patience, humor, love, kindness, and enthusiastic support for combining my work and family life. I want to thank their friends, especially the "BB& N carpool gang" for the many hours of discussion on "being a teenager." I want to also express my appreciation to the group of pre-teens from Brookine, Massachusetts, who haven't "hit the wall" and who openly and proudly shared their thoughts and advice on coming of age in the 1990s. Thanks also go to my mother, Helene Stockert, and stepfather, Harry Stockert, for their care, support, and great cooking. I want to express my sincere appreciation to my husband, Michael, for "hanging in there" while I spent many hours on this project. His support, love, and understanding were crucial during all phases. -viii- |