Book excerpt: Understanding 8-9-Year-Olds describes how children grow and change as they move further away from reliance on home and family, out into the world of school and community. Children of this age develop preferences as well as opinions based on their experience of new relationships and activities. For many children, it is a period of relative calm as they develop through new skills while accumulating knowledge. Biddy Youell looks at the ways in which eight and nine year olds experience their world and highlights some of the difficulties that may hinder their emotional, social or educational development. This accessible book provides valuable insights that will help parents, educators and carers better understand and relate to children during these middle years of childhood.