I made the comment when I reviewed this book that I would have liked a book that emphasized a single development phase. This book is the answer to that wish. Part of a series devoting an entire book to every single age, it gives terrific insights into exactly what your six-year-old is thinking and feeling, and why she acts the way she does. Six is a particularly difficult year, so this book might be particularly useful, too.

Roughly the entire first half of the book is bubbling over with thoughtul, careful analysis of the psychology of the six-year-old, and this section is well worth the price of the book. The remainder feels more like "filler" material, or perhaps just very dated material. It has some psychological analysis based on body type, for example, and some recommendations on television watching and half-day school that are pretty inappropriate to my mind. But the book is almost 30 years old now. So take the latter half with a grain of salt, and reap the benefits of the first half. And read my my review of "Seven", coming in just about eight months from now :) ( )

The six-year-old is a complex child, entirely different from the five-year-old. Though many of the changes are for the good -- Six is growing more mature, more independent, more daring and adventurous -- this is not necessarily an easy time for the little girl or boy. Relationships with mothers are troubled -- most of the time Six adores mother, but whenever things go wrong, it's her fault. It used to be, at Five, that she was the center of the child's universe; now, the child is the center of his own universe.

Parents need the expert advice of Drs. Ames and Ilg during this difficult year, to explain parent-child relations, friendships with peers, what six-year-olds excel at, how they see the world, what it feels like to be entering the first grade. Children need patience and understanding to help make this transition easier.