Use this alphabetical index to find books that have been reviewed for the Harried Parent's Book Club.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J-L | M-N | O | P-Q | R | S | T | U-V | W-Z
My Kind of Sad: What It's Like to Be Young and Depressed
Cover image courtesy of Firefly Books
By Kate Scowen, art by Jeff Szuc; 168 pages. From the Book Cover: "No book can give you a quick fix for depression. But this one can help you understand that it is possible to get through it."
Bottom Line: It's depressing to think that kids need a book on depression, but there are plenty of sad statistics to show that it's so. Whether you're concerned about your child, or your child is concerned about a friend, this accessible little volume may be just the thing to get a conversation going.
Bottom Line: It's depressing to think that kids need a book on depression, but there are plenty of sad statistics to show that it's so. Whether you're concerned about your child, or your child is concerned about a friend, this accessible little volume may be just the thing to get a conversation going.
The Myth of the A.D.D. Child
Cover image courtesy of PriceGrabber
By Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.; 305 pages. Subtitle: 50 Ways to Improve Your Child's Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion."
Bottom Line: That title just seems designed to provoke, doesn't it? There are plenty of families for whom ADD is anything but a myth. As for drugs and labels, they do seem to work for many children, as a route to succeeding in school and receiving needed services. If you can overlook the title and some of the theory here, though, the 50 ways work pretty well, too.
Bottom Line: That title just seems designed to provoke, doesn't it? There are plenty of families for whom ADD is anything but a myth. As for drugs and labels, they do seem to work for many children, as a route to succeeding in school and receiving needed services. If you can overlook the title and some of the theory here, though, the 50 ways work pretty well, too.
Next Chapter Book Club
Cover image courtesy of Woodbine House
By Tom Fish & Paula Rabidoux, with Jillian Ober & Vicki L.W. Graff; 200 pages. Subtitle: A Model Community Literacy Program for People With Intellectual Disabilities
Bottom Line: Finding ways to learn and participate in the community after leaving school can be hard for adults with intellectual disabilities. Next Chapter Book Clubs offer a great opportunity to do both and have fun, and this book is a complete guide to understanding, starting, and facilitating these weekly get-togethers. It's a great idea, though one parents may have to find someone else to manage.
Bottom Line: Finding ways to learn and participate in the community after leaving school can be hard for adults with intellectual disabilities. Next Chapter Book Clubs offer a great opportunity to do both and have fun, and this book is a complete guide to understanding, starting, and facilitating these weekly get-togethers. It's a great idea, though one parents may have to find someone else to manage.
Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism
Cover image courtesy of Bloomsbury USA
By Paul Collins; 245 pages. From the Book Jacket: "A haunting journey into the borderlands of neurology -- a meditation on what 'normal' is, and how human genius comes to us in strange and wonderful forms."
Bottom Line: Collins is the father of a child with autism, but this isn't a standard diagnosis-struggle-triumph memoir. Interspersed with scenes of his son, Morgan, is the author's research on autistic figures from the past, especially an 18th-century "wild boy." It's a fascinating mix of relatability and research.
Bottom Line: Collins is the father of a child with autism, but this isn't a standard diagnosis-struggle-triumph memoir. Interspersed with scenes of his son, Morgan, is the author's research on autistic figures from the past, especially an 18th-century "wild boy." It's a fascinating mix of relatability and research.
Now What Do We Do?: How to Manage Your Child's Critical Medical Needs
Cover image courtesy of the Sladek/Ruffman Publishing Company
By Jill V. Ruffman, PhD, and Marjorie B. Sladek, MBA, PMP; 158 pages. Subtitle: A Guided Journal for Parents and Child Advocates.
Bottom Line: Don't let the word "journal" put you off. This handy spiral-bound book is less about sharing your feelings -- although there's room for that -- than about asking questions of medical professionals, recording their answers, and working your way through the process of learning and preparing and advocating. You'll never forget a question or an answer again.
Bottom Line: Don't let the word "journal" put you off. This handy spiral-bound book is less about sharing your feelings -- although there's room for that -- than about asking questions of medical professionals, recording their answers, and working your way through the process of learning and preparing and advocating. You'll never forget a question or an answer again.
