Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Text For Concerned Parents
Review: A marvelous book! As the mother of young twins, I wonder (and worry) about how best to teach my children what it means to be a citizen in a diverse society, one where people of different races, religions, nationalities, ethnicites, ages, sexual orientations, looks and customs all participate equally (whew, that was a lot for one sentence!) -- but where, alas, a good deal of prejudice and misunderstanding still exist. 'Hate Hurts' is full of fine, useful advice. The authors offer insights and suggestions that are always practical, though not always obvious. What's more, part of the proceeds go towards efforts by the Anti-Defamation League to eradicate prejudice. This book will have a permanent and prominent place in our family library.

Rating:
Summary: a lesson to "unlearn"
Review: I had to read this book at work (I'm an assistant editor for a teachers' magazine) and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome of my reading assignment. If you are a parent or teacher, you will have no trouble finding some benefit from this book.

"Hate Hurts" addresses issues that different ages of children have, from a preschooler's inquiries ("Why don't that man's legs work?") to more serious teen-age deliberations ("I don't like how my friends were teasing that gay guy, but I don't want them to think I'm gay...").

The only reason I don't give this 5 stars is the scattershot approach the book takes. Having said that, this approach makes the book digestible by parents and teachers alike, and the material is appropriate for sharing with nearly anybody. This book is an easy read, and has many applicable anecdotes and a great lesson for all.