Here, in her warm, wise, forthright, and unmistakable voice, Dr. Ruth Westheimer talks to kids about what concerns them most: the inevitable changes, both physical and emotional, that are a part of growing up. She tells boys and girls exactly what will happen to their bodies and why. She tells them about the new, perhaps turbulent, feelings they may have. And she discusses sex openly, with the philosophy that the more kids know, the better able they'll be to deal with sexual issues. She isn't afraid to state her position about kids and sex, either: "It's such a powerful experience, " she says, "that no teenagers I know are ready for it." Dr. Westheimer takes special care to cite the possible dangers of sex - not only unwanted pregnancy, but also sexually transmitted diseases, including the fatal AIDS. And she does not fail to address the problem of sexual abuse. Of course she covers the topic of contraception, telling kids that the only foolproof method is abstinence. Clearly, Dr. Ruth does not try to protect kids from harsh realities. On the other hand, her energy, optimism, and sheer joie de vivre are evident throughout, and always contagious. In the end, she tells readers that "Dr. Ruth believes it is everybody's obligation to try to have a happy life." Her presentation of the facts, and her advice and compassion, coupled with accurate and sensitive drawings by the esteemed children's book illustrator Diane deGroat, are intended to help kids do just that.

"Ayelet Waldman has given birth to a fresh new franchise with her Mommy-Track mysteries. Juliet Applebaum is smart, fearless, and completely candid about life as a full-time mom with a penchant for part-time detective work."--Sue Grafton A public defender turned stay-at-home mom, Juliet Applebaum is bored with playdates and trips to the park--so near the end of her second pregnancy, she gets off the mommy track to track down a murderer. . . . Juliet isn't too surprised when her feisty, tantrum-throwing two-year old daughter doesn't get into Hollywood's premier preschool--but she's shocked and suspicious when the school's principal is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Against the advice of her screenwriter husband, and with her rambunctious toddler in tow, Juliet heads to the local playground to dig up some dirt on a disgruntled studio executive whose daughter wasn't offered a place in the school. But she has some surprising new suspects to consider when her investigation takes her into a seedy on-line newsgroup--and the most dangerous parts of the human heart. " Juliet is] a lot like Elizabeth Peters's warm and humorous Amelia Peabody--a brassy, funny, quick-witted protagonist."-- Houston Chronicle

At sixteen Bridget is pregnant--and her boyfriend has dumped her for another girl. She's trying to envision a future for her baby. But as she sifts through the many paths and the many people who want to parent her child, she can't help but feel that there is no right decision. Fifteen years later: Ivy knows that she is now the same age Bridget was when she placed Ivy for adoption. She knows that Bridget was the one who named her. When Ivy goes in search of Bridget--of her own history--will the risks outweigh the benefits of knowing where she comes from and why her birth mother chose to walk away?