Well, I promised that I would provide a few more ideas for interesting and engaging reading before the summer was over, and since the end of summer is rapidly approaching, let me provide you all with a few additional thoughts on some good books to toss in your beach bag as you head off to the pool:

• The Challenging Child: Understanding, Raising and Enjoying the Five “Difficult” Types of Children, by Stanley Greenspan, M.D., is a wonderful resource for both parents and professionals. Dr. Greenspan is a highly respected child psychiatrist who has a compassionate, thoughtful approach to untangling the most confusing and challenging of children’s behaviors. Organized into chapters that explore different personality types, such as: the highly sensitive child, the defiant children, the inattentive child and the active/aggressive child, this book presents insights and strategies for parents and caregivers that can help to improve relationships and support children’s self-esteem and strengths.

• Learning & Growing Together: Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Development, by Claire Lerner and Amy Laura Dombro. This short, 40-page book is a fabulous book for new parents that focuses on the first three years of a child’s life. With both wisdom and clarity, the authors cover topics related to becoming a new parent, tuning into your baby’s needs, and what to expect in the first three years of your baby’s life and how to support your child through various developmental stages. One of the best parts of the book is a series of charts that “translate” various behaviors, providing parents with an idea of what the infant or toddler might be trying to express and how a parent might respond. This book is also available in Spanish and is an excellent resource for anyone who knows or works with new parents! It is available through the Zero To Three website, in their “bookstore”: www.zerotothree.org.

With these two books in your library, you will have a wealth of valuable knowledge at your fingertips- written in supportive and encouraging language for both parents and professionals!