Every Adult's Guide to Talking to Teens. Kathy Paterson. Markham: Pembroke Publishers, 1995. 128pp, paper, $12.95. ISBN 1-55138-061-7. Subject Headings: Teenagers. Adolescent psychology. Adult. Review by Harriet Zaidman.

excerpt:

As adults, many of us have (thankfully) forgotten the intense periods of self-doubt, anxiety, and despair that accompany this period of growth. When we attempt to solve an issue that arises with an adolescent, whether it be in the classroom or in the home, we do so from our adult perspective, based on our experiences and our desire to help. What we sometimes forget is that the adolescent also has his or her own perspective that needs to be heard and addressed before the issue at hand can be dealt with effectively.

Kathy Paterson is a junior-high teacher with twenty years of experience dealing with the ups and downs of adolescence. She addresses teachers, parents, and youth workers in her book, and offers them frank advice on the whole range of problems that arise during this period of great change in a young person's life. Examples from her years of teaching illustrate nearly every issue she discusses.