IT'S OK TO GO UP THE SLIDE Renegade Rules for Raising Confident and Creative Kids

What narrator Laurel Lefkow does best is thoroughly express the author’s appealing wisdom and homespun respect for the challenges of being a parent. She clearly enjoys reading this material and connecting with her listeners. Not your traditional parenting advice, it’s a softly argued manifesto that shows parents how to avoid overcontrolling risks and complying blindly with prevailing cultural norms. Let children try new things, Shumaker says, so they can stay curious, develop resiliency, cope with difficult emotions, judge danger, and gain pride in learning what they can do. Shumaker is at her best discussing interpersonal risks: Let kids learn from their social experiences instead of overwhelming them with rules. Though some of this advice will face resistance from parents and educators in many communities, Lefkow’s spontaneous reading makes it sound appropriate and worth considering. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2017]