Dealing with Insults

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4With conflict resolution a popular method of dealing with difficult student-to-student encounters in many schools today, these two series entries address important topics but are flawed. Apel looks at the dangers of weapons and gives advice on how to avoid injury to one's self and others. Johnston discusses some of the reasons behind insulting remarks and offers advice on how to avoid offending others and how to respond to put-downs. In both books, information is presented in short vignettes about children faced with a particular dilemma. The pedestrian texts appear in a large-print format, with phonetic spellings of some difficult words. The full-page, full-color photographs are disappointedly drab, with some appearing amateurish in composition with cropped heads and dark shadows.Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL