Book reviews [International Journal of Emotional Education, 6(2)]

Abstract

The first review is of Jean Mercer’s Child Development: Myths and Misunderstandings a book which seeks to address 59 myths in contemporary psychology from a refreshingly critical vantage point. Both this book and Anita Woolfolk’s twelfth edition of Educational Psychology offer invigorating material for parents to digest. Woolfolk also incorporates commentary from experienced teachers on how to engage with specific situations. Woolfolk has collaborated with Nancy E. Perry on another reviewed book, Child and Adolescent Development. Both of her books engage with psychological understanding ranging from infancy to adolescence, offering a distinct focus on socio-emotional dimensions and including a vital cross-cultural focus on diversity. The fourth reviewed book, by Levine & Munsch, Child Development – An Active Learning Approach also offers a strong cross-cultural lens as a horizon for interpretation, with particular strengths in its scrutiny of attachment and empathy issues.