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ParentingTeensToday.com
a division of Hawk Mountain
Press
What
reviewers are saying...
Independent Publisher Online November, 2002 Highlighted Title
Finding the Path is more than an interesting,
uplifting novel, more than a text on surviving your child's adolescence: it is a
spiritual experience.
Put yourself in the shoes of Anna Farmer. Widowed before she turned forty,
working long hours for a nasty boss to make ends meet, she tries to be a good
mother to Nick, her belligerent, anti-authoritarian son, but her fears--that she
is a failure as a parent and that Nick is destroying his future--prevent her
from seeing the opportunities for growth in their difficult relationship. Visits
to a psychologist help her with the practical end of parenting, but it is only
when a mysterious youth named Hawk appears in her life that Anna begins to
understand how much her son's rebellion isn't a scourge but a gift to her for
her personal growth.
Fearlessbooks.com
November featured title
“When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?”
This is the big question put to Anna by an enigmatic figure named Hawk who
she meets in the woods on a walk early one morning. Anna, a struggling single
mother of a unruly teenage son, simply doesn’t know. Life has been throwing her
some curves lately as her teenage son, Nick, seems to enjoy putting her through
all kinds of grief both at home and at school. Anna attempts to deal with Nick’s
overly dramatic behavior often backfire, leaving them both feeling unappreciated
and misunderstood.
Sound familiar? If so, then you will enjoy reading
Finding the Path,
a “novel” attempt to teach positive coping strategies to parents of teens via
the device of a fictional family and their clashes . Psychologist Jeffrey Kaplan
and freelance journalist Abby Lederman use their respective talents to spin a
tale that seems so real you’ll swear you’ve met Anna at a PTA meeting and your
teenage daughter has dated Nick. Kaplan emphasizes “effective parenting” or
taking a pro-active rather than a reactive approach to your teen's conduct.
Parents learn to “let go” while teaching their child to take responsibility for
his/her own behavior and suffer the logical consequences of his/her actions.
Endnotes further explain the psychological theories on which the story is based.
Never preachy, Finding the Path successfully engages the
reader’s imagination while instilling important information on how best to
manage a teen’s rebelliousness without crushing the child’s rapidly growing
individuality. — C.APPEL
• 11/02-1/03
Lisa's Book Reviews
Rating:
5
teacups
Finding the Path is a very helpful book
for parents of teenagers.
It gives parents the guidance they need for these difficult years.
Dr. Jeffrey Kaplan and Ms. Abby Lederman, M. ED, by working together
and putting the knowledge they have on the subject, produce a unique
book on child-rearing.
From a mother and teenage son's point of view, the two authors show
you where the difficulties and mistakes usually happen in parent-teen
relationships.
Clever end notes that are numbered in tune with paragraphs throughout
the story let you realize where your mistakes or achievements are
made.
Take it from two professionals who know what they are talking about.
Finding the Path is a definite must for parents of teens.
From
the “Fiction Shelf,” Midwest Review of Books, January, 2003
Collaboratively
written by Jeffrey P. Kaplan (a licensed psychologist with a full-time practice
specializing in adolescent psychology and stress management) and Abby Lederman
(a freelance journalist who facilitates workshops for parents of teens, and who
teaches parenting courses), Finding The Path is a unique kind of
parenting self-help guide that presents its "love-based parenting" plan
showcased within the context of a fiction novel about a single mother and her
rebellious teenage son. Extensive endnotes and appendices help bring into relief
the practical and sound advice for parents everywhere trying to figure out their
teenagers. Sometimes fiction can be effectively in the service of providing
useful and usable information -- Finding The Path is highly recommended
as being just such a novel.
What the media is saying...
The Mind Body Health Connection
Hosted by Dr. Phil Pappas
WNPV
INFO-RADIO - 1440 AM
On May 10, 2002, Abby
Lederman, co-author of Finding the Path: A Novel for Parents of
Teenagers, was a
guest on my radio show. During the hour-long interview, Abby showed
remarkable poise, answering my questions and those of callers clearly and
succinctly. Her intimate knowledge of the joys and challenges of raising
teenagers today—gleaned from raising three teenagers and from her long
association with her co-author, noted area psychologist Dr. Jeffrey P.
Kaplan—came through in everything she said.
I can honestly say that I
don’t think I’ve gotten so much positive feedback about one of my shows in quite
some time, and I would highly recommend Abby as an on-air guest.
As an added bonus, I
thoroughly enjoyed reading Finding the Path. This fictional account of
one mother’s journey through many unexpected changes in learning to deal
effectively with her rebellious teenager was easy to read, and it quickly drew
me into the mixed up world of this fictional family. By the end, I found myself
cheering for the main characters and wishing there were still a few more pages
left to go.
I feel that Abby and Dr. Kaplan’s message of hope and love is one that needs to
be heard in these dark days of despair and fear.
Dr. Phil Pappas, Host
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