American Crime

From School Library Journal Gr 9-Up A welcome update of a standard resource. More than 2000 alphabetically arranged entries chronicle every conceivable manifestation of crime in the U.S. from the Salem witchcraft trials to today’s cash-machine rackets. Articles range from a paragraph to more than a page, and most begin with a helpful identifying phrase. The writing is lively and informative, but in most cases assumes some familiarity with the subject. However, many relevant terms, such as bigamy, hoodlum, three-card monte, plea bargaining, and drygulch, have their own entries. The most significant revision is the inclusion of many biographies, on such figures from the last 20 years as the Mayflower Madam, John Gotti, Matthew Shepard, and Charles Keating. Unfortunately, unlike the 1982 edition, there is no indication on the spines as to which letters are covered in which volume. Scattered black-and-white photos and reproductions illustrate the text. A useful set for student reports, answering reference questions, or perusing for insights into the society we have created. Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL TO CONTINOUE