Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1783262 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .28" h x 6.74" w x 9.06" l, .37 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 120 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–MacGregor offers simple guidelines, practical advice, and lots of fictional examples about living with a new blended family. Her jigsaw puzzle analogy works well because it describes the need to round off the corners or try a different angle in order to make the pieces fit together properly. In a straightforward tone, she encourages children to talk about things with their parents. She discourages whining and shouting as methods for getting one's way, advocates trying to find solutions to make things easier for everyone, and emphasizes that the child is not the only one experiencing change. Important points are summarized after each chapter, and the volume ends with a list of helpful Web sites and books. A good resource for teachers, counselors, and parents to present to kids in these situations, this title offers healthy and helpful suggestions for resolving much of the conflict that arises when family situations change. It challenges readers not to accept stereotypical ideas about stepparents but to give the real people in their lives a chance.–Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA
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From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. MacGregor offers solid if unpolished advice about blended families, which she sees as jigsaw puzzles, where the pieces don't always fit together and the picture may not be pretty, at least at first. Each section sets up a particular scenario, followed by solutions. The problems are familiar: guilt or rage over feeling a stepparent has replaced the divorced or deceased parent; moving; sharing homes or rooms with new stepsiblings; conflicted feelings. Tending toward the didactic, each chapter ends with "Points to Remember," and the whole book with "Let's Review Some Facts." There's a lot of emphasis on talking things out, which, of course, doesn't always fix things, and perhaps too little discussion about cases in which there really is a "wicked stepparent" or a cruel new sibling. Still, this is useful in its direct approach. GraceAnne DeCandido
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