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Young people are really good at thinking. And that's good, because there's lots to think about in the modern world. This page is about tricky problems facing the world today.

You need to think about issues that might affect you very personally, such as bullying and drug misuse. To claim your place as a citizen, you also need to think about issues that affect all of us, such as crime and punishment. Don't think that's not your job — your generation will be in control in a few years, so get ready for it.

What is right and what is wrong? Is it right to kill criminals? Is it right to mess around with the DNA of plants, animals or humans? These books ask some tricky questions about issues facing society today.

Capital Punishment (Harcourt, 2005)

Tomorrow's Science: Genetic Engineering (Chrysalis, 2003)

Tomorrow's Science: Artificial Intelligence (Chrysalis, 2003)

Tomorrow's Science: Internet Technologies (Chrysalis, 2003)

Tomorrow's Science: Medicine Now (Chrysalis, 2003)

Bullying and racial hatred are two ways of being horrible to other people. Know the enemy to defeat it - think about why people do these things and how we can prevent or stop them. (The last of these three has a lot about cyber-bullying - it's not here by mistake!)

safe onlline

Keeping Safe Online (Franklin Watts, 2014)
Internet Safety (Franklin Watts, 2011)

Teen FAQ: Bullying (Franklin Watts, 2010)

Voices: Race Hate (Evans, 2006)

Race hate and bullying are crimes, of course. These books are about how we solve crimes. No, they won't show you how to commit a crime and get away with it. The first two are about forensic techniques.

cyber attack

Anatomy of an Investigation: Investigating a Cyber Attack (Heinemann/Raintree, 2013)
Global Questions: How Should We Deal With Crime? (Franklin Watts, 2010)

Solve it with Science: Kidnaps (Franklin Watts, 2009).

Drugs are a social issue and a personal issue. Using drugs doesn't just harm the user - there's a whole chain of ruined lives, including farmers forced to grow the drugs and abused drug mules who smuggle them across borders. The last three are more about people who take drugs - the personal end of the problem.

Global Questions: Why Do People Make and Sell Drugs? (Franklin Watts, 2010)
Healthy Lifestyles: Dealing with Drugs (Evans, 2010)

Voices: Drugs on the Street (Franklin Watts, 2009)

How can we feed the world, make sure everyone has water and that there is enough power to run the things we want and need in the future? (These are also listed on our planet.)

eco hero

How to be an Eco-Hero (Rising Stars, 2020)

Is Our Climate Changing (Franklin Watts, 2008)

Feeding the World (Franklin Watts, 2009)

Sustainable Water Resources (Franklin Watts, 2009)

Reducing the Carbon Footprint (Franklin Watts, 2009)

Solar Power (Gareth Stevens, 2007)

You can't stay at school forever. If you're thinking about maybe getting a job one day, here are a few books that describe areas you could work in. Perhaps. Or you might prefer to breed anteaters or design cheese graters, but I don't know how you would go about doing that.