Trying not to be cynical. Cute little stories about teachers taking the classroom bully out to the movies. Excellent approach, but I'm not even allowed to give a student a ride home if they miss the bus....

I guess this book should be inspiring people to take more risks in embracing and touching the lives of our youth, but I'm seeing all of the legalities in place that seem to make humanity a bit of a crime at times. For example, at my church rummage sale, my son paid with pennies, nickels, and dimes for a $3 skateboard. He wanted to ride it right away and went out to the parking lot (this was the evening before the sale and there wasn't any traffic). Oh no! You can't ride that on our property...liability.... etc. It was almost a perfect childhood moment.

I'm at a polka with my son and take an hour break from dancing to watch my son and a new friend run around the grounds of the community club. They notice a huge snowbank rendering a tree easy to climb. I watch, the smile on my face growing, as I reminisce about how this is what childhood is made of, and this is why I moved here. Immediately, "Get off that tree! Liability, etc. etc. from a representative of the building.

Add this to what appears to be a quintessential neighborhood but none of the kids play together outside. It's all done on the sports fields, something my son isn't interested in. Everyone seems terrified of us, no matter how many times I introduce myself, no matter how many times they see my husband walk him to school, play ball with him (alone) in our backyard, etc.

My son does make a connection with another non-sports kid, and when I meet the parents in order to establish a relationship, I find that his house is very unsafe and scary.

I think we're all worried about scary pedophiles, and the idea of a community where people connect again the way we used to seems more difficult than this author suggests.

I will continue to stop at every lemonade stand... ( )