Reviews: (by author)

Humphrey, Sandra McLeod. More If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do? Illus. Brian Strassburg. Amherst NY: Prometheus Books, 2003. ISBN 1-59102-077-8. Ages 7+. www.prometheusbooks.com

A few years ago we reviewed Sandra McLeod Humphrey's book If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do?, which was a very useful volume of situational stories relevant to upper elementary school classrooms. In this sizable sequel, McLeod follows the same format; she creates straightforward stories involving the kinds of dilemmas kids actually confront daily. Each story is followed by a series of questions for the children to consider—that's the concept: the situations involve kids and kids are asked to ponder what they would do. The dilemmas aren't simple: obesity, sharing, friendship and betrayal, keeping secrets, prejudices, ignorance, for example, but are presented realistically and concretely in the context of kids' lives. Answers are not provided.

As bases for discussion, McLeod's stories lend themselves well to teachers' desires to teach more than subject matter. I recommend this useful, solid, and well-conceived book.

Alida Allison, January 2004

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