Owl has wiped the competitors off the map with an attractive, accessible, and inexpensive guide to the Internet for both “newbies” (neophytes) and veterans of cyberspace – including kids, teens, parents, and teachers. The most remarkable achievement is that this guide may even remain relevant for the rest of the year. Public libraries and schools should order multiple copies, including reference copies to keep on hand for staff. Even when the information is outdated, there is enough here to archive for the next wave.

The book is laid out in logical sections, with a historical timeline from Morse to VR, including clear graphical explanations of cyberspace, e-mail and Netiquette, URL (Uniform Resource Locator) anatomy, viruses, home pages, hardware, and peripherals. Using Owl’s characteristic factbox layout, real stories of kids’ home and school Web projects and home pages, virus problems, and Internet pranks, are all interleaved with glossaries, “Webspeak” quizzes, and factoids. Because this is a real book, there is also an index and a table of contents. Best of all, there is an appendix of “yellow pages” listing 250 annotated Web sites for kids, organized by subject.

Unlike other adult-oriented guides (Kidsnet, from HarperCollins, Cyberkids from Hodder and Stoughton, or Internet for Kids from Putnam), which warn parents explicity about inappropriate surfing, Net safety is discussed dispassionately in this guide, with an emphasis on personal responsibility and a whiff of family values – “no one can give you all the warnings – play it safe and go for the good.” Yes, the little disk can get you into “lifestyles” and SEX, but so can practically any bibliographic search. The best defense is knowledge and active participation by parents in Net access. This book makes both activities fun, and lowers the learning curve to a pretty common denominator. Hurrah for Owl. Canadians prove once again that non-fiction is their métier. Happy surfing.