Carrie, a seventh grader, has been recently diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. So not only does she have to deal with her changing body, changing friendships, and changing school work load, she also has to live with uncontrollable tics and movements. Everyone in her immediate class knows what Carrie has, but she worries what others will think when they see her. This comes to a head during play practice one day--Carrie can't control herself, and begins to clear her throat and crack her shoulder over and over. Ms. Anderson, the school counselor and play director, gives a little lesson on Tourette, and the cast seem to be enlightened, and Carrie is grateful.

The kids in this book are all middle schoolers, but they felt like high schoolers, partly in what they dealt with, their actions, and their maturity. But you were still sympathetic towards them. I loved the fact that the kids (especially Carrie) thought Ms. Anderson was cool (as well as helpful). Too often adults are trying to hard (according to the kids) or are bumbling. I also enjoyed watching the friendships change and develop in the book--it made it more well rounded. At the end of the book is extra information, as well as an address kids or parents can write to for even more information about Tourette.

Carrie, the heroine of Quit It, is in the seventh grade. I assume, then, that the book is targeted at girls and boys from, say, grades 3 through 10. I, however, am in grade 56, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book - read the whole thing in one sitting, in fact.
Quit It reads easily. The author assumes intelligence in her readers and writes accordingly. The story is interesting and the characters believable.
Byalick has several points to make, the most obvious being the education of the reader about Tourette Syndrome. And that she does, both in the body of the text as well as in an informative question/answer postscript. But the book goes beyond that. She draws the characters and situations in such a way that the reader can identify with both sides. We are familiar with the position of onlooker. Who of us hasn't seen someone who is different and wondered what to do? To look or not look? To say something or not? But more profoundly, most readers can also understand how Carrie feels - because we, too, have at some point felt different and ashamed. We may not have Tourette Syndrome, but most of us at one time or another have felt humiliated in front of our peers: we were too fat or too short or too poor, or our parents were divorced or they drank.
So the moral of the book is that we are all human.
I highly recommend it to people from grades 3 through 75.

Dr. Ruden is my Physician and all I will say is that he is the best doctor I have ever have. If I ever have to switch Insurance and have to go outta network to see him, I will.

When you read this book, let it be known that you are in good hands.

On Jan. 23/00 I was waxing and waning on the merits of this bio-balance approach to addiction. Well , confession time ; I wrote that the day I severed the bond (33 years) with nicotine How - Zyban - if that is O.K. to mention .... but somehow ,in someway , that particular concotion ... ( its really wellbutrin), did everything that Ruden talks about.... it is definitely in the neuro-chemical balance in the brain; for me it worked; it cut the chord so to speak; ever since I can decide that I do not wish, desire or want to smoke......and 347 days later still agree with delightful easement. If only the medical establishment would get serious and start doing some baseline metabolic type test : why did it work on me and not on .. Joe or Mary ???? Letsget with it!

Finally , something on , about addictions that seems to hit the proverbial nail on the head. A forward assault on the bottom line of'addiction' ..the craving brain .....the complex of neuro-chemicals , especially dopamine and serotonin , and the yin/yang; up.down ; getting the right balance. Presented as a theory ... as such holds the potential as a very fruitful theory.

I thought that this book It's A Matter of Trust, was a very well worded intresting book, but it lacked the abilty to captivate me intirely. I was also a little too abrupt.