– Customer review on 07/03/2007

Hermann Koepke guides us to an understanding of the often tumultuous changes children undergo as they approach adolescence. He does so in a very creative way: through the eyes and experiences of a young teacher, Suzanne, as she endeavors to cope with the difficulties she and her students' parents face: drug use, smoking, apathy, rebelliousness, moodiness, and more. As her class changes, she adapts her teaching. She learns a great deal about these children, and in the process, teaches us a great deal about our own preadolescents. The period surrounding age 12 can be challenging and stressful to parents and children alike - Hermann Koepke offers just the sort of living understanding that can lead us out of the seemingly endless wilderness.