Shooter in the Sky : The Inner World Of Children Who Kill

High school student Harold Connally feels alienated from his peers, misunderstood by his parents, and isolated from the world. He is his only friend. Worst of all, he feels that he deserves this extreme rejection. In sheer desperation, he steals his father's gun, and in cold blood, kills his parents and embarks upon a shooting spree at his school. What pushed him over the edge? What happens to children who kill?

In this gripping composite biography of a teenager who kills, psychologist Lauren Woodhouse, Ph.D., D. Psy., has drawn from her extensive work with teen killers and their victims. Shooter in the Sky expresses, from the child's own tormented inner perspective, and in his own raw language, what drove him to kill. This landmark book tells what children who have actually killed say they want adults to know. Designed for use by parents, teachers, and psychologists, this vital and thought-provoking book offers the basis for opening that dialogue.

Despite the fact that teen violence is becoming epidemic, the subject is rarely discussed with children. A recent Secret Service study shows that children who kill often discuss their plans with other children, but almost never with adults. No parent wants to think of their child as a potential killer. Consequently, they never discuss the subject among themselves or with their children. Shooter in the Sky has a mission:

* To allow adolescents to identify in a real and honest way with frustrations they feel.

* To support communication between adolescents and adults, thereby making it possible for them to have open discussions on this difficult topic.

* To allow children to share their opinions and feelings about teen violence with their peers inside or outside a classroom setting.

* To portray a real, honest representation of the horrors children may face if they give in to their frustrations.