Caring for Your School Age Child: Ages 5-12

this has been a good reference book for me at different times when I have needed it.

We use both this book and the one for younger ages (Caring for your baby and young child). I consider both books the gold standard for child care. The emergency sections are particularly good. I have never seen so many childhood illnesses and diseases in one place. In a word, excellent.

Every parent should have this book. It covers everything you can think of. The one for birth to age 5 is excellent too. It gives you the facts, pros and cons for every situation. Totally helpful.

This book picks up just where the 0-5 book leaves off. I wanted this book for topics about talking to my kids about sex, emotional and behavioral issues and this book meets those needs plus many many more. It still touches on the most common illnesses and injuries (though someone below says it doesn't). Great book. If you liked the 0-5 one you will like this one as well!

I have found this book to be up-to-date and very helpful. This is not a traditional medical guide -- don't look here for the symptoms of meningitis -- rather, it is a guide to the key developmental and behavioral issues of this age group. The book does NOT endorse an authoritarian approach-- to the contrary, it encourages parents to learn to communicate effectively with their kids, to develop a trusting, supportive relationship. Neither does it reinforce traditional gender roles. It shows the wide range of what is normal, including helpful descriptions of various temperaments, and what kind of behavior parents should consider warning signs that more help is needed. I've found this to be an insightful, compassionate guide to my son's inner (and outer) world, and it has helped my husband and me to be better parents.