Anger

Stephanie Zvirin

Beckelman packs a lot into 48 pages, giving readers a well-reasoned introduction to a vital emotion. She is nicely inclusive, incorporating insight into everything from the roots of anger and the actual biological changes that it prompts to the good and the bad ways angry feelings can be handled. Part of the Hot Line series, which concentrates on human emotions, this features large type and extra leading to make reading easier and employs color photographs of teens to make the subject seem relevant. In general, the text steers clear of most psychological jargon. When terms such as ""I" statement" and "inner critic" do appear, they are defined both in the text and in a glossary. Although the book merely scratches the surface of a very complicated subject, it is nevertheless a solid, practical choice for the self-help shelf: Beckelman ably demonstrates that anger is both common and necessary, then explains some of the ways it can be channeled "into positive action."