Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Book Review

Locking Up Parents, Damaging Children

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:43:44 -0500

Many of the incarcerated men and women in this country are parents. Their children pay a high price—and with almost two-and-a-half million children experiencing the loss of a parent to the criminal justice system, it's a price that is also paid by schools, neighborhoods, and extended families.

Will's Choice: A Suicidal Teen, a Desperate Mother, and a Chronicle of Recovery

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:37:29 -0500

Gail Griffith tells an unsparing tale of her son Will's attempt to kill himself, and the complicated road to recovery.

Strong at the Heart: How It Feels to Heal from Sexual Abuse

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:55:44 -0500

Carolyn Lehman presents the stories of survivors of sexual abuse. The accounts of abuse are unflinching, but the focus is on healing and eventual recovery.

A Love Like No Other: Stories From Adoptive Parents

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:32:04 -0600

Twenty adoptive parents � all of them professional writers, but otherwise presenting a broad range of voices and views � contributed to this powerful collection of stories about the fears, joys, pains and triumphs of adoptive families.

What�s Wrong With Children�s Rights

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 10:39:29 -0600

It might motivate you, it might enrage you, and it will definitely get you thinking. In eight chapters, Guggenheim � who began work as a children�s rights lawyer more than 30 years ago � offers a skeptical overview and analysis of the development of children�s rights as a legal concept.

What We Can�t Tell You

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 14:55:10 -0600

Some three dozen teens from around the country speak out about their lives, and what troubles and cheers them about their relationships with parents, guardians, mentors and other key adults. Connect f

Roadmap for a Tough Trip: Picking a School

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:58:04 -0500

The Hassels, husband and wife, brought their experiences as parents, education policy wonks, and consultants on management and school leadership to the job of developing this "Picky Parent Guide" to choosing an elementary school.

On Our Own

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:22:01 -0500

Nearly one in every three babies is born to an unmarried mother and many single women are adopting children as well. In On Our Own: Unmarried Motherhood in America, journalist Melissa Ludtke explores these trends by looking at the latest expert research and by voicing the very personal reflections of unmarried mothers. Hear the story behind the book in this article by the author.

Three Sisters

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:08:56 -0500

A powerful argument in favor of keeping brothers and sisters together as they navigate the foster care system comes in the form of a lyrical memoir by poet Paula McLain. Connect for Kids former Editor Susan Phillips reviews Like Family: Growing Up in Other People's Houses.

Social Welfare, Southern Style

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:54:04 -0500

Hampered by petticoats and immobilized on a pedestal, the Southern lady of our imagination seems an unlikely activist. But historian Peter Bardaglio says that several essays in a new book, Before the New Deal: Social Welfare in the South, 1830-1930, demonstrate how Southern women built lasting programs for children and families in communities deformed by slavery and devastated by war.

Meaningful Differences

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:09:51 -0500

Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, authors of Meaningful Differences, spent 2 and a half years studying the spoken interactions between parents and children in 42 families. They found that language development in young children was overwhelmingly correlated with socioeconomic status.

The Kids May Be Alright, After All

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:36:11 -0500

We all know that today's teens are in crisis, and are worse off in nearly every way than generations past. Or are they? In his newest book, Framing Youth, author Mike A. Males turns a critical eye on the American media's assertion that today's teens are more violent, drugged-out and reckless than ever.

What Every Parent Needs to Know About 1st, 2nd & 3rd Grades

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:38:42 -0500

Looking for a resource to help you get more involved in your child's early elementary school education? Laura Weiss reviews What Every Parent Needs to Know About 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Grades: An Essential Guide to Your Child's Education.

Edelman Writes to Those Who Lit the Way

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:28:47 -0500

In Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors, Children's Defense Fund president Marian Wright Edelman pays tribute to those who guided her journey to ensure that no children in America are left behind.

Don't Call Us Out of Name

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:20:43 -0500

In Don't Call Us Out of Name, author Lisa Dodson explores the reality of life for women on welfare and asks readers to abandon stereotypes and look toward practical ideas for the future.