Drugs--What They Are, What They Do

Seixas's latest easy-to-read format book about health is a welcome companion to her previous volumes on vitamins, tobacco and alcohol. Here the topic is psychoactive drugs, which, the book explains, were used for thousands of years but, for the most part, have become illegal without a doctor's prescription. In simple terms, Seixas discusses how stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens and narcotics work, as well as their side effects and dangers. A strength of the book is her ability to use concrete examples to reach her target audience. The concept of tolerance is explained in terms of getting used to immersion in a cold body of water; reasons not to begin include, ""You won't be good at computer games.'' Seixas also covers why kids try drugs, introduces terminology like ``gateway drugs'' (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, marijuana), and, again down-to-earth, she lists ways to say noactual excuses and words to use. A good, thorough job. Ages 7-11. (September)