Understanding current events is essential for junior high and high school students, and this series tackles some of the biggest issues and events in US and world news today. Each book tells a balanced story of the event or issue, including its historical roots. The unfolding narrative reveals how the event or issue developed, the key events and participants, and the topic's current status. The books also cover the controversies associated with each topic. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.