School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-- A superficial survey of different types of family problems, their causes, and what might be done to help the children in these situations. Crisfield glosses over all the problems, including alcohol and drug abuse, child abuse of different types, and divorce. Examples of how children from troubled homes respond are useful, but some information provided is inaccurate. Social workers are not always provided by the ``state''; they may be found in local governments and school systems as well. There is a combined glossary-index (inaccurate), as well as an incomplete list of places to write for more information. The book is illustrated with full-color photographs of families and children, but the captions sometimes have nothing to do with the pictures. One reads, ``death or divorce can cause a healthy family to become temporarily dysfunctional''; the photograph shows a man and woman and two children. Basically, there's just not enough information here to help children facing any of these problems or to inform those who want to know why people act as they do. --Margaret C. Howell, West Springfield Elementary School, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Color phot. Descriptions of dysfunctional families and the coping behaviors adopted by some children are balanced with information on how social workers, therapists, foster parents, and support groups can help children and their parents function despite problems. The photographs are overly posed, but the book gives a fair, if brief, treatment of the social problem. Combined index and glossary. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
