Synopsis
Sometimes it feels like Dad is a stranger . . .
This important title deals with one of the most complicated issues facing teens and preteens today: how to communicate with their fathers. Why do kids have so much trouble understanding their dads? And why do dads have so much trouble managing the expectations of their kids? When teens are going through so many changes and defining themselves, not to mention gaining some independence, Dealing with Dad will help them understand how their relationship with their dads is changing, too, and how they can both get on the road to better communication.
Reviews
Grade 5–8—This book offers insights into the feelings a father might have had upon finding out he was to become a parent, seeing his child for the first time, and playing the part of a new dad. Step by step, the insights continue until chapter four. In this section, the author begins to talk about what it is like if parents divorce and dad is no longer such an important part of the picture. The remainder of chapter four and all of chapter five hash out the problems and tribulations of dealing with an absent or part-time father, and a possible stepfather. The sound advice is imparted in an informative yet light tone, and the cartoon drawings and page layout will draw readers in and hold their attention. However, there is no advice for a teen who is dealing with a dad who is always present. A child may live with two parents, but they fight constantly. Or the parents get along, but Dad is always on the child's case. A number of scenarios are possible, yet none are discussed because the last two sections of the book focus primarily on children of divorce. The illustrations, while appealing, portray only white families. For those who are trying to figure out how to handle a father after a divorce, this could be the perfect book, but others will find it of limited usefulness.—Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD
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