Parenting 911

Giannetti and Sagarese, coauthors of The Roller Coaster Years, once again team up to help parents navigate the potentially rough waters of the early teen years. Focusing on the age group they call the middlers, Giannetti and Sagarese present straightforward information based on current research, surveys and interviews, covering such topics as substance abuse, violence, self-mutilation, depression, sex, danger on the Internet and the risks of extreme sports. The authors urge parents to be vigilant and emotionally available; they also suggest that too much time alone provides an invitation for kids this age to experiment with troublesome diversions. This book focuses on solutions rather than scare tactics, yet clearly lists the danger signals that indicate real trouble is brewing. Stressing that ""the world our children are growing up in is not the one we remember,"" the authors encourage parents to become appropriately educated on the issues their middlers face. In the wake of recent school violence, this timely title, endorsed by the National Middle School Association, is a welcome resource for parents seeking both preventive tactics and more involvement with their middle-age kids. Agent, Denise Marcil. (Sept.)