This practical companion to Reviving Ophelia and Real Boys shares the concerns of preteens in their own words and advises parents how to approach them confidently and effectively. Many parents may not want to know that their eight- to fourteen-year-olds are already facing serious issues and have questions such as: - Why do people make fun of me because I am from another country? - When will I know when puberty has struck? - How do I deal with the feeling that no matter how good I do it's not good enough for my parents? - What happens when a friend beats you up? Without support, understanding, and assistance, the anxiety these dilemmas evoke could undermine a child's confidence and self-image as he or she matures. In a reassuring style filled with practical pointers, Ellen Rosenberg, veteran educator of thirty years, tells parents how to open a discussion on the day-to-day questions their preteens have but may be reluctant to share. Handwritten queries from preteens are included in the text, and as they attest, your children do want you to know what's really going on. A communication bible that parents will return to again and again, Get a Clue! is sure to help parents and their children become closer and form a bond of trust that will last through middle school, high school, college, and beyond.

Ellen Rosenberg, M. Ed., is the author of Growing Up, Feeling Good and a lecturer who has given her interactive presentations to over 750,000 students, teachers, and parents in forty-six states. She lives with her husband in Long Beach, Long Island.