The number of books on parenting is astounding, and their advice, taken together, is overwhelming and often contradictory. One trusted voice that rises above the din is that of T. Berry Brazelton, whose work as a pediatrician, author, and advocate for children has helped many parents cope with the stresses of raising children in a fast-paced world. Brazelton and co-author Stanley Greenspan have teamed to create a new work which not only aims to help individual families, but offers strong suggestions on what society as a whole should invest in the well-being of children.

Brazelton and Greenspan outline what they see as seven irreducible needs: the need for ongoing nurturing relationships; the need for physical protection, safety and regulation; the need for experiences tailored to individual differences; the need for developmentally appropriate experiences; the need for limit-setting, structure, and expectations; the need for stable, supportive communities and cultural continuity; and the need to protect the future.

For example, in a world increasingly dependent on non-parental child care, Brazelton and Greenspan emphasize the need for daily, personal, one-to-one contact between parent and child (the authors like to refer to it as "floor time"). Often, even the best child care centers come up short when it comes to meaningful one-on-one contact with children. A lack of personal contact, even in young infants, can stunt a child's intellectual and emotional growth.

The authors also discuss their opinions on more specific topics, such as how much television is too much, why "tough love" is a misguided idea, and whether spanking is appropriate.

The writing in The Irreducible Needs of Children does veer into academic areas of child psychology and physiology, possibly heavy subjects for parents not trained in the life sciences, but the authors wrap up each chapter with a fairly accessible summary.

While some of the authors' recommendations might seem to conflict with the reality of many parents' lives and the hopes for politicians and those in power to adopt meaningful legislation and funding for children's programs certainly sounds unrealistic there is plenty of practical parenting information for parents of infants, toddlers, and older children to put into practice immediately.

Shelton Clark is a writer in Nashville.

Peggy Orenstein spent three years interviewing women single women and wives, mothers and childless women, women on the career track, women who try to balance family and work, stay-at-home moms. Flux is the result of these interviews, and it's fascinating.

Orenstein's findings lead her to conclude that, while considerable strides have been made toward equality of the sexes, women still have difficult choices to make. She explores the potential for material success and personal fulfillment that young women have, as well as the inevitable trade-offs that women make.

Orenstein introduces the reader to Shay Thomas, a medical student who discusses what it means to be black and female in a mostly white male professional world. We also hear from Mira Brodie, a young woman intent on making it in the corporate world, despite the inherent obstacles. Then we meet Denise Middleton, a woman who appears to have succeeded on the family and career fronts, but who honestly describes the painful hurdles she had to overcome.

A recurring theme is the career-family dilemma: It's very hard for a woman to push for a top position in the business world and have a family as well. Orenstein drives this notion home by revealing that while the vast majority of men in top tier positions are married with children, almost all the women in these top positions are childless, and most are unmarried.

Orenstein also delves into women's desire to have children. Some older childless women discuss their full lives, and alternate means of maternal satisfaction through nieces and nephews and neighbors' children. These women represent an increasingly acceptable option for women: no children, a strong network of friends and family, and a satisfying career.

Orenstein does not rely only on experiences of others, but reveals her own struggle with the decision to have children as she approaches her mid-30s. Flux is a thought-provoking book and a captivating aid for women who want to evaluate their goals.

Julie Anderson is a writer and mother of two.

Journalist Patricia Hersch goes no farther than the corner high school, yet reading her book is like visiting a location that's utterly foreign, fascinating, and more than a little bit scary. For three years Hersch followed eight teens attending their classes, interviewing them extensively, shadowing them to events and on outings. The mother of three adolescents, Hersch knew something of the teen world, its rituals, pressures, and demands; but the story she uncovered was even more complex and challenging than she had expected. More dangerous, too. Adolescents create and sustain an underground culture, she tells us, that adults (even the kids' own parents) never imagine.

A Tribe Apart is made up of interwoven stories in which kids do everything from succeed in sports and go to church to skip school, party all night, and attempt suicide. These narratives run the gamut from elation to despair. They are, as the kids would say, "so unboring." Hersch tells us that really getting to know adolescents "will decimate every long-held stereotype an adult has ever had about teens." The kids she reveals to us certainly do. They are complicated in the extreme, seeming bundles of contradiction.

There's Brandon, the spiritual, artistic Boy Scout and drug dealer. And there's Joan, who at one point is prone to violence, and at another becomes an earth-child environmentalist. "Even the regular kids," a teacher is quoted as saying, "are getting more irregular." Time and again, Hersch captures the high drama of adolescence, its hopeful beginnings and tragic endings. Conspicuous by their very absence in these stories are the adults of the community where these children live. Hersch shows us a generation of kids growing up with very little adult guidance or intervention, kids left to figure out life on their own. Hence, her title, A Tribe Apart. This essential and critical abandonment comes sharply into focus in a chapter describing a one-day seminar on ethics. The kids in the seminar struggle to understand what the adults are talking about. They actually have to struggle to think ethically because the adults in their lives are generally too preoccupied with their own stresses to give them meaningful time and teach them values. The result, and Hersch illustrates this vividly, is a striking lack of conscience among teens. In the few instances where adults do get close, there are positive results. When they approach kids nonjudgementally and honestly, the kids respond. We see caring parents who really listen, a journalism teacher who shares his life with the kids and has a tremendous influence, and a priest who creates a safe and caring space. These adults actually make a difference there just aren't enough of them.

Hersch herself sets a powerful example. More than journalist, she is a caring adult who becomes a friend. Through her eyes, we glimpse the timid artist inside the skate-boarding graffiti king, the talented writer within the girl with multiple piercings. We look at kids less disparagingly and with more understanding. At a time when many adults react to adolescent culture with withdrawal and fear, Hersch shows us simply and powerfully how to connect making this a worthy book indeed.

A wonderful new series debuts with How Is My First Grader Doing in School?: What to Expect and How to Help and How Is My Second Grader Doing in School? Jennifer Richard Jacobson and Dorothy Raymer present a wealth of material to help you assess your child's abilities in math, reading, and writing. Also included are clearly written explanations of various skills, suggested activities, and reading lists. More books for older grades are forthcoming. Start your children with this series and you'll both deserve an A+!

Whenever parents get the inevitable 'Where do babies come from?' query, the answer is often a pregnant pause. Arm yourself with How to Talk to Your Child about Sex and you'll know just what to say. Linda and Richard Eyre, the authors of the best-selling Teaching Your Children Values, say age eight is an ideal time to have the big talk, and they even present dialogues to show exactly how the conversation might go. They also explain how to answer the question for younger children, as well as how deal with the topic with teens of all ages.

Also be sure to check out Joanne Cantor's Mommy, I'm Scared: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them, which discusses not only TV and movies, but the news as well, another frequent contributor to nightmares. Cantor explains why children are often enticed by frightening programs and what types of problems are caused by various shows. She explains exactly what is likely to scare children at different ages and how to address their fears.

Finally, I'll close with a thought from For the Love of Children, a collection of quotes and anecdotes related to children and parenting. Author Eva Shaw notes that someone once defined the joy of parenthood as 'What grown-ups feel when the kids are in bed.' Touche!

Alice Cary is a mother and a reviewer in Groton, Massachusetts.