cover image The Highly Healthy Child

The Highly Healthy Child

Walt Larimore. Zondervan Publishing Company, $19.99 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-310-24029-7

Larimore, host of the radio and TV program""Focus on Your Family's Health,"" draws upon the same basic principles he used in his book""10 Essentials of Highly Healthy People"" to help parents raise healthy children. He emphasizes that healthy individuals enjoy a balance of physical, relational, emotional and spiritual health. He also gently but firmly combats misinformation (e.g., correcting parents who wrongly believe that immunizations are dangerous or cause autism), drawing upon medical studies and his own clinical experiences to cement his case. His wisdom to parents seeking advice about everything from handling discipline problems and bullying to enjoying family vacations and activities is sensible. One brief chapter explores how to lay a foundation for children's spiritual development; on this topic, Larimore provides excellent advice but not enough of it. Although the chapter is too short, readers will appreciate Larimore's solid, down-to-earth suggestions about how to teach children about faith.