The number of missing children has recently been estimated to have approached
one million. While some children are kidnapped by pedophiles or, more often, noncustodial parents, others either run away from abusive families or join the ranks of "thrownaways," children literally discarded by their parents as infants or forced to leave homes where they've become emotional or financial burdens. As violence, drug use, and inadequate parenting skills threaten to exacerbate the crisis, advanced computerized networks and high-profile cases such as those of JonBenet Ramsey and Polly Klass have increased public awareness, offering hope where once there was only helplessness. By blending real-life scenarios with generally well documented data, this volume employs a format that helps advance its purpose: to stir the emotions of readers who have been numbed by the overwhelming vastness
of the problem. Though initially a bit discordant, the text builds strength and momentum as cited cases become increasingly poignant. An extensive list of helplines and Web sites at the end offers hope that in the future children might be better protected against such tragedy.
Roger Leslie