2002 IPPY Awards
The Independent Publisher Book Awards (aka: IPPY Awards) are designed to bring increased recognition to deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first awards program open exclusively to independents, the IPPY Awards signify excellence in several categories ranging from Fine Arts to Sci Fi.
This year, 1180 books were submitted by 765 participating publishers. How to Talk With Teens About Love, Relationships, & S-E-X: A Guide For Parents by Amy and Charles Miron (ISBN 1-57542-102-X) won recognition in the Parenting category as a finalist.
The Reverend Keith A. Merkey, Maryland Commission on Human Relations
I wish this book had been around when I was working with young people in school and in the church setting. Their open approach and insightful learning activities throughout the book make it a valuable resource to any parent's library. The design and layout of the book is very helpful, allowing for easy access to information, including an excellent glossary and listing of resources. The combination of factual information and thought provoking experiential scenarios creates for both easy reading and understanding of some complex issues. In a world of confusing messages about love, sex, identity, and relationships, the Mirons offer a viable, clear, and very human approach to talking with young people about some of life's most important issues. I would highly recommend this book for parents and others who work with young people.
Daniel D. Dietrick, MD, FACS, urologist.
Charles and Amy Miron have prepared an excellent guide to teach adults how to speak to teenagers about those very difficult topics for all of us - love, relationships and sex. In their book they have been able to provide a wealth of information about sexuality without providing the usual dry, textbook format that is so often seen in books about the topic. The book is structured in a way that it is easily and quickly read. The important facts are emphasized and are easy to find when one needs a quick update. In many ways the book is also a dictionary, allowing adults to translate teen-speak into English and give adults the words to help their children learn and discover the happiness that should accompany love and sex. As a physician I was impressed with the accuracy of the information. As a reader I was impressed with how easy it is to get this information. As a father I was impressed with the ability of the book to give me the skills I will need to help my children though this difficult period in their lives. I would highly recommend it for all parents of teens and pre-teens.
Brad Sachs, Ph.D., psychologist and author
Are there any subjects more daunting for parents of teenagers to discuss than those that revolve around love and sex? Even the most self-assured mothers and fathers will at times find themselves bewildered and bedeviled, stammering half-baked answers to their adolescents' complicated questions, preparing awkward, halting sermons for their bored, expressionless children, or, just as often, trying desperately to avoid these topics altogether.
For parents in such unavoidable predicaments, Amy and Charles Miron have written a thoughtful, compassionate guidebook. HOW TO TALK WITH TEENS ABOUT LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS AND S-E-X will serve as an invaluable resource for mothers and fathers who not only want to understand more about the current state of adolescent culture, but who, more importantly, want to empower their offspring to make thoughtful, sensible, and healthy decisions as they embark on their initial, fledgling intimate relationships.
The first section of the book enables the reader to develop a template for talking to teens about these delicate, complex, but profoundly important matters. The opening chapters on adolescent personality, sexual development, and social life all serve to amplify a parent's capacity to "set the stage" and begin communicating effectively about the many ways in which adolescents' interpersonal lives are growing and changing as they approach this crossroads in their lives. There is also guidance on specific challenges and crises, such as handling sexual predators, harassment and assault, or managing the inevitable embarrassments associated with walking in on your child when she is masturbating.
The second section provides the reader with accurate and up-to-date information about male and female sexual development, varieties of sexual expression and pleasure, and safe sex. I believe that the chapter on Sexual Orientation will be particularly useful, as the authors courageously examine this anxiety-provoking topic in a straightforward, comforting manner.
Throughout the book, the authors, a husband-and-wife team of psychologists as well as sexuality and relationship educators and certified sex therapists in the Baltimore area, approach every conceivable issue with admirable respect and sensitivity. Their emphasis on parents being the most important sex educator that children will have is to be applauded, and HOW TO TALK WITH TEENS ABOUT LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND S-E-X is the kind of book that provides parents with the information and insight to do just that.Brad Sachs, Ph.D. is a psychologist in Columbia, Maryland, and the author of THE GOOD ENOUGH CHILD:HOW TO HAVE AN IMPERFECT FAMILY AND BE PERFECTLY SATISFIED (Harper-Collins), which was Amazon.com's best-selling parenting title in 2001, and was excerpted in Family Circle Magazine last month. His next book is entitled THE GOOD ENOUGH TEEN. HOW TO HAVE AN IMPERFECT ADOLESCENT AND BE PERFECTLY SATISFIED, and will be published in 2003.
The Maryland Psychologist--May/June 2002; V.47, Issue 5
Daniel J Levy, M.D., F.A.A.P. National Spokesperson American Academy of Pediatrics
Having known the Mirons for over 15 years, much of the work reflects their philosophies that they personally communicated over time. In general, I felt that the format and substance of the book was a highly effective teaching tool for parents dealing with the subject matter of sexuality. The book gives clear, honest answers, and leaves the reader ample opporunity to use the material in ways unique to family circumstances.
Amazon.com Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Rating: ********** VERY HELPFUL (EVEN IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THIS),
January 23, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Minneapolis, MN USA
No parent in their right mind WANTS to talk with their teen about sex. But no parent who loves their child and wants to keep them safe and responsible can afford not to. Enter the Mirons. They are warm, friendly, and actually know what they're talking about. Best of all, they offer a common-sense approach that makes me feel like I can answer my teen's questions, as well as ask a few of my own.I especially like the Miron's approach to like, love, and sex and the difference between them. This made lots of sense when considering how a minute can seem like an eternity to a teen, so, of course, a relationship can feel like it will last forever-even if most teen relationships are over in less than a month.
Best of all, this book helps parents keep their feet on the ground while grounding their children in family values. The authors cover the wide range of possibilities, including abstinence. The book's helpful quizzes are great for Moms and Dads to try before they begin speaking with their children, if only to make sure they, themselves, are on the same page.
Highly recommended!