It's Ok to Say No

Responding to recent publicity about child abuse, several publishers have brought out books for children on the subject. This is a delicate task because it requires alerting children to some rather horrible facts of life without leaving them terrified of people. In What Should You do When . . . ?, children are advised to go to their teacher if a stranger tries to take them home from school. In Sometimes It's Okay to Tell Secrets, children learn what to do if ""your teacher does something that makes you feel weird or yucky.'' In It's Okay to Say No, children are urged to run home if a stranger tries to talk to them. (Good advice if you're near home, but what if you're not?) Children, who tend to be very literal-minded, may have a hard time applying some of these rules to actual life. And the contradictions in these books underscore the fact that children need to be taught, on an individual level, procedures that will ensure safety in particular situations. (For slightly older children, Oralee Wachter's No More Secrets for Me is one of the best choices.) (4-7)