MC_Comprhnsv2016-17

Mason Crest

, an Imprint of National Highlights

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FAM I L I E S TODAY

moregood thanbad.Afterall, ifvery fewpeople live like theCleaversanyway,

isn’t itbetter tobehonestabout that fact?Surely,holdingup the traditional

familyasan ideal towhichall shouldaspireonly serves to stigmatize kidswhose

livesdiffer from that standard.Afterall,nochildrencanbeheld responsible for

whatever family theyfind themselves in;all theycando isgrowupasbest they

can.Thesebooks take theposition thatevery family—nomatterwhat it looks

like—has thepotential tobea successful family.

Thatbeingsaid,challengesanddifficultiesarise inevery family,andnontradi-

tionalonesarenoexception.Forexample,singleparents tend tobe lesswelloff

financially thanmarriedparentsare,and thishas long-term impactson theirchildren.

Meanwhile, teenagerswhobecomeparents tend to let theireducationssuffer,which

damages their incomepotentialandcareerpossibilities,aswellas risking the future

educationalattainmentof theirbabies.Therearesome400,000children in the foster

caresystematanygiven time.Weknow that theuncertaintyof fostercarecreates

realchallengeswhen itcomes tobotheducationandemotionalhealth.

Furthermore, some typesof “nontraditional” familiesareoneswewishdidnot

have toexistatall.Forexample,anestimated1.6millionchildrenexperiencehome-

lessnessat somepoint in their

lives.At

least40percentofhomelesskidsare lesbian,

gay,bisexual,or transgender teenswhowere turnedoutof theirhomesbecauseof

theirorientation.Meanwhile, theUnitedStates incarceratesmorepeople thanany

othernation in theworld—about2.7millionkids (1 in28)havean incarceratedpar-

ent. Itwouldbeabsurd topretend that such situationsarenotextremely stressful

and,often,detrimental tokidswhohave to survive them.

Thegoalof this set, then, is twofold.First,we’ve tried todescribe thehistory

and shapeofvariousnontraditional families in suchaway that kidswhoaren’t

familiarwith themwillbeable tonotonlyunderstand,butempathize.Wealso

presentdemographic information thatmaybeuseful for studentswhoaredip-

ping their toes into introductory sociologyconcepts.

Second,wehave tried to speak specifically to theyoungpeoplewhoare

living in thesenontraditional families.The series strives toaddress these kidsas

sympatheticallyand supportivelyaspossible.Thevolumes lookat someof the

typicalproblems that kids in these situations face,andwhereappropriate, they

offeradviceand tips forhow these kidsmightgetalongbetter inwhatever situa-

tionconfronts them.

Obviously,no singlebook—whetherondisability, themilitary,divorce,or

someother topic—canhope toanswereveryquestionoraddresseveryprob-

lem.To

thatend,a “FurtherReading” sectionat thebackofeachbookattempts

tooffer someplaces to looknext.Wehavealso listedappropriatecrisishotlines,

foranyonewithaneedmore immediate thancanbeaddressedbya library.

Whetheryour studentshaveaproject tocompleteoraproblem to solve,we

hope theywillbeable tofindclear,empathic informationaboutnontraditional

families in thesepages.

—H.W.Poole

Meetingchallengesandovercoming them togethercanmake families stronger.

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ent. It would be absurd to pretend that such situations are not extremely stressful

and, often, detrimental to kids who have to survive them.

The goal of this set, then, is twofold. First, we’ve tried to describe the history

and shape of various nontraditional families in such a way that kids who aren’t

familiar with them will be able to n t only understand, but empathize. We also

present demographic information that may be useful for students who are dip

“What is a family?” What used to seem like a simple question has grown

ever more complex. Must a true family have two parents? What about a

family with two moms or two dads? With only grandparents? With teen

parents? What if parents are of different racial backgrounds, or if they are

raising someone else’s kids—what do those factors say about the definition

of a family? How does having a family member in the military affect

everyone in the home? What happens to a family when one member is in

jail? How do mental and physical challenges affect family arrangements?

The new series, Families Today, explores the different types of family

structures that have become increasingly common in the 21st century.

THE BOOKS PROVIDE NOT ONLY OBJECTIVE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION BUT ALSO FRIENDLY,

ACCESSIBLE ADVICE FOR KIDS WITH “NONTRADITIONAL” FAMILIES.