One out of every 10 children in the U.S. has a parent under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Yet little attention has been paid to this vulnerable population. Join award-winning journalist Nell Bernstein to talk about the lives of the children of incarcerated parents, how law and policy exacerbate the damage to family bonds, and emerging proposals to recognize children's need for parental contact.

In her new non-fiction book Strong at the Heart, Carolyn Lehman, the author of the 1986 novel Promise Not to Tell, collects the stories of nine survivors of childhood sexual abuse, who speak candidly both about their suffering and about the ways they found to heal and move on with their lives. Lehman has spent years talking with other abuse survivors from all walks of life, and offers a unique perspective on this difficult topic.

This provocative collection of 20 essays by adoptive parents about their widely varying experiences was edited by Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe. (Publisher: Riverhead, 2005) Kruger and Smolowe join us for a discussion of the book—and some of the authors will also chime in to answer your questions.

In his book (Harvard University Press), Martin Guggenheim offers an analysis of the most significant debates in the children's rights movement -- from foster care to adoption to visitation rights and beyond. How well does the "best interests of the child" standard work as a meaningful test for deciding disputes about children? How do "children's rights" sometimes become a screen for adult interests? Guggenheim, a professor of clinical law at NYU, has been at the forefront of the national discussion about children's rights for decades. He'll be live online with CFK to answer your questions.

Bryan and Emily Hassel, authors of the Picky Parent Guide, Choose Your Child’s School with Confidence (Armchair Press, 2004), will be live on-line with Connect for Kids Editor Susan Phillips on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern. The book is a how-to guide for selecting the elementary school that fits your child, your budget, and your family. He’s been developing new resources for the parents of secondary school students, and will answer question about any grade level.

This Book Chat will feature Brent Hartinger, who has published three young-adult novels, with more in the works. Hartinger's fictional themes have ranged from a high school gay-straight alliance in Geography Club to foster kids in a group home in The Last Chance Texaco, and the complex feelings of young burn survivors in The Order of the Poison Oak. He has also given advice to dozens of teenagers, both as co-facilitator of Oasis, a 200-member gay teen support organization he helped found, and as a counselor at a group home for troubled young people. Submit questions ahead of time, or during the chat.

Cheryl Coon, author of Books to Grow With, will be taking your live questions about summer reading strategies for kids and more. Her book focuses on the age range of early childhood through elementary school, and she's currently researching a sequel aimed at middle-schoolers.