Difficult People: Dealing With Almost Anyone

Children's Literature

Another in the "Teen Issues" series, this book tackles the unlikable and undesirable characteristics that people use to label a difficult person. Drawing from dozens of interviews of teens with counselors, as well as numerous professionally written self-help books, author and psychologist Jennifer Rozines Roy fuses together her own self-help "skeleton," upon which she fleshes out questions and answers about the Adamic and all-too-well known topic called anger. Due to its textbook-like format, this quick-read nonfiction may prove merely a meaty outline to the teen reader; or, he or she may use it as the next step in the path to finding help for anger—his or her own or as a victim of anger. For further help and research, a list of other resource books and Internet sites is included. Poor quality black-and-white photographs appear throughout the sixty-four pages. Overall, the book provides good inforamtion by citing many situations, explanations, suggestions and offering hope. 2001, Bethany House, $17.95. Ages 13 up. Reviewer: Patricia Timbrook