Robert Coles dons his hats as pediatrician, child psychologist, parent, and schoolteacher in this new book. He contends that we must honor the young by "taking the moral and spiritual side of their lives seriously and by thinking how we might respond to it with tact and intelligence." In a section of the book titled "The Moral Archaeology of Childhood," Dr. Coles shows how kids are always morally alert: during the early years, they are moral listeners; in the elementary years, they are students of conscience; and during adolescence, they are searching for moral companionship. The point is hammered home again and again — be careful what you do or say; the young are witnesses of our behavior. Throughout the book, Dr. Coles tells stories of his experiences with children who are constantly trying to act with love and compassion in this crazy world. Some of them make bad mistakes and must pay the consequences. And some are so self-absorbed and stony-hearted that no one can get through to them. In the end, Dr. Coles makes a good case for the moral intelligence of children and their need for moral direction from adults.