Some Benefits of Nostalgia

Having just spent the weekend looking back (due to the passing of a loved one), I returned to find a link to this blog post from the American Psychological Association in my inbox this morning. At a time when I am trying to focus on being in the present, and struggling with the challenges of hanging onto things from the past, it is reassuring to learn that nostalgia has its good points.

I recall that nostalgia was somewhat prominent during my high school days, highlighted by the release of the film American Graffiti and the minor popularity of the band Sha Na Na. I'm sure I first learned of the word "nostalgia" during this period. I suspect that this sort of thing is cyclical. For me, things that happened during high school seem to occupy a lot of space in my memory.

Perhaps the information in the post can help some of us find the appropriate balance among the past, present and future.

Smartphones, Your Children and You!

A recent article in the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology summarizes research on the pros and (mostly) cons of smartphone use. Many of us have experienced the benefits of having the amassed knowledge of everything in our hands when we are desperately trying to find the nearest coffee shop or remember the name of the band that recorded the song that won't stop playing in our heads. The smartphone is good for keeping in touch with our children/parents, whether across town or across the country. And it's just fun to have all those games at our fingertips when we are waiting for the doctor to see us.

The downsides, however, are significant. The article makes it clear that nighttime smartphone use is detrimental to a good night's sleep. Looking at your phone instead of talking to your spouse and children while at home (or the person next to you in the doctor's waiting room) denies you the benefits of interacting with another person face-to-face. And people who experience FOMO (fear of missing out - who knew this was a thing?) become anxious when they are not able to check their messages/email/Facebook feed.

The article offers commonsense steps you and your family can take to rein in smartphone use that is out of control. Among them:

* Decide what you really need your phone for (calling/texting, GPS), and what you can do in other ways (writing notes in a notebook, using an alarm clock)

* Let friends and family (and bosses?) know that you might not respond immediately to their text if you are doing something important, like having dinner with the family

* Silence notifications so you are not constantly picking up the phone

* Put down the phone long before bedtime, and keep it out of the bedroom when you are sleeping

You will find that you are more relaxed, feel more connected with loved ones, and have a sense of being in control of your phone, not the other way around. It will be nice to see the faces of your spouse and children again, rather than the tops of their heads. And they will feel the same about you!

Public diagnosis and the therapeutic relationship

In an online story published by US News and World Report, a psychotherapist is quoted as saying that Donald Trump suffers from an incurable mental illness that makes him "temperamentally incapable of being president." This person admitted that he has never met Mr. Trump. He said that he makes his diagnosis based on what has appeared in the media.This pronouncement caused quite a flap.

Politics sometimes comes up in my psychotherapy sessions. If it is important for my client to discuss, I am very willing to do so. I rarely, however, disclose my own feelings on such topics. This is not because I am embarrassed about my political views; I am not. However, if my views do not align with those of my client, and that upsets my client, it could damage our relationship. A damaged relationship is not the best context for conducting therapy. I take the same approach with religious topics: we can talk about such things, but I usually keep my views private.

Also, if I heard my therapist talking publicly about the diagnosis of another person, I might wonder if s/he talks about me outside of our sessions. That would feel like a betrayal of confidentiality. I make sure my clients understand about confidentiality - and its limits - so they know what they can expect from me. Hopefully I conduct myself in a way that engenders trust; then they will feel more comfortable sharing information with me.

The Need for Medical and Mental Health Care Providers to Collaborate

In a recent online survey of physicians from several countries, 27% or respondents answered “no” to this question.

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all adults be screened for depression. Do you feel comfortable discussing mental health issues with all of your adult patients?

This is concerning because many people who are experiencing behavioral health problems seek help first from their physician. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in a 2015 press release that about half of the people who visit a physician for mental health problems see someone other than a psychiatrist.

In another finding by the same organization, the results were even more discouraging. 

I believe most of my patients are honest with me when discussing…

• 23% – Tobacco use
• 19% – Eating & exercise habits
• 13% – Alcohol use
• 13% – Sexual history
• 10% – Drug use
• 4% – Domestic abuse
• 18% – None of the above

These problems involve choices people are making that negatively impact their physical and emotional lives. And the results suggest that these important issues are not being discussed, or are not being discussed honestly, by a sizable portion of patients.

Polls sometimes fail to reflect reality for a variety of reasons. Even if twice as many people are honest when talking to their doctors about issues, that still means fewer than half are being honest about tobacco use, and fewer than 10% about domestic abuse.

Both of these survey items point to the need for better communication – between doctors and patients, and between doctors and providers who specialize in mental health treatment. I work hard to keep in touch with the other people who provide care to my clients. Many of them appreciate these efforts, and many of them reciprocate.

Although it sometimes appears that members of different health care disciplines work hard to protect “territory”, our clients and patients are always better served when we collaborate.

Looking for Common Ground

Most of my social media exposure is through Facebook. I know, I know, I’m behind the times. So be it. Through Facebook I see postings from other social media sites. And I read the letters to the editor, a kind of old school social media. Regardless of the source, I’m not very happy with what I see.

We seem to have created an atmosphere in which discord and denigration are valued more than civility and communication. I suppose this is nothing new, except perhaps in the depth to which it has penetrated our “interactions.” And it goes beyond politics and comedy, which have always been fertile ground for putdowns, shout-downs, and sometimes knockdowns. According to my Facebook feed, if I like/dislike the Dallas Cowboys/Greenpeace/Wall St. Journal/John Steward/Taylor Swift; if I agree/disagree that children should wear/not wear bicycle helmets or play/not play video games; if I can/can’t recognize that picture of an ice cube tray/rotary phone/air raid shelter sign; then I am worse than worthless and am wasting valuable oxygen meant for someone more deserving. Doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous?

I have been guilty of contributing to this trend at times. I have posted a comment to try to get a laugh, not thinking about how it might hurt someone’s feelings until after clicking POST. I have added my two cents unnecessarily to a stream that already had too much heat and not enough light. I have LIKEd harsh putdowns disguised as seemingly clever comments, hoping that someone will see me as clever, too. Maybe I have scored meaningless “points” by these actions, but at the expense of a useful exchange of ideas.

This isn’t helping.

I am not advocating an end to social media. It could be – and is - such a powerful tool that it would be senseless to let it go to waste. What I would love to see is people reading comments thoughtfully, responding to them with questions rather than attacks, and looking for common ground. I believe that common ground is there, but we have stopped seeking it.

I have tried this approach. It is not easy. Sometimes I become preachy and self-righteous, or Pollyanna-ish and naïve, or just plain irritating. Sometimes I expose my ignorance, which is not much fun. In spite of that, if I am open to understanding what the other person really means, I often learn something. One of the biggest things I learn is that the other person and I are more similar than different. When that happens, we both score points that are really worth something.

Other people are doing this. I’m going to keep trying. I’ve got nothing to lose, and a better world to gain. I'd love to hear what you think.

Psychology and Torture?

In recent weeks it has come to light that two psychologists allegedly assisted in “enhanced interrogation” (aka torture) conducted by the CIA in Afghanistan. I have seen articles on newspaper websites and on the website of the American Psychological Association (APA) discussing this issue. Recently the topic was featured in a Doonesbury comic strip.

Am I shocked that psychologists may have been involved in such activities? No. Psychologists are human beings, and human beings come in all varieties, good and bad.

Am I dismayed that this might give psychologists a black eye? Yes. It is unfortunate that the times when we remember hearing about psychologists – in the news, on television, in the movies – tend to be when psychologists have engaged in inappropriate activities, or when they have been presented negatively. This happens despite efforts by the APA and other organizations to use the science of psychology to improve our lives. The APA is conducting an investigation to determine if the organization was in some way complicit in the actions of these two psychologists (who are not APA members).

Yes, among psychologists there are some bad actors, as there are in all occupations. I hope that people do not conclude that because some psychologists - or ministers, or law enforcement officers or politicians – have acted inappropriately, unethically or criminally, that all of them do. I believe most of us (the big “us”, not just psychologists) try to do the right thing most of the time.

I’d love to hear your comments and concerns and answer your questions.

Misunderstanding violence and mental illness

The September 2014 issue of Monitor on Psychology (the American Psychological Association’s monthly magazine) includes a column on violence and mental illness. Norman Anderson, the APA’s Chief Executive officer, tries to dispel various misconceptions about the perceived connection between violence and mental illness.

Anderson writes:

Today, the national dialogue on mental illness and gun violence continues based on reports of mental health problems among some mass violence perpetrators…. Unfortunately, the conversation in the media has focused in large measure on keeping guns out of the hands of what some have called the ‘dangerous mentally ill.

The vast majority of violent acts are not committed by people who are diagnosed with, or in treatment for, mental illness….Moreover, the focus on mental illness ignores the fact that most gun violence is committed by people in crisis, who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or in the context of domestic violence or other illegal activitie.

Given that most people with mental illness do not harm or threaten others, continuing to frame the conversation about gun violence solely in the context of mental illness does a disservice both to the victims of violence and those who suffer from mental illness. More important, it does not direct us to appropriate solutions.

It is easy for us to accept unquestioningly what we see on television or the Internet. I appreciate the APA’s efforts to set the record straight. They also continue to conduct research on the nature of violence of all kinds, and on our best, scientifically based efforts to prevent and respond to such violence.

A Natural Opportunity Close to Home

In a recent issue of the Winston-Salem Journal columnist David Bare highlights a development near downtown Winston-Salem that will provide environmental and psychological benefits. The Gateway Nature Center is a project to restore and preserve 19 acres of land that had been tarnished by years of industrial activity and the encroachment of nonnative species of plants.

The Center will provide educational programs and facilities for all ages. The Gateway Environmental Initiative, the organization responsible for the Center, hopes to counteract one negative impact of our growing dependence on technology: decreased interaction with the natural world.

Exposure to nature seems to be a balm for some of the irritations of modern life. Nature sounds, and silence (remember silence?), stimulate effects that counteract the negative impact of human-generated noise on attention and sleep. Immersion in nature appears to reduce the symptoms of stress, depression and ADHD.

One of the questions I typically ask new clients is about the time they spend in nature. Our busy schedules and urban environment sometimes make it difficult to get out in the backyard, let alone the back woods. Still, research suggests that the effort is worth it.

Do yourself a favor and take a hike!

An Unhappy Story That Gives Me Hope

A week ago I read an essay in the NY Times by a man working as a mentor for a teenager at risk for a lot of bad things. The author, Ron Berler, was focusing on academic underachievement and possible gang involvement. Of course, this child could have many other problems.

I've met many boys like this one. For several years I was the psychologist assigned to work with youth involved with juvenile court. Some of them committed very serious crimes. Fortunately, most did not. Many of them came from families beset by numerous challenges. At a time when the economy was fairly stable, many of the parents were unemployed or underemployed. Some parents had substance abuse problems. Some engaged in criminal behavior. Some were just not there. It was easy to become discouraged. What chance did these kids have?

Berler's essay described his teen's lack of motivation to succeed in school, his mother's lack of financial and emotional resources, his father's lack of participation in parenting. His father worked long hours to provide for the family, but he left the discipline to his wife. Even the school system had all but given up.

Berler encountered an incarcerated felon who wanted to help. This person, Orlando Mayorga, was serving a decades-long prison sentence for a crime he committed at age 17. Mayorga has plans for when he gets out; he hopes to become a counselor for at-risk individuals, as he was, as Berler's mentee is. Mayorga encouraged the teen (in a letter) to think not only of himself but also of his loved ones, who will be hurt if the teen is incarcerated, injured or killed. Mayorga's letter may have an impact; it's too soon to tell.

This could wind up as another tale with an unhappy ending. It gives me hope, however. It is a story of two people going in different directions. Orlando Mayorga, whose life got off to such a poor start, looks like he is turning things around, for himself and for others. Ron Berler's young friend seems to be making many poor choices. If Mayorga can change his course after going so far down the wrong road, then it is definitely possible for this teenaged boy to turn things around also.

The Benefits of Playing Video Games?

I’ve been catching up on some professional reading, and I came across an article in the January 2014 issue of American Psychologist with the above title (minus the question mark). I was pleased to see scholarly treatment of video games that does not focus exclusively on their problems. The authors acknowledge that such problems are real and are supported by research. However, they contend that the media’s treatment of these games has been one-sided and simplistic. Isn’t it possible that some of these games have some redeeming qualities?

According to the research (which is limited but growing), they do. Video games may help our children learn how to selectively attend to relevant information, how to process visual information more accurately, and how to solve problems more creatively and effectively. They can create the awareness that “persistence in the face of failure reaps valued rewards.” The social nature of many video games offers our children the opportunity to develop social skills. All of these benefits may be generalizable to their lives outside the video game environment.

It is worth noting that some types of violent video games can have cognitive and social benefits. One point of this article is that the world of video games is enormously complex and varied; simple conclusions about the impact of these games – the stuff we see in headlines – are probably unwarranted.

I believe that we can go too far with video game playing; I routinely talk to my clients and their parents about sensible limits. I also believe that video game play can have a negative impact on some people. It is refreshing, however, to glimpse the more positive aspects of playing these games.

I’d hate to have to log off completely.

More Music and Healing

A story in Sunday's Winston-Salem Journal brought further validation of the benefits music offers to those with mental illness.

Ronald Braunstein and Caroline Whiddon have founded the Me2 Orchestra in Vermont, comprising people with mental illness and those who support them.  Their goal is to increase public awareness of the gifts of people with mental illness, and to remove the stigma associated with having a mentally disorder.

In the process, the orchestra has given many participants - including conductor Braunstein - an opportunity to feel the healing power of music. 

Learn more about the Me2 Orchestra here.

Music in Psychotherapy

In 1697 William Congreve wrote, “Music has charms to soothe the savage breast,” in his play The Mourning Bride. 

This familiar quote reflects the awareness that music can have a profound effect on our state of mind.  References to the use of music in the treatment of illness go back much farther, to ancient civilizations in Greece, Egypt and China. 

The formal use of music therapy as a treatment modality in the United States began in the early 1800s.  Music therapy is now a recognized discipline that is used in the treatment of physical, psychiatric and developmental disorders.

In a recent issue of the American Psychological Association’s Monitor on Psychology an article describes recent successes in the use of music to soothe pre-term babies and their parents in neonatal intensive care units, to reduce pre-surgery anxiety, and to calm children being treated in emergency rooms.  Researchers are exploring the possible uses of music and vibration (vibroacoustic therapy) in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

As an amateur musician I am interested in finding new ways to integrate music into my work with my clients.  I often encourage them to bring in their instruments; sometimes we play and sing songs together.  Sometimes they share their lyrics and recorded music with me.  These are ways I can connect with them through something we both enjoy.  It strengthens our relationship, and it often opens new avenues for discussion of important issues.

Recently I have taken online courses through MusicTherapyEd.com, a website that offers continuing education courses for music therapists.  I have been learning about the use of technology in music therapy, and about writing and recording songs for use in therapy and beyond.  I am enjoying the process thoroughly.

I am not a music therapist, and I am not likely to become one.  However, I hope that this new knowledge can help me to help my clients achieve their treatment goals. 

I’d love to hear about the ways music has enhanced your life.  Thanks for reading!

Review of The BFG

In a recent post I wrote about my recent discovery of Roald Dahl’s Danny, the Champion of the World.  I found this book thoroughly delightful and not nearly as strange as some of Dahl’s books for children.  In that post I mentioned that I had also read another of Dahl’s books, The BFG.  This reading experience was quite different, but still positive.

I really did not like this book in the beginning.  It just didn’t grab me.  In this story Sophie, a British girl in an orphanage, sees a giant looking into windows at night.  He captures her and carries her away to his home (which is far away, off the edge of the map).  This Big Friendly Giant explains to her that he kidnapped her to protect the secret of his location.  He believes that if people learned of his existence they would put him in a zoo.  When Sophie spied him, he was merely trying to bring pleasant dreams to sleeping children.

The BFG really is friendly, and silly!  He speaks a language, gobblefunk, that is part nonsense, part makes-perfect-sense.  It may really appeal to children, but I found it annoying and tiresome.  After Sophie and the BFG arrive at his home, nothing much happens for a while.  While safely hidden, Sophie encounters the nine other giants, which are much bigger, uglier and meaner than the BFG.  They subsist on humans, which the BFG finds morally unacceptable.  Instead, he eats a foul-tasting squash-like vegetable that even he dislikes.  He drinks a powerful and tasty soda whose gas escapes not in burps, but in toots that send the drinker skyward.  I feel certain many children will be amused by the carbonated pyrotechnics. 

The story gains traction when Sophie learns that the other giants intend to go by night to London schools to find their next meal – innocent boys and girls!  Sophie feels the need to do something about it, but the BFG would rather lay low and protect himself.  He knows there is no way to stop the giants that night, but Sophie is adamant that they must do something.

Parents, be warned: The idea of giants eating humans is not a pleasant one.  Nothing in the story is gory or graphic, but in at least one place it is darkly suggestive.  There are probably children who would find parts of this story overwhelming.  Many children, however, will be able to tolerate it without difficulty. 

Over a few days, Sophie and the BFG each learn important lessons. Although the BFG seems oafish and uneducated, he knows things that Sophie does not.  She comes to realize that one’s own group (team, nationality, species) is not always right, and that members of other groups deserve respect.  The BFG learns from Sophie that decency sometimes demands that we attempt things that seem hopeless and possibly extremely dangerous.  In the end they enlist the help of the most powerful person Sophie can think of, the Queen of England.  Whatever you think of the actual monarch, this Queen turns out to be wise, just and humane. 

We could all learn something from these three characters.  I’m glad I saw this book through to the end.  It may give you the opportunity to discuss some pretty grown-up things with your children. 

Danny, the Champion of the World

I’ve been on a minor Roald Dahl kick recently, by which I mean that I have read two books by this celebrated author in the last couple of weeks.  Although the first chapter book I remember receiving was Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, I am not a lifelong fan.  I have liked some of his books, including Kiss Kiss, a collection primarily of fiendishly fun short stories, definitely for adults.  I was unimpressed by Matilda; I found it two-dimensional, and I much prefer the movie version.  And I have not (yet) read the iconic Charlie and the Chocolate Family.  (I hope this admission does not alienate the army of Dahl enthusiasts.)

While sitting with a cat in my lap, I reached for a book and found Danny, the Champion of the World.  (I had forgotten that the short story upon which this is based appeared in Kiss Kiss.)  I immediately fell in love with Danny, a nine-year-old boy, and his father, William, a widower auto mechanic who is passionate about many things, but mostly about his son.  Such is their love for each other that, if given a choice, Danny would rather work on cars with his father than play with his school mates.  (In the context of the story, this is actually a lovely thing; more on that later.)

Danny discovers that another of his father’s passions is poaching.  William is intrigued by the quest for the big score, as was his own father.  Fresh fish and fowl are delicious, but equally enticing is the opportunity to put one over on the local wealthy landowner and bully, Mr. Hazell.  Those of you who know Dahl will recognize his penchant for backing the underdog.  Danny finds his father’s enthusiasm contagious, and they collaborate on the next quest: to spoil the opening day of pheasant hunting on Hazell’s grounds. 

Dahl does not shy away from the chance to introduce some nail-biting episodes – not enough to scare most children, but sufficient to add dramatic tension.  Danny is both brave and resourceful in meeting challenges.  In the end, however, laughter carries the day!

It is likely that some parents will not be happy with a story that glorifies illegal activity, although the target is so cartoonishly despicable that he virtually cries out for his comeuppance.  Others might frown on Dahl’s anti-authority stance; in Danny he ridicules not only the wealthy landowner but also a sadistic schoolmaster.  William is righteously enraged, demonstrating that he is, after all, human.  Some parents might like to see Danny playing with friends, rather than being isolated at home.  To Dahl’s credit, Danny’s father has the same concern.  I suspect that when Danny gets a little older he’ll spread his wings and find independence. 

This story of a boy and his father is in all other ways so endearing that I hope concerned parents will let their children give it a try.  I think it would be a great book to read with your child.  Many of us would envy the father-son relationship; some may strive for it.  Soon I’ll take up the other of my recent Dahl discoveries, The BFG.  Happy reading!

Is Data-driven Mom Wrong?

Amy Webb recently got more attention for her parenting practice than most of us usually want.  Webb is a columnist on the online magazine Slate.  In her recent article, she shares one of the strategies she employs to raise her child.  The name of the article says it all: “I Measure Every Single Thing My Child Does, And I track it on spreadsheets. Really - every single thing. Even every poop. And it makes me a better parent.”

And she seems to be serious about it.  According to the article, she is a numbers person who analyzes data for a living.  So when she learned that she was pregnant, she started tracking things like food intake, weight gain, and activity level.  After her child was born and started losing weight, she began collecting data on her baby.  One thing led to another, and now she tracks just about everything her child (now a toddler) does.

As you might guess, this kind of practice has not been well received by many people – starting with her child’s pediatrician.  The vast majority of online responses to the article were very negative.  But Webb thinks that by attending to her daughter this closely and tracking how she responds in every situation, she is in a better position to determine what will help her child grow and develop.

Is she wrong?  This parenting strategy is clearly unconventional.  (Pause for those who marvel at the enormity of this understatement.)  Perhaps the Webbs can manage to keep records of their daughter’s every move and still be the kind of parents she needs.  I’ve been around long enough to know that some things that I would have thought were impossible can actually work, even things that run counter to all the research data.  I hope for the Webb family that this is true. 

Recent research on helicopter parenting doesn’t bode well for children of over-involved parents.  A cursory review of recent articles reveals that as these children become adults, they can be less satisfied, less autonomous, less competent and less successful in relationships than their peers.

This approach is not for me.  I’m not good with such details.  I am sure most of us would find Webb’s strategy burdensome, impersonal, and antiseptic.  Where is the joy?  Where are the time-honored traditions?  Where is the magic?  Of course, part of her point is that it’s not magic, it’s cause and effect.  And to a certain extent she is probably right about that.  We almost certainly don’t know enough about such cause-and-effect relationships, but someday we may.  It’s possible that if this happens, Webb may seem more like a pioneer than a helicopter mom on steroids.

There’s so much we don’t know about this situation.  Webb’s article doesn’t tell us what makes her daughter laugh or cry, or what they do for fun on Saturday afternoons, or what drives the parents up a wall.  I’d like to be a fly on their wall; maybe Webb’s interactions with her daughter aren’t that different from what we see with most parents and children.  I heard her on the radio, and she sounds like a mother who loves her daughter; that’s a good starting point.

I hope Webb’s daughter learns that her parents love her and are always in her corner.  I hope her parents play with her, sing her songs at bedtime, and dry her tears when she cries.  I hope she learns that there are rules that must be followed, that at times she must control her behavior, and that she can’t always have everything she wants.  I hope they teach her to share, and to be a humble winner and a gracious loser.  I hope she develops the self-confidence that comes from life’s successes and failures, and from learning that she can have an impact on her world.  I hope she learns that all children deserve the same opportunities.  If these things happen, then I think her parents did their job – spreadsheets or no spreadsheets. 

Gardens - and Gardeners - that Heal

From today’s edition of the Winston-Salem Journal comes a story that should make almost everyone smile.

David Bare, the garden columnist for the Journal, spotlights the horticultural therapy program at the Centers for Exceptional Children in Winston-Salem.  The program is active on two campuses in Winston-Salem that serve children with special needs.  JoAnn Yates and Jennifer Manning, horticultural therapists, direct the programs.  The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and the United Way provide funding; many other corporate and nonprofit organizations provide additional support.

“With nature as a co-teacher the horticultural therapist uses hands-on activities to stimulate and nurture sensory, motor, cognitive and communication skills,” says Ms. Yates.  These programs incorporate the activities of teachers and physical, occupational and speech therapist.

In the horticultural therapy program, these professionals can breathe new life into time-honored but sometimes not-so-interesting educational techniques.  In the gardens, the children participate in activities that are engaging on many levels and achieve the same goals.

The gardens are accessible to children who use wheelchairs and other adaptive devices.  With flowers, fruits, rocks, dirt and worms, it seems like there is something in the gardens for everyone! 

Although the focus is on the children, the gardens also provide valuable habitat for birds, butterflies and other creatures.  The children learn about being good stewards of the Earth.

Exciting work like this is happening in many places.  Thanks to David Bare and the Winston-Salem Journal for making us aware of what is happening here in the Triad!

Here is a link to Mr. Bare's column.

Review of Silent to the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg

I enjoy reading, and among the things I like reading most is fiction for tweens and 

teens.  E.L. Konigsburg is one of our finest writers in this genre.  In 1968 she won 

the Newbery Medal for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  Almost 

30 years later she won the award again, for The View from Saturday.  I recently 

read another of Ms. Konigsburg’s novels, Silent to the Bone.  I recommend it 

wholeheartedly for readers ages 12 and older. 

As in her Newbery winners, Konigsburg’s main characters are bright

 young teens who set out to solve a mystery.  But there’s a catch:   

one of the boys, who was integrally involved in the mystery, is unable

 to speak about it.  Since his baby sister was injured, Branwell has 

been completely uncommunicative.  It is up to his best friend, Connor, to try to help 

Branwell find his voice – and find a way to avoid serious legal charges. 

Relationships are at the center of this story.  There is Branwell’s love for his 

father, which is unquestioned until Branwell comes home from a summer visit to 

his grandparents to find that his father has fallen in love (Branwell’s mother died 

when he was an infant).  Connor’s relationship with his much older half-sister is 

sometimes complicated by the fact that she seems intent on not cutting their father 

any slack.  Branwell finds himself having confusing, lustful feelings for Vivian, the 

20-year-old British au pair;  these feelings threaten to change everything – including 

the lifelong bond between Branwell and Connor. 

Konigsburg addresses some difficult issues here, including blended family 

relationships, the burgeoning sexual urges of teenage boys, and the persistence 

of hurt feelings over years or decades.  She deals with these topics 

sensitively, without become pedantic or overly analytical.  Like the characters 

in the story, the reader is allowed to work through his or her own feelings 

while trying to put together the pieces of this puzzle.  

Many of the children and adolescents I see struggle with the impact of 

parental separation, divorce, and adjusting to new family members.  These kids 

often have trouble talking about these matters: they hit too close to home.  I 

am in favor of any book that shows how young characters – and their parents -   

can work through such problems and grow from the experience.  Silent to the Bone 

does that marvelously.