What Your Son isn’t telling you, Michael Ross & Susie Shellenburger
I have two very young boys age 3 and 6…I was interested in reviewing this book as a mother and a youth worker. Although I know there is nothing new under the sun, I also acknowledge that our children face a myriad of things at younger ages. I was surprised at the scope and depth of this book in the issues it coversand it’s readability. It deals with so many issues and offers great biblical wisdom and insight into effectively dealing with these issues and teaching our young men how to deal with them also. An excellent resource for any parent or youth worker. I truly appreciated the way the authors used true life experiences of youth age boys to show examples. A special thanks to the authors for their hard work and thoughtful application of the truth of the Word of God to all situations. An excellent resource I highly recommend it, I know mine will be well used.
Thank you Bethany House for this free review copy.
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I am not a parent so this book was not written for me. This is not a bad book, but it was not extremely enlightening for me either. It briefly touches upon issues that I recall facing when I was a teenager, and may be especially advantageous for mothers who have obviously not had the same sorts of experiences. My parents "trusted" me too much when I was a teenager and made it too easy for me to get into trouble because as far as they knew I was a good kid. I would suggest that teaching kids how to trust by earning their trust, consistently being trustworthy, and thereby showing them how to be trustworthy is the best approach. Turning a blind eye, or giving in to their appeals for unearned trust will not have good results. Then again, I am not a parent, so what do I know? Overall, this is a good book and worth a read. ( )

though geared fro mothers I did get quite a bit out of this book, hoping to be ready when my son becomes a teenager ( )

NCLA Review - According to the authors, a father must understand his son's heart and mind in order to provide the support and connection he desperately needs. The authors' experiences teach three of most boy’s essential viewpoints: “Please Clue In: I'm not You!”, “Trust me, and I'll Trust You”, and “Stay Close and Let Me Breathe.” They suggest that your son's world is nothing like the world which you recall. Every teen boy struggles with constant pressure to prove himself. Advice offered here is for the parent to forget his world and concentrate on listening and trusting. Crucially, their closing chapters deal with tendencies toward rejection of Christianity. Rating: 3 —JT ( )

The world of teenage boys is certainly one of mystery. Many parents don't understand their teenage sons and many teenage sons don't understand themselves. I remember my teen years and I can say with 100% certainty that I'm glad I don't have to go through them again. Peer pressure, bullying, raging hormones and identity crises - more often than not, each of these and more are part of the journey to manhood.

In What Your Son Isn't Telling You, Michael Ross and Susie Shellenberger attempt to guide parents through the murky and often confusing waters of teenagers. The authors include many letters and testimonials of young men whom they know or have heard from who tell of situations that they are struggling in. Topics include things like peer pressure, lust, confidence, and anger.

The authors offer fairly sound advice in discussing the world of teenage boys. However, while the book had several good points, I found it covered many topics but only barely. The adage "a mile wide, but only an inch deep" comes to mind. Additionally, much of the book's content seemed to cover the stereotypical, moody, silent teenage guy. If you are reading this book to get insight about a particular teenager (maybe your son), unless he is a stereotypical teen, this book probably won't be much help.

Perhaps the biggest complaint that I have about the book is that it is really targeted to mothers of teenage boys. This wouldn't be as big an issue for me if the book's description or cover mentioned this. This omission becomes glaringly obvious even just a short way into the book. With topics like "How Moms Can Nurture Godly Dating" and "Mom to the Rescue," it is clear who the book's target audience is. Advice to dads is scant and indirect. If I were a dad looking for a book to help me with my teenage son, I would want to know this book wasn't targeted to me.

The book's subtitle "Unlocking the Secret World of Teen Boys" is a little misleading. The book is more like somebody pointing out that there is a lock to this world and handing you a ring jammed with keys. What Your Son Isn't Telling You is a good starting point in exploring the world of teen guys, but not much else.

(Thanks to Bethany House for providing a review copy of this book.) ( )