This book is an absolute gift to the world. Jacqueline Woodson Every year more than half a million young people are sexually abused or assaulted in North America. This groundbreaking book brings readers face-to-face with nine survivors who speak with candor and courage about the abuse they experienced, how they have healed, and how they are moving forward with their lives. White, black, Latino, and Native American, these everyday heroes come from a wide range of communities and have found different ways to cope with and overcome sexual trauma. Through moving personal stories and striking photographs they take readers into their lives, offering insight and hope for anyone affected by this all-too-common childhood experience. In this book about healing, young readers and their families will find additional information in the resource section, a comprehensive guide to the best help lines, books, films, and Web sites on healing and resilience. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 9 Up-Primarily about the experience of healing and recovery, Heart gathers 11 personal stories by young men and women who experienced rape, molestation, or incest and found healing through speaking out about their abuse. Lehman, a child-sexual-abuse survivor herself, emphasizes the importance of consciously choosing to tell what happened and meeting with others who have had similar experiences, and shows the wide variety of ways to express feelings and find community. Clearly and candidly written, the narratives recounted here include sufficient details of abuse to be authentic, but never titillating. The clear message to other victims is that they are not alone and that recovery is possible. An attractive, accessible format and black-and-white portraits throughout personalize the presentation. Extensive appendixes list organizations and annotated resources for further reading that offer help. Patti Feuereisen and Caroline Pincus's Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Seal, 2005) also includes powerful personal stories within a larger context of more generalized discussion of child/teen sexual abuse.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 8-11. Lehman's powerful collection of 11 testimonials from survivors of sexual abuse packs a strong emotional punch. Ranging in age from teen to adult, survivors\b candidly discuss circumstances and recovery. Although the descriptions of abuse aren't graphic, they will disturb some readers. Photographs of the individuals with their families or friends accompany each testimonial. In the hopeful last chapter, three teens who help run the Survivors and Allies for Education on Childhood Sexual Abuse and Incest organization on the Smith College campus speak about their activism and commitment to the cause. Ultimately, the strength of this sensitive, evenhanded book comes from its increasing awareness about something teens may be silently suffering, and encouraging teens to speak up and move forward--the only way to heal the hurt. An annotated list of hotlines, books, films, Web sites, and organizations that readers can go to for more information is appended. --Jennifer Hubert Copyright 2005 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.