Ages 5-8. Polland, a professor of child development, has devised a way to make difficult social situations easier for children to discuss with adults or work through by themselves. The format is straightforward. There are 14 sections: teasing/kindness, hitting/controlling fists, excluding/including, poor sport/good sport. Each section begins with a series of questions about the problem behavior (e.g., "Has anyone ever been so angry with you that they started pushing or hitting?"), is followed by questions or directives that get children engaged in problem solving (e.g., "Make a list of things that are okay to hit and of things that are not okay to hit"). The text also alerts children to the contrasting behavior: "What could you say that might get the teasers to stop?" Both victims and aggressors are addressed. DeRoy's candid photos of kids caught in the act, both positive and negative, should be powerful incentives for thought and discussion.
Connie FletcherCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
About the Author
Barbara K. Polland, Ph.D. has served as a professor of child development, a psychotherapist, a teacher, and a consultant to parents and teachers for over 3 decades. She has two grown children and lives in Southern California.
Craig DeRoy is executive vice president and general counsel of The First American Financial Corporation. He lives in Rolling Hills, CA., with his wife and two sons.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
