Middle Childhood

Middle Childhood helpfully increases situated knowledge of children's and parents' own views... A concluding message of the book is that adult guidance should take more account of children's wishes. -- Youth and Policy
The authors have produced here a wealth of rich material relating to a little explored period of childhood. The book succeeds in its aim of appealing to a popular audience because it is easy to read and sufficiently anecdotal to retain the general reader's interest. Professionals will also find it useful to the extent that it explores children's major concerns over friendships and parental relationships... It is a useful addition to the literature on childhood studies. -- Child and Family Social Work
Middle Childhood draws on interviews and group discussions with parents and children of primary school age conducted for two qualitative studies. It compares parents and children's perceptions of social and emotional issues... This book fills a gap in childhood studies and will appeal to academics and professionals. It is set in the context of the huge social, economic and technological changes of the last 50 years. -- Community Care
This is a fascinating and important new book for anyone caring for their own or other people's children and for all child care workers. It reveals a wealth of information, from two small-scale studies in Scotland, about how parents and children see themselves and each other as they go about their daily business of being a family. Although Middle Childhood does not aim to develop theory, there is a splendid chapter towards the end of the book, linking theories of childhood to the subjective accounts of "lay people". It is a pleasure to have such an accessible report of research findings for practitioners. -- Adoption & Fostering
Although the presentation looks rather academic (dull!) the book is relatively easy to read. Most of the children in the study didn't want expensive possessions or free reign, they wanted respect and love of adults. Read the book, if only to remind yourself what it's like to be a child. -- Foster Care
The authors have produced here a wealth of rich material relating to a little explored period of childhood. The book succeeds in its aim of appealing to a popular audience because it is easy to read and sufficiently anecdotal to retain the general reader's interest. Professionals will also find it useful to the extent that it explores children's major concerns over friendships and parental relationships... A useful addition to the literature on childhood studies. -- Child and Family Social Work