Children at Risk

By David Porter
Kingsway Publications

Nothing is value free and, as David Porter points out, that goes for Teletubbies and Barbie as much as anything we teach in class. He writes from personal experience as a confessed media consumer and as a parent of two children. The personal anecdotes bring what could be a dry exposé to life though I suspect from the computer section he could do with getting out a bit more!

For those who feel they have the media under control Porter tells a salutory tale of a father who announced as much at a talk on soaps. His family didn't have a TV so no problem. Later a 15 year-old girl questioned Porter closely on plots, issues and other specialised subjects and was obviously an expert. Yes, she was the daughter!

My only reservation was the descriptive nature of the section on computers. I was surprised to find Teletubbies and the Simpsons(!) got the thumbs up but I could see his reasoning, I suspect most will disagree with something in the book but that is the nature of the subject.
Well worth the £8 or so.