What it takes to pull me through

Millions of parents struggle to grasp what goes on in their kids' heads, on their computers, and among their friends. Education journalist Marcus reports on the maze of pressures American teenagers now face--a resurgent drug culture, proliferating temptations and threats on-line, skyrocketing suicide rates (three times higher than in the 1960s), and more. He talked to students, staff, and parents at a school known for combining intensive academics, wilderness survival, and group therapy to help teenagers in crisis regain emotional health. Focusing on four remarkable kids who run the demographic gamut, he uncovers what drove these kids and their parents to Swift River Academy, reveals the intense process that sets (most of) these kids right, and charts a path to hope that any kid, any parent, whether or not in crisis, can take.--From publisher description.