Stranger Danger

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6 Seven stories about strangers that ask readers to think about what they would do in similar situations. Most of these situations have been presented in other books. Each story ends with a few non-judgmental safety tips about that particular situation. The book ends with a recap of the safety rules and lists of organizations and four related books. The writing is low-key and matter-of-fact. The situations show children using good judgment, so readers learn from a positive experience. The book also emphasizes the use of caution and sound actions, without making every stranger appear sinister. Black-and-white illustrations of multi-ethnic children are adequate, although the cover, featuring two fearful children running from a nebulous stranger getting out of his car, is unnecessarily frightening. Linda Girard's Who Is a Stranger and What Should I Do? (Albert Whitman, 1985) is similar in topic and level. Karen Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library