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CITY KIDS: Raise Kids in Urban Areas--From Cincinnati to Seattle--And Have Fun Doing It by Susan Perkis & Valerie Monroe Haven

CITY KIDS: Raise Kids in Urban Areas--From Cincinnati to Seattle--And Have Fun Doing It

By

Pub Date: Oct. 26th, 1987
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

A book offering advice about bringing up children in big cities is sure to have a ready-made audience, so it's a shame that this carefully detailed compendium doesn't hit more high notes. Beginning with an examination of what it's like to traverse a city with infant in tow, the authors devote a chapter apiece to some of the milestones ahead, including choosing a sitter, selecting a school, planning a birthday party, and setting a curfew. Always well-researched and loaded with suggestions for further reading, this is an accurate and resourceful guide when providing addresses to contact for further information, such as those of the Audubon Society and the Child Care Action Campaign. In addition, the authors do a good job of discussing some city-specific issues (e.g., when a child may be old enough to travel alone to school or stay out late). But, unfortunately, these nuggets of useful information are offset by a plodding service-magazine literary style and by lots of advice about infant behavior and safety that will already be familiar to readers of Dr. Spock and Penelope Leach, both of whom say it better. A great topic, with some useful ideas, but uneven in presentation.