Bad Stuff in the News: A Guide to Handling the Headlines - Hardcover

Gellman, Rabbi Marc; Harman, Monsignor Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1587171325 ISBN 13: 9781587171321

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2002

Synopsis

How can we cope in a world filled with pollution, poverty, and violence? In our media-centric society, this is a question that kids come face-to-face with at increasingly young ages. And ever since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America, our personal safety has never felt more in danger.
With their unique combination of sensitivity, insight, and humor drawn from their years of counseling experience as clerics, nationally known commentators Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman address such front-page tragedies as hate crimes, terrorism, school and sports violence, and substance abuse. After exploring some of the complex factors that lead such tragedies to happen, each chapter addresses what small but important steps might be taken in order to prevent them from happening again. And although some "bad stuff" is unavoidable, they invite readers to discover how simple acts of comfort can make a big difference.

This essential handbook for today's modern youth will help kids and parents deal with confusing, troubling, or scary events, while showing them how to take part in repairing the broken world around them.

About this title

About the Author

Rabbi Marc Gellman is one half of the well-known "God Squad," along with Monsignor Thomas Hartman. The two are authors of Lost and Found: A Kid's Book for Living Through Loss and How Do You Spell God? Answers to the Big Questions from Around the World. He

Monsignor Thomas Harman is one half of the well-known "God Squad," along with Rabbi Marc Gellman. The two are authors of Lost and Found: A Kid's Book for Living Through Loss and How Do You Spell God? Answers to the Big Questions from Around the World. He

Reviews

Grades 6-10--In the introduction, Rabbi Gellman and Monsignor Hartman explain that their intention is to help readers avoid becoming either overly frightened by or desensitized to the ongoing flood of bad news on television and in the newspapers. In each chapter, they elucidate ways to understand why these things happen as well as ways to fix them, if not now, then as readers grow up. Chapters cover terrorism; school violence; natural disasters; physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; hatred and racism; "bad sportsmanship"; serious illness; and more. The discussions offer definitions and examples, followed by sections called "Stuff to Understand," about the forces and factors that precipitate such events, and "Stuff You Can Fix," practical suggestions for coping with disaster or contributing to solutions. The authors emphasize, however, that many problems are for adults to handle. They remind readers that there is oftentimes room for negotiation and mutual understanding between children and parents, and that some things, like clothes, are about taste, which is different from good and bad. They close with the gentle reminder that the world is not yet perfect, but that that is OK. The book is illustrated with collages of headlines. It would be useful in a number of classrooms, including social studies, civics, and journalism, and for initiating discussions on the realities of the destruction of the World Trade Center.
Sylvia V. Meisner, Greensboro Montessori School, NC
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman, the team behind How Do You Spell God?, speak directly to tweens and teens in Bad Stuff in the News: A Guide to Handling the Headlines. Beginning with what happened last September 11, the self-titled "God Squad" seeks to put the events in the headlines into perspective, including natural disasters and hate crimes. Sections called "Stuff to Understand" and "Stuff You Can Fix" offer ideas for young people who wish to take action.

Gr. 4-7. Gellman, a rabbi, and Hartman, a priest, known as the God Squad, have written several books about big issues, including How Do You Spell God? (1995). Here, the events of September 11, as well as other tragedies that pervade the news, take center stage. The authors' folksy writing style is sometimes annoying, but it brings young people close to the calamities. The information they give is good, if sometimes limited by circumstances. An introduction about God's place in the midst of bad things leads off. Then each chapter deals with one of those "bad things": terrorism, school shootings, environmental issues, plane and car crashes, abuse, drug addiction, and epidemics, among others. Some general information heads each chapter, followed by a page or two of "stuff to understand" ("You can usually trust the things you ride or fly or float in"), and several paragraphs about "stuff you can fix" (make sure you're with safe drivers). It's a balancing act between honesty and reassurance, and the authors do pretty well. Sometimes, however, there's not much kids can really "fix." Terrorism, the authors note, is something for adults to deal with, though children can try to rid themselves of the fear. Simple yet attractive graphics add appeal to a book that parents and teachers can use as a starting point for discussion. For older readers, see Wells and Morris' Live Aware, on p.1590. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1587171325
• ISBN 13: 9781587171321
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128