A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years

May 15, 2009
This short, easy-to-read guide for parents about middle-school kids deals with making friends, being online, doing well in school, balancing school with outside activities, understanding teachers, and thriving as a familyall hot-button topics that can quickly go awry and make the middle-school years difficult for children and parents. Bruzzese (education, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara) understands kids and communicates well through this concise guide. He argues that the family computer should be in a central, visible spot, not in middle schoolers' bedrooms; time online must be limited. In addition, parents need to remember that their kids need them (though they're rarely asked for advice) and that family activitieseven though they're often met with "Do I have to?"are vital. This book is not stuffed with case studies, chatty stories, or horrific went-wrongs; instead, t's a to-the-point guide for parents and should be well used.Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.