A whole book for databases in the classroom? That might be the first reaction of most teachers to this book's title, if not indeed "What's a database?" So some words of explanation are called for: Logo, simulation programs and other educational software are all very well in the classroom, but it is not how children will use computers when they grow up. Boring it may be, but most computers process data - vast quantities of it - held in things called databases. So it's important that tomorrow's generation should know something about how databases work.

The scene is set in the first chapter for today's information society and how it has arisen. As illustration, the story is told of how IBM, the world's largest computer company, grew out of a competition held by the US Government when it could no longer cope with the sheer quantity of census data. This deluge of data doesn't trouble just governments; anyone who has got lost inside the Prestel database will recognise the problem. Today it is no longer a question of what you know but rather knowing how to find out. This skill is something we should all acquire and the process should begin at school. This is Derick Daines' argument and the basis for his book.

Subsequent chapters cover the technology of databases and data management: storage media, serial and random access, bubble sorts and the like. To the novice the jardon can be daunting, but here the author introduces buzzwords only when needed.

Being aimed at teachers, the book contains several practical exercises to work through with schoolchiildren, using both manual and computer methods. A simple manual system is described which uses punched cards and knitting needles to store and retrieve information on pupils - height, age, number of sisters and brothers, etc. As an example of a computerised system, the database programs in the Microprimer software pack and their possible applications are described. As this software is available free to primary schools, it makes sense to base the examples on this rather than on an expensive machine-specific commercial program.

As if writing a book wasn't enough, Mr. Daines has also written his own database program for the BBC Micro and a listing of this appears on the back pages. Written in Basic, it is nevertheless quite sophisticated, allowing up to 1,000 records and using both serial and random access methods. Typing in long, dense listings is not everyone's idea of fun, so the program is broken down into separate sections, with accompanying text explaining exactly how each section works. This means it can easily be altered to suit your own needs. At £6.95 the book is worth buying for the database program alone!

Overall, an excellent book which covers a subject not normally dealt with in most schools. If you are a teacher using a BBC Micro and you want to give your kids a taste of how computers are used in the real world, this is the book for you.