Reference Reviews

Doug's Student Reference Room

Title: Teen Health and Wellness: Real Life, Real Answers
Publisher: Rosen Publishing
URL: http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com
Evaluated: February, 2008

Teen Health and Wellness: Real Life, Real Answers offers current, relevant information to teens on a wide assortment of physical and mental health issues. The site's design is clean, consistent and kid-friendly. An "In the News" section at the top of the home page changes regularly and features topical issues of concern to young people. In "Dr. Jan's Corner," a psychologist answers teens' e-mail about health, sexuality, dating, family relationships, and more. "Personal Story" shares students' real-life experiences, accompanied by support articles that more fully explore the topic. Students can cast their vote in a current poll and compare their answers to the poll's totals. A "Did You Know?" corner prompts students with a provocative fact about a current health and wellness issue and leads to other sources for exploration.

At the core of this database is content that is both deep and broad, pulled from over 500 Rosen print titles on topics including diet, body image, sexuality, drugs and alcohol, family life, and physical and mental health. Students can browse this database by subject or index, or by clicking through the menu of topics on the home page's navigation bar. Each section is laid out the same way; users click from a main topic in the menu to a set of subtopics. The "Eating Disorders" subject, for example, offers subtopics on diet dangers, disorders, support groups, and weight issues. Each article is then broken down into a series of pages that can be navigated by clicking on "Next Section" or by following the menu on the left side of the page. Each article includes links to additional web resources, a short bibliography of print resources, a glossary of key terms, and a set of related articles.

The most impressive aspect of this database is that it so fully caters to teens. The language is accessible and the reading level will not overwhelm struggling readers. Icons used in the articles-including "report worthy," "number crunching," and "med speak"—highlight main ideas, statistics, and medical terms. Library media specialists and classroom teachers can use these icons to scaffold information gathering. Other icons, including "helping hand," "you're not alone," and "talk to a trusted adult" encourage students to reach out to others regarding sensitive or difficult issues. Most sections include sets of questions for teens to ask parents, counselors, or therapists, providing a way to begin or continue positive interactions with adults who may be in a position to help, and a prominent link to hotlines is featured on every page. This site can be used not only to support health and science curricula, but to support teens in their encounters with a wide array of challenging life issues.

— Doug Achterman