Amazon.com Review
In her courtroom show, popular TV personality Judge Judy Sheindlin always tells it like it is. But in her first book for young readers, she asks children and their parents to come up with their own solutions to realistic moral dilemmas: "You find a handgun in your father's closet." "You were visiting your friend and your dog had an accident on the floor in his living room." "You notice that the desk next to you, where your good friend sits, has been empty for three days."
Rather than forcing the "correct" answer on readers, Judge Judy provides four multiple choice responses to each situation and encourages families to discuss every answer before choosing. For example, Judge Judy hypothesizes, "You are home alone and someone knocks on the door." Should you (a)not answer the door, (b)ask who it is and open the door only of you know him or her, (c)tell the person to come back when an adult is home, or (d)open the door? Two brief introductions, one to parents and one to kids, provide readers with an approach to moral education, emphasizing ongoing communication. When young people consider and discuss the consequences of their actions, they're far more likely to make socially responsible decisions in life.
Judge Judy Sheindlin has written several bestselling books for adults, including Beauty Fades, Dumb Is Forever. Illustrator Bob Tore's simple but amusing black and white line drawings are friendly and inviting, keeping the tone light and straightforward. (Ages 7 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
The star of her own TV courtroom on the syndicated program Judge Judy, Sheindlin here pens her first book for children. Brief author's notes for parents and for kids introduce 36 open-ended multiple-choice questions designed to encourage discussion between a parent and child concerning decision-making and discerning right from wrong. Each question supposes a protagonist in a sticky situation ("All your friends are smoking. They are making fun of you because you are not. You should "; "You are home alone and someone knocks on the door. You should "). A list of four possible plans of action follow each scenario. The choices introduce several gray areas, and in some cases more than one answer could be right--it would be up to the parent to discuss with the child which route they would prefer their son or daughter to take. For instance, the knock-on-the-door example offers both "A. Not answer the door" and "B. Ask who it is and open the door only if you know him or her"--the "correct" answer would depend on how the parent has instructed the child to act. Sheindlin, uncharacteristically, refrains from handing down her decision here, or describing what goes into the decision-making process. Her assortment of situations demonstrates a familiarity with her audience and the issues they face, but the volume is designed to work best when an adult reads it with the child. Chipper cartoon line art by Tore gives these proceedings a fun look, which may help kids see the book as more than a good-for-them exercise. Ages 7-12. (Feb.)
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