The treehouse court is now in session in this first book in the Judge Kim and the Kids’ Court Level 3 Ready-to-Read Graphics series about a young judge who presides over conflict of all sizes in her neighborhood! When bicycles go missing at Fairville Elementary School, it’s up to Kim Webster to settle the case. Up in her treehouse court, Judge Kim listens to witnesses and evidence gathered by her friends before determining what’s fair and what’s not. Will Judge Kim be able to restore peace to her neighborhood? Ready-to-Read Graphics books give readers the perfect introduction to the graphic novel format with easy-to-follow panels, speech bubbles with accessible vocabulary, and sequential storytelling that is spot-on for beginning readers. There’s even a how-to guide for reading graphic novels at the beginning of each book.

What rights does a juvenile defendant have at a trial? How does the law define a Child Requiring Assistance? What are the rights and responsibilities of unmarried fathers? How are students with special needs identified and helped? Kids and the Law/Los Menores y la Ley has answers to these questions and many more. Written in plain English, with Spanish translation, it is a revision of the first book of its kind in MA - an easy-to use, comprehensive guide to Massachusetts' laws and court actions involving children and their families. Topics covered include delinquency proceedings, child neglect and abuse laws, legal issues related to school, mental health and substance use problems, a glossary with clear definitions of legal terms, and a resource section that points the way to further information and services.

Most people know juvenile offenders only from daily headlines, and the images portrayed by the media are extreme and violent: predators and even "superpredators." Distorted and incomplete, these pictures shape the way Americans think and feel about city kids, poor kids, children of color. A Kind and Just Parent gives us a transformative view of kids caught up in the justice system that we could never get from nightly news and newspaper stories. William Ayers has spent five years as teacher and observer in Chicago's Juvenile Court prison, the nation's first and largest institution of juvenile justice, founded by legendary reformer Jane Addams to act as a "kind and just parent" for kids in need. Today, immensely confused and confusing, it serves as a perfect microcosm of the way American justice deals with children. Through brilliant storytelling, Ayers captures the lives and personalities of young people caught up in the juvenile justice system. The book follows a year in the life of the prison school. Its characters are three dimensional: funny, quirky, sometimes violent, and often vulnerable. We see young people talking about their lives, analyzing their own situations, and thinking about their friends and their futures. We watch them throughout a school year and meet some remarkable teachers. From the intimate perspective of a teacher, Ayers gives us portraits, history, and analysis that help us to understand not only what brought these kids into the court system, but why people find it hard to think straight about them, and what we might do to keep their younger brothers and sisters from landing in the same place. Unsentimental yet wrenching, A Kind and Just Parent is a riveting look at kids and crime. It will change the way Americans think about juvenile crime and juvenile justice.

Aided by the journal of a young woman who lived in nineteenth-century France, Nina solves a murder mystery dormant since the time of Napoleon.

In many US courts and internationally, family law cases constitute almost half of the trial caseload. These matters include child abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency, as well as divorce, custody, paternity, and other traditional family law issues. In this book, the authors argue that reforms to the family justice system are necessary to enable it to assist families and children effectively. The authors propose an approach that envisions the family court as a "care center," by blending existing theories surrounding court reform in family law with an ethic of care and narrative practice. Building on conceptual, procedural, and structural reforms of the past several decades, the authors define the concept of a unified family court created along interdisciplinary lines — a paradigm that is particularly well suited to inform the work of family courts. These prior reforms have contributed to enhancing the family justice system, as courts now can shape comprehensive outcomes designed to improve the lives of families and children by taking into account both their legal and non-legal needs. In doing so, courts can utilize each family’s story as a foundation to fashion a resolution of their unique issues. In the book, the authors aim to strengthen a court’s problem-solving capabilities by discussing how incorporating an ethic of care and appreciating the family narrative can add to the court’s effectiveness in responding to families and children. Creating the court as a care center, the authors conclude, should lie at the heart of how a family justice system operates. The authors are well-known figures in the area and have been involved in family court reform on both a US national and an international scale for many years.

"Monty's Day in Court" shows young people they have the power to bring about change for themselves and others. Monty's story serves as a tool for children in learning resilience and as an aid for those on the front lines helping young people through challenging times. The book follows 10-year-old Monty's journey as he learns it is ok to be upset about his experiences and works through his feelings with his therapist. After he is subpoenaed to testify, caring adults help him understand what will happen in court and the support he will have throughout the process. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are costly. They include experiences such as abuse or growing up while a parent is incarcerated. The economic and social costs to families, communities and society totals hundreds of billions of dollars each year. For children, ACEs can have life-long consequences. Interventions and professional support go a long way in addressing ACEs, providing both short and long-term safety nets for vulnerable children."Monty's Day in Court" assists therapists, court programs, social workers, teachers, law enforcement, attorneys and parents in helping children better understand the process of testifying in court and reduce the traumatic impact of the experience. Author Jessica Miles is a former foster parent who writes about her family's experiences. Illustrator Gina Dee is a foster parent and has written books about trauma and foster care. Reviews"Being called to testify in a courtroom is unsettling for any individual. This experience is exponentially impactful for a traumatized child. As an elementary principal, this book is an invaluable tool to have on site to better support students who face a similar situation." Deb Ganderton, Principal, McKinley Elementary School"It's a great tool and for a great cause." Vanessa Dudley-Miller, State Director, Kansas Court-Appointed Special Advocates"This book is excellent! I loved all of it, but especially the definitions of the different courtroom characters. The descriptions of the gamut of emotions a child goes through were excellent." Patricia Robles, Social Worker

A devastating account of how Australia’s family courts fail children, families and victims of domestic abuse The family courts intimately affect the lives of those who come before them. Judges can decide where you are allowed to live and work, which school your child can attend and whether you are even permitted to see your child. Lawyers can interrogate every aspect of your personal life during cross-examination, and argue whether or not you are fit to be a parent. Broken explores the complexities and failures of Australia’s family courts through the stories of children and parents whose lives have been shattered by them. Camilla Nelson and Catharine Lumby take the reader into the back rooms of the system to show what it feels like to be caught up in spirals of abusive litigation. They reveal how the courts have been politicised by Pauline Hanson and men’s rights groups, and how those they are meant to protect most – children – are silenced or treated as property. Exploring the legal culture, gender politics and financial incentives that drive the system, Broken reveals how the family courts – despite the high ideals on which they were founded – have turned into the worst possible place for vulnerable families and children. Camilla Nelson is an associate professor in media at the University of Notre Dame Australia. A former Walkley Award winner, her writing has appeared in The Conversation, The Independent, Guardian Australia, Mamamia, Marie Claire and the ABC. Broken is her fifth book. Catharine Lumby is a media professor at the University of Sydney. She has a law degree, is the author of six books and has written for The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC-TV and The Bulletin. 'What happens to kids in our family law system should be a national scandal – and yet, so few people know about it. This book finally lifts the lid on this broken system, and shows how this once-great institution now regularly orders children to see or live with dangerous parents, and bankrupts the victim-parents trying to protect them. An urgent call to action.'—Jess Hill, author of See What You Made Me Do 'This searing review of Australia’s family court system is in turns heartbreaking and enraging. Drawing on recent cases and interviews, it shows how family violence continues to be misunderstood and how violent perpetrators are able to manipulate the legal system. It reveals that too often children are not heard, sometimes with devastating outcomes. This book is an urgent appeal: we must do better.'—Professor Heather Douglas, author of Women, Intimate Partner Violence and the Law