Growing Up Is Hard

Rating:
Summary: Horrid
Review: Laura Schlessinger's awkward text and Dan McFeely's ugly illustrations make a book neither kids nor adults will find appealing. Children won't relate to language no kid would ever use ("I hate my life!") or to the humorless, patronizing moral lesson. The best children's books are lovingly written by people who like and understand kids and want to entertain them. This object isn't really a book at all: it's another "Dr. Laura" promotional product. Reviewer "zeh" is right: you can do better.

Rating:
Summary: Dull to read and Painful to look at
Review: The text is preachy and boring and would make any little kid squirm to be doing ANYTHING else except listen to this book. The illustrations make whiny, spoiled, self-pitying Sammy look like a defective Cabbage Patch doll and his stuffed Mr. Cat looks like road kill. If you want to PUNISH a child, make them read this book. If you want to read a fun story that really gets the point across about being able to go to other adults for help, read "Junie B Jones & Her Big Fat Mouth" by Barbara Park - that is what my 7 year old and I are doing!

Rating:
Summary: Not for Children
Review: This book is not for children. If anything, it would increase their feelings of isolation and nurture their insecurities about their place in the family. It's not surprising that Ms. Schlessinger would write something like this. In fact, it seems to mirror her own life as documented in Vicky Bane's very well done bio, "Dr. Laura: The Unauthorized Biography". In short, "Growing Up Is Hard" does a far better job of telling us about Shlessinger's tormented psyche than it does imparting moral values to children. If you're looking for a child's book, pass this one up and consider something that's really for children. I'd suggest "Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type".