examining current and past crimes. The book opens by defining the word "criminalize" (as "an act that the law makes punishable") and goes on to argue that the American judicial system is flawed. The author offers both famous cases, such as Plessy v. Ferguson and more obscure ones, such as the example of a man accused of bank robbery for taking advantage of a teller's mistake and walking out of the bank with an extra $1,000. The writing is brisk and concise, getting right to the point, but there are few images or charts, which might turn off some younger readers who are used to heavily illustrated books. Though this title provides a solid example of how authors present and build arguments, students would be better served by learning to scrutinize the book for bias, as Kanefield only shows one side of the story, highlighting the flaws of the system without offering any constructive criticism for how to improve the situation.-Esther Keller, I.S. 278, Brooklyn, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Grades 7-11 The awareness of injustice is often a bitter pill for young people who are just coming to grips with concepts of legality and adult consequences. Kanefield, an appellate lawyer, uses cases whose just resolutions are debatable at bestthe execution of Marvin Wilson and the incarceration of Huzaifa Parhat at Guantanamo, for exampleto illustrate that just as there is no perfect person, there is no perfect system. Crime control and deterrence are weighed against due process and the presumption of innocence to show young readers how to think critically about laws and punishments in the U.S. Changing cultural attitudes are taken into account, including the treatment of women and minorities and our increased understanding of mental illness, brain injury, and intellectual capacity. This short book is dense with examples and ideas and makes a complicated, somewhat daunting subject more accessible and interesting to a younger audience. A good companion read for novels in which a young person is facing prosecution, such as Walter Dean Myers' Monster (1999).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
A series of case studies, the book's first section, about deciding what behavior to criminalize, is most successful; the second and third--on punishment and due process--are also provocative. Kanefield allows readers to understand how notions of right and wrong change over time and across cultures, helping them begin to understand the complexities of crime and punishment. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2014
Kanefield writes about the American criminal justice system using a series of case studies, a fresh approach that allows her to present issues to middle-grade students in the same way that a lawyer or law student might learn about them. The book is divided into three parts, and the first section about deciding what behavior to criminalize is the most successful. The opening examples -- a man taking advantage of a bank teller's mistake, a boy buying a baseball card for the wrong price from an unwitting clerk, and the banking practice of manipulating transactions to charge customers higher fees -- help define what the crime of theft is, regardless of whether each is morally right. The second and third parts -- on punishment and due process, respectively -- are also quite provocative, pointing out the failures of our current system but without offering meaningful alternative solutions. That would be a tall order for such a slender volume, however, and the strengths of the book compensate for any shortcomings. Kanefield not only allows readers to understand how notions of right and wrong change over time and across cultures, helping them begin to understand the complexities of crime and punishment, but she will probably leave them eager to find out more. Appended with a glossary of legal terms, source notes, and an extensive bibliography. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)