This is a research reference work in juvenile justice literature spanning the twentieth century. It is intentionally selective given the massive volume of printed matter that has accumulated in this field since 1900. The main indexes include Part One: Book Index; Part Two: General Periodical Index; Part Three: Legal Periodical Index; Part Four: Secondary Source Index; and Part Five: Government Publications and Miscellaneous Index.

While not fully exhaustive, Watkins provides the scholar, jurist, practitioner, student, or general investigator a broad entree into the literature of juvenile justice from the early years of the juvenile court up to and including the significant changes in juvenile law and practice during the last tumultuous decade of the twentieth century. It is transdisciplinary in content, focusing attention on the numerous fields that have contributed to the literary tapestry in juvenile law over ten decades.