You can change the world. Free Speech. Racism. The Environment. Gay Rights. Bullying and School Safety. Animal Welfare. War. Information about Safe Sex and Birth Control. Free Speech. HIV and AIDS. Women's Rights. These are the issues you care about -- and now you can do something about them. It's Your World will show you how to act on your beliefs, no matter what they are, and make a difference. The information inside includes: • The basics of activism • Activism projects and outreach ideas • The 5-minute activist • How to be an activist at home, at school, and in your community • Stories from teenagers who have taken on the world -- and won • Resources including books, movies, and Web sites • and much, much more Whether at home, in school, or in your community, you have the power and the ability to create change, even if you aren't old enough to vote. Don't wait until you're eighteen to flex your political muscles -- start right now! Grade 9 Up–Animal rights, racism, war protest, AIDS, school violence and bullying, women's rights, and promoting tolerance are among the topics covered here. Halpin provides basic information about each one and then makes myriad suggestions for action at home, in the community, the "five-minute activist," etc. The ideas are easy to implement. Each section is accompanied by authentic accounts of student experiences, including successes as well as difficulties, in trying to change their school or community or influence a world issue, such as the war in Iraq. Many of the ideas are easily doable–in school violence the suggestion is made to set up "bully boxes" so that students can anonymously and comfortably report incidents of harassment. The discussions end with an annotated list of Web sites, books, and movies while the book concludes with a seven-page resource list for general activism. This is an important book that will empower any young adult who would like to make a difference. –Joanne K. Cecere, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Gr. 7-12. With a wealth of practical detail and hands-on, up-to-date information, this chatty resource will be in demand by teens who want to become activists. The issues are of crucial interest, encompassing everything from the environment, war, civil liberties, and racism to gay rights, birth control, and women's rights. Each chapter includes how to get involved at home, at school, and in the community, and in compelling sidebars, individual teens speak out about their activism and, sometimes, about the harassment they experienced because of it. Halpin states clearly, "Don't get involved with anyone who is breaking the law," but she is just as adamant about the legal right to protest. Unfortunately, there's some careless editing ( thet for they , etc.); the colloquial style occasionally seems to trivialize (Gandhi is "famous for his fasts and good works"); and sources for some crucial statistics are absent. But for the many teens who see basic rights under threat, this is an important resource. Halpin's suggestions, coupled with the Web sites and hotlines in each chapter, will help kids make a difference. Hazel Rochman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Mikki Halpin wrote the essay "A Girl's Guide to Geek Guys" for Bunnyhop, and it quickly became an Internet classic, earning Mikki a special place in geekdom. She was editor-in-chief of the online magazine Stim; co-founded the classic 'zine Ben Is Dead; and has written for many publications, including Wired, BookForum, Studio Mix, The Independent, and BUST. She is the author of two books. She lives in New York City.