Author Description

Product Description Fictionalized episodes and an introductory discussion present the dangers of child molesting in its various forms and suggest ways of preventing or dealing with it. From School Library Journal Grade 3-6 A book with valuable information about children's rights concerning their bodies, but one that suffers from poor writing and condescension. The stories are reassuring, the adults helpful, and solutions are not made to sound easy; however, the narration doesn't work. Couched in fiction, Aho's information is presented through Amy, a little girl "about your age." Amy is innocent about sexual abuse at the beginning of the book, but by the last page, her best friend has been molested by an uncle; a neighbor is a victim of incest; a four-year-old neighbor has been sexually abused at school; Amy's baby sitter, a high-school boy, has tried to have sex with her; and a friend has been physically abused. Aho has difficulty presenting the facts through her character, and the result is either simplification that verges on misinformation or contrived statements of knowledge. The amateur line drawings add nothing. There are many better books on this subject, among them Wachter's No More Secrets for Me (Little, 1984) and Feeling Safe, Feeling Strong (Lerner, 1984) by Terkel and Rench. Trev Jones, "School Library Journal"Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.