Touchpoints,
by Berry Brazelton
-- This marvelous book goes through the first five years by developmental stages. It also features practical advice on issues such as thumb sucking. Its real strength lies in the glorious glimpse Dr. Brazelton gives into the inner life of your child. It also provides rich insight into our inner lives as parents.
Note: The volumes by Shelov and Brazelton, side by side, provide a thorough, balanced groundwork for raising babies and preschool children.

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Your Baby & Child: From Birth to Age Five,
by Penelope Leach
-- This book combines some of the best features of both of the above into a single volume.

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Raising a Thinking Child: Help Your Young Child to Resolve Everyday Conflicts and Get Along With Others,
by Myrna Shure and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo
-- For teaching your young child how to resolve problems and conflicts with other people constructively, I recommend Shure's and DiGeronimo's Raising a Thinking Child. Shure and DiGeronimo use entertaining word games to help children become successful at recognizing differences, considering alternative behaviors, and taking into account both their own and others' feelings.

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Raising a Thinking Child Workbook,
by Myrna Shure and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo
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Caring for Your School-Age Child,
edited by the American Academy of Pediatrics
-- For older children, there are many fewer books on the market. Parents often leave the problem solving to schools. This is very unfortunate, since the school-age years are the bridge to adolescence. The best overall reference I have read is Caring for Your School-Age Child, put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics as the second in their series. Like their volume about younger children, the first half discusses issues likely to arise at each age. The second half is again encyclopedic and gives practical information on such topics as poison ivy, car restraints, strep throat, chicken pox, etc.

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How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk,
by Faber & Mazlish
-- If I were to pick one other volume for school-age children (or even younger -- down to about age three), it would be How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk. This very readable work can transform the depth and quality of your communication with your children. I wish all parents would read it once.

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Siblings Without Rivalry,
by Faber & Mazlish
-- This is the best book I've seen on the new dynamics that arise whenever the second child comes along. I reread this book every year as a springboard to reevaluate how I am parenting each of my children.

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The What's Happening to My Body Book for Boys,
by Lynda Madaras and Dane Saavedra
-- This book discusses puberty and sexuality for boys.

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The What's Happening to My Body Book for Girls,
by Lynda Madaras and Dane Saavedra
-- This book discusses puberty and sexuality for girls.

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