Chew On This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson

Our 8th grade health class watched Super Size Me, so I thought there would be some interest in this title.

The subtitle to this book is "Everything you don't want to know about fast food", and that would certainly be the case for some of the animal treatment issues, which could (and should!) upset some sensitive students. This is a great book to have, though, because despite its lenghth (318 pages) it is very readable and on a level that even 4th graders would find easy.

Starting with the history of the hamburger, this book covers a wide variety of issues-- the way that food is prepared, the exploitation of teen workers, the effects of fast food culture on the US and foreign countries, the health implications of a fast food diet. Replete with statistics and research, this was a compelling read. My family has never eaten fast food more than about twice a year, and we don't eat much meat, so this was preaching to the choir for me. Students who do eat a lot of fast food might be given a lot of "food for thought" with this informative title. Students who are really interested in this topic could also pick up Greg Critser's Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World.