cover image Free to Be, a Family

Free to Be, a Family

Marlo Thomas. Bantam Books, $19.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-553-05235-0

Thomas et al. direct this sequel to Free to Be . . . You and Me toward concerns of the '80s, with an emphasis on the different configurations of the ""ideal'' nuclear family caused by divorce, remarriage and other factors. Freedom here means being able to talk about negative emotions: worries about nuclear war, missing a long-absent father or anxiety about being adopted (shown in a simulated ``Superman'' comic). But the blissful moments that are also a part of children's lives seem missing from this book, almost as if the editors believe there are enough happy endings in the world, and that kids need ways to ``work through problems.'' Admirable goals, but they make for a somewhat sobering outlook on childhood. The almanac-style book features stories, poems and songs by such authors as Shel Silverstein, Charlotte Zolotow and John Steptoe, and such celebrity contributors as The Fat Boys, Kermit the Frog, Carly Simon and Whoopi Goldberg. It's a rarity in today's market, and one to be embraced by parents who believe that this perspective is a realistic oneone that may help their children along the bumpy road of growing up. All ages. (December)