Nothing to Be Ashamed of

School Library Journal

Gr 5-10-- Dinner admirably attempts to explain mental illnesses and their effects on families, especially children. She discusses a variety of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, depression, phobias, Alzheimer's, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia. A brief description of symptoms, possible causes, and treatments is included for each illness. The emphasis is on helping young people find positive ways to cope with the stresses of having a mentally ill family member. Dinner stresses communication within the family and between family and mental health professionals. She suggests balancing the pressures of family illness with positive uplifting experiences. She also includes a reassuring discussion of the ``normal'' negative feelings such as anxiety, fear, and sadness which in no way suggest impending mental illness. The coverage is comprehensive. Dinner's conversational style is straightforward, objective, and honest; never patronizing. However, the attempt to address so much within one book results in superficial treatment of some important topics, such as suicide. Fictionalization is not always successful, and the organization is occasionally haphazard. Despite these structural problems, this book should be purchased for its worthwhile and unique content. --Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, Wis.