By Goldie Charm West of Eden

I wasn't sure children wrote these letters until I showed this book to our school nurse. She assured me these were not the worst she had heard. These letters should be read by all adults who have or work with children.

By John Chancellor, Mentor coach, www.teachthesoul New Orleans, LA

This book should be read by anyone directly involved in divorces that involve children. The book is a collection of letters written by children to the judge handling the divorce/custody case of their parents. Some letters or funny, some are sad and some will make you cry.

It is such a shame that the parents and their advocates often seem to forget that the children have an interest in the outcome of any divorce/custody case. From these letters it becomes obvious that in many cases the children are pawns used by one or both spouses to take out their rage toward the other.

The following are excerpts from some of the more poignant letters:

Letter 75. Dear Judge, Please send me the definition of Best Interest of the Child.
Letter 91. Dear Judge, I want to divorce my parents. Since they got divorced I do not like either one of them.
Letter 97. Dear Judge, I promise You and God to never do this to my children.
Letter 121. Dear Judge, Don't you care how I feel?
Letter 141. Dear Judge, It doesn't hurt any more. It doesn't feel any more.

It is very sobering reading. While I understand the hatred that can develop over a divorce, it seems inhumane for parents to take out their frustrations on the children or to put the children in the middle of a fight.

It is well worth reading for anyone dealing with the process of divorce involving children.

By bobcat Bob Catterman

This book will make you laugh and cry, and in the end will leave sad about the state of families today.
The best argument for family court reform and the end of no-fault divorce I have ever seen.

By Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" Skopje, Macedonia

Children are the real casualties of divorce and custody battles. The most important figures in their lives - their parents - often regress to belligerent and narcissistic infantilism. In their anguish, some kids turn to the only reliable grownup around: the judge.

This is a compilation of c. 190 letters (some of them mere heartbreaking one-liners) allegedly written by children embroiled in court proceedings to judges on the bench. A must read for parents who are contemplating ugly divorces. These quivering voices of tiny shattered lives put in perspective all that we "adults" hold dear and "worth fighting for". .

By M.D.Liane J. Leedom, M.D. ParentingtheAtRiskChild.com Connecticut

Parents choose to bring a child into our world. In making this choice, parents have a solemn obligation to nurture that child and see that he discovers the plan the Almighty has for his life. During the turmoil of a divorce, parents often forget this obligation and may come to view a child as a possession rather than as a person with his own special purpose.

Dear Judge has given a group of children the chance to remind us all that they are people not possessions. Possessions can be divided and shared. Children however, continue to need love and nurturance from those who chose to bring them into the world. Some children may also need to be protected from parents who brought them into the world to exploit rather than to nurture them. Heartbreaking letters from these children may also be found in this book.

Dear Judge is a must read for divorcing parents and those who advise them. It is good reading material for the waiting rooms of legal and mental health professionals. It is my hope that those who write our laws and those that interpret our laws will also read the children's letters. These letters are after all addressed to them.

Excellent Look Into Children's Hearts, November 30, 2006 By Penny A. Zeller, Christian Author and Speaker

"Dear Judge" takes the reader inside the lives of real children facing custody battles. Not only is this a great book for children to see that they are not alone in the difficulties of custody tug-of-wars, but it's also an excellent reference for parents and those who work with children in these type of situations. Ms. Hardwick has done a great job in compiling the real-life letters children have written for this book. As someone who formerly worked with children in such situations, I would highly recommend this book.

By Harm Daluka "Do no Harm"

It doesn't matter if you have children or not or if you are involved in child custody or not, if you read this book you will feel differently and you will change. This book could be pivotal for anyone involved in family law. It needs to be on a DVD to be shown at parenting classes. It needs to be a workbook for teen mothers and fathers. It needs to be required continuing education for mediators, judges and attorneys. Every parent I have shown this book to has adjusted his or her attitude to much more child-centered frame of mind. Attorneys should order it in bulk to bring self-centered parents into line.

By Aunt Laya Saul www.AuntLaya.com

Divorce is a hard and painful reality for everyone. This thin, easy to read book will open your heart to the children involved. Sometimes it's really hard for a kid to figure out and articulate what the heck they are feeling. The letters in this book will give you a handle on the spectrum of feelings and issues a kid has to deal with.

If you or someone you know is going through divorce, this book might just be a key to open doors to communication with a kid. For sure what a kid (and parent too for that matter) needs in such a difficult time is a dose of loving kindness. With this book you'll smile and cry as you see things through the eyes of the children in these letters to the judge.

If you are a lawyer or psychologist, put this gem in your waiting room for parents to pick up! If you are a parent, open this book regularly for insights into the experience of the child. Then pick up a copy of "How to Go to Visitation Without Throwing Up," a book written by a kid (Joshua Shane Evans) and his step mother, for a companion to make the transitions of visitation smooth.

By Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois

Charlotte Hardwick is the author of that most excellent book on American child custody law, "Win Your Child Custody Battle." But, she is also an advocate for the children in a divorce. This book is a collection of letters that were actually sent by the children of divorces to a judge. The letters themselves have the wide range of feelings that the children themselves have. Some are hopeful, some are sad, some are scared, but all come from the heart.

I must say, I found this to be a very touching book. Some of the stories brought a smile to my face, while others brought a lump to my throat. This is a great book for making sure that those normally voiceless in a divorce are heard. I give this book my highest recommendations.

By sb4peace Virginia

As a mediator with 10 years of experience assisting separating parents decide custody, visitation and support issues, this book confirms very deeply and personally what I have seen and been told- how parents' actions when separating can have a very deep impact on their children. This book should be required reading for professionals working with separating parents as well parents who are separating and their children.

By Katie "book worm" PA

Although I am not yet a parent, I was intrigued by the issues this book brings to light - as I have known many children who've felt stuck in the middle due to divorce.

This is one of those books that ALL parents can gain insights from! It is a compilation of letters written to a judge by children whose parents were in the midst of a divorce. Some of the letters will actually make you laugh, and others will make your heart hurt. But each one shares important insights into the minds & hearts of children who are dealing with these difficult issues.

This should be used as a handbook for divorcing parents - as it allows a peek into what hurts & what can heal these children who are trying to understand why, and what next...

I would highly recommend this book to all parents, but especially those who are in the midst, or are contemplating divorce. It's an easy, eye-opening read!

By Donald Mitchell "a Practical Optimist" Boston, MA

Children involved in legal separations, divorces and other custodial proceedings find that their lives can become horrible. They see the "adults" in their lives focusing on the legal proceedings rather than on being parents . . . and the "children" often find themselves as the losers in the process . . . being shipped around like cattle.

Some children take the bull by the horns and write to the judge, asking for redress. This book contains their "unofficial" ex parte letters.
Anyone who is about to marry should read this book before taking up the possibility of becoming a parent. All those who decide that they must end their marriages should be required to read this book. Lawyers who work on domestic law should be required to give a copy to their clients.

Legislators should also write new laws to allow judges to take official notice of these currently unofficial documents. Better court orders would surely follow.

Here are some examples of these poignant messages that begin with the salutation, "Dear Judge,":
"When our parents get their divorce do we have to get a divorce too? Sharon and me don't want to divorce our parents. We just want them to get a divorce so they could be friends again."

"Please help me to get to live with my mom and new sister."
"My stepdad explained the Justis Sistem to me. It does not sound right."
"Please have the valuator come back to our house . . . . Tell Miss Hill the dog never peed on anyone before and we will put him outside this time."
"My parents are out of control . . . . I spend more time taking care of my little brother than either of them and I'm not ready for the job. I just want to be a normal kid again."

"I had to write about what we did this summer so I wrote about our divorce . . . . I feel kind of funny but I feel better. You should tell kids to write about their divorce and feel better too."
I felt tremendously sad while reading these tiny tales. But I was also delighted to see that so many children have more sense than their parents, legislators, judges and lawyers. I hope that this book will help children appreciate how to survive divorce in better ways. May God bless the children of divorce!

By Edward J Vasicek Kokomo, IN USA

This is a great "source book" about how kids feel about their parents' divorce, visitation, and their desperation for things to be "fixed." Each page contains a short letter written to a judge. Some are a few sentences, others a couple of paragraphs. This is a must read for divorced parents or anyone who counsels with or is in some way involved with children of divorce. The kids express the frustration of one parent being upset with them if they dared to say they had a good time while staying with the other parent, constantly moving, or parents who cannot treat their former spouses with common courtesy. Some of the entries might make you cry; a few of them are comical, most of them simply sad. You'll see their fears (the greatest heartbreak of all), their anger, their guilt (blaming themselves), their sense of helplessness and feeling ignored as divorced parents have an agenda to prove themselves the better of the two. Readers can probably finish this book in an hour; I read it a bit here and a bit there. Good book.

By Robertson Thomas (Hongcheon, Gangweon, South Korea

For 2 reasons, I say that this is an ideal gift for a child in a broken home:
1. The book is easy to read. It is not thick, there are no long and complex sentences, there are no big words, and there is plenty of white space.
2. Many children of divorce, like Joshua Evans, think they are alone, and would appreciate the company from other children like themselves.

And speaking of Joshua Evans, take a look at "How to go to Visitation Without Throwing-Up".

By C. Yanda "mykidstoo.com"

Out of the mouths of kids you will get honesty. This book is chockfull of how kids really feel about divorce, how they feel manipulated at times, and most importantly how much smarter they are about things than most divorced parents give them credit for.

By JackOfMostTrades "Jack" Washington, DC

"Dear Judge" is a moving, stunning, beautiful book that offers more insight into the hopes, fears, confusion, vulnerabilities, terrors, and needs of children than you are likely to read by any expert. A collection of real children's letters written to a custody judge (who could not use them as evidence in custody battles), these messages are honest and heart-rending in a way that only children can communicate. The letters range from short one sentence pleas to long, articulate reflections. All have one thing in common: they remind us of how powerfully children are affected by family conflict, particularly in situations where parents are undergoing difficult divorce. The irony is that the very family members who are most prone to suffer in a divorce are the ones most likely not to be heard. But this book contains about 100 letters that are more telling than any psychologist's evaluation or lawyer's argument. It is nearly impossible for me to list "favorites." Each one has its own voice and its own means of expressing the vulnerability of each writer, from a simple sad sentence of a lost child simply asking, "Dear Judge, "Are you there" to a report card issued by a child giving "grades" to the judge, mother, father, and attorneys involved in his/her family's divorce. There are enough unsatisfactory to warrant the whole bunch to get left back!

If parents think they can fool their kids by lying or planting seeds of mistrust about the other parent or provide reasons why the child should feel good about living with him or her and NOT the other him or her, they will think twice after reading the wisdom in these pages.

By Dennis Littrell SoCal

Charlotte Hardwick is the author of Win Your Child Custody War: Child Custody Help SourceBook, which is an invaluable aid to parents, lawyers and others involved in custody cases. If you are involved in a child custody dispute, the first thing you should do is get a copy of Hardwick's SourceBook, and then read the letters in this book. You will be amazed at the information the SourceBook contains. It is one of those "invaluable" sources that really is invaluable.

"Dear Judge" is an entirely different sort of book but one with a similar intent, that of seeing custody disputes from the child's point of view. Hardwick has compiled a selection of their actual letters to judges (whom they--usually!--hold in the highest regard) and published the letters in this little book. She has excluded those that are too heart-wrenching, or as she phrases it, are "too dispiriting to print." What the letters have in common is the innocent and (nearly!) guileless efforts of the children to have their voices heard. Unfortunately, while most of these letters were actually read by judges, the judges were often unable to consider the requests of the children because, as Hardwick puts it, "Any communication arriving on a judge's desk that has not followed the proper procedure, cannot be considered by the judge."

What struck me most poignantly about what the children wrote is the fact that for the most part they don't blame either parent, nor do they take sides in the dispute, but instead concentrate on telling the judge what is wrong with the custody arrangements that were agreed to and offer ways to fix the situation. In some cases the children just express how unhappy they are because of the divorce and how much they love both their parents and how much they wish there was some way to get the parents to stop fighting and hating each other.

That is the essence of what these kids are expressing. While the parents are emotionally bent on WINNING at all costs and sometimes filled with hatred toward the other, the children are caught in the middle because the parents often forget what is best for the child. The bottom line in all custody disputes (as Hardwick emphasizes in her SourceBook) is the welfare of the children. What this little book does is remind us of that fact. Here's a little letter that says it all:

"Dear Judge, I don't think what is going on for me is the same as what is going on for my parents. I don't know who is right. I don't care who is right. Clare C."

Another child writes,

"Dear Judge, I think my mom and dad are fighting because of me. Could you put me in a new family so my mom and dad can be happy again. Sandy S."

Another:

"Dear Judge,
Please tell my Dad to come home. My mommie cries all the time and it scares me. I don't know if we are going to be alright if he doesnt come home soon. Tell him I love him and will be a very good girl. Emily L."

Or simply,

"Dear Judge,
Please don't forget me. Emily S."

In an inadvertent way that is enormously eloquent, the following letter reveals the psychological damage that a hateful divorce can visit upon a child:

"Dear Judge, Please don't not make me choose. William"

I think a lot of good might be done if every parent currently caught up in an acrimonious custody dispute would simply take a few minutes to read through these letters. And it wouldn't hurt for some judges to read them as well.

By Sherry Russell "Reviewer/author" Grief Management Consultant, Midwest Book Review Vero Beach, Florida

Children's hearts are so many times treated as a sub-text of divorce. They are many times the forgotten sufferers in parental conflict and the court system. This diverse collection of letters spotlights the thoughts and emotions ranging from distress to humor. They give an insight to how children become efficient little workers trying to understand ways to benefit their family, their situation and to understand a system that is confusing to most of us adults.

One of my favorites is a letter from a young fellow who has the solution to the courts problems with children of divorce. He decides he should become a kid who lawyers other kids. After all, he points out; no one else is listening to the kids so perhaps this would work. This is truly an enlightening compilation.
The letters in Dear Judge: Kid's Letters to the Judge are bumper stickers for your heart.

By Patricia Kay "author and avid reader" Houston, TX

I could hardly stand to read this book, yet once I started, I couldn't put it down. Personally, I think the book should be required reading for any couple contemplating marriage and children. The book consists solely of actual letters written by kids to judges in family court. Filled with love and anguish, the letters brought tears to my eyes. These poor kids. It's a horrible shame what we adults have put them through. In one letter, a kid writes, "I want you to undivorce my Mom and Dad. It's just not working out for me." This says it all. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

By Sandra McLeod Humphrey, Children's Author Minnetonka, MN

The letters in this book are all real letters written by real kids expressing their honest feelings about divorce and they give the reader much food for thought. In some cases the kids seem more mature and more responsible than their parents, and one of the most important messages I gained from this book is that we must take the time to listen to our kids--really listen to them with our hearts as well as with our ears. A most revealing and insightful glimpse into the minds and hearts of our children. Highly Recommended!

By Barbara Donahue, Author, "The Anti-Rules, Now That You've Got Him, How Do You Get Rid Of Him?" Los Angeles, CA

This book is amazing. It empowers children to feel they can make a difference in their own lives. The letters should make everyone think before they act..they are thought provoking and heart wrenching.
Barbara Donahue,
Author, "The Anti-Rules, Now That You've Got Him, How Do You Get Rid Of Him?"

Reviewer: Amazonbombshell (Milwaukie, OR, USA)

DEAR JUDGE broke my heart many times. I have never been through a divorce or on any side of a custody battle, but I have seen the long- and short-term effects on friends at school (from elementary up through college), children I work with, and on my own husband, who went through a very messy divorce and custody battle between his parents, beginning at age 12.
Reading these plainly presented letters to a family court judge from children of all ages, I found myself beginning to understand what it must be like to be so powerless and so scared. The letters come from children in situations ranging from not-quite-right-anymore to terrifying and abusive, but the reader gets the sense that all of these children have been wronged in the same way: their true selves have been ignored. Adults forget what it is like to be a child, and we also forget that children notice and absorb nearly EVERYTHING we say and do. These letters prove how much kids really know, and how much they can teach their parents and caretakers, the justice system, and society in general. All parents should read this book, most particularly those who have divorced a spouse with whom they had children. And older kids might benefit from these letters, too. They might be helped by reading what other kids have gone through, and knowing that they are not alone.
The book's format is very simple: two pages of introduction telling why it was written, followed by over a hundred letters to the judge. I thought initially that it might benefit from some in-depth discussion and concrete suggestions for adults, but perhaps that is best left to therapists and the deeper books they write. These letters, unadorned, are incredibly powerful, and if you have ever loved a child, they will touch your heart and change the way you think about kids.

Reviewer: Adam Sacks (Calabasas, CA United States) This book is touching and sad but also very important to read.

Parents doing through divorces are hurting their children for the long term in so many ways. Listen to their voices in this book, it's sad and touching. Divorce doesn't have to be this bad.

Reviewer: Harold McFarland (Florida) TOP 50 REVIEWER Filled with short letters from children to the judge,

"Dear Judge" will at times make you laugh and at times make you believe in the family court system, but mostly it will point out the ways the court system and parents fail to take a child into consideration. When a young child has a question they generally turn to their parents, but when the parents say they can't take them somewhere, or see them more often, or otherwise satisfy the needs of the child because the court system constrains them they have to take other measures. These children took their pleas to the judge. Encouraging, disheartening, and enlightening, "Dear Judge" should be read by judges, parents, and attorneys alike.

Reviewer:Jeanne S, Krause (Thousand Palms, CA United States),

Charlotte Hardwick has done a real service to families by sharing these delightful letters from innocent children who find themselves caught up in custody cases. If only parents could read them BEFORE going to court. I laughed; I cried; and I learned from the viewpoint of the most innocent victims in custody cases--the children. "Dear Judge" has earned a permanent place in my personal library.

Reviewer:A reader

Great piece of work. I can see their faces and feel their hearts in these letters. I wanted more and could not have handled more at the same time. Buy this one and then try to keep your friends from walking off with it.

Reviewer: Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) TOP 10 REVIEWER

This is a slim volume of actual letters written by children to the judge in divorce/custody suits. It is a sad little commentary in the real voices of those who are most hurt by marriage break-ups. As a guide to parents facing separation, divorce, shared or sole custody, or blended families, it is probably invaluable, as well as being a very touching book to read. For anyone not in those situations, whether judge, lawyer, caseworker or even just a member of society watching families dissolve, this is a education about the feelings of the most vulnerable members of our society--children.
My favorite letter (among so many good ones):
Dear Judge,
....Grandpa said that just because my parents are big that doesn't mean they are grown up.
He promised as soon as they are grown up they will take care of me again. Grandma said he is telling me the truth.
Your friend, TD
And there are more letters equally meaningful. You don't want to miss this book if you are facing family problems.

Reviewer:Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA)

TOP 10 REVIEWER Kids write to judges about custody battles, divorce and other family matters. The letters are real, compiled by Charlotte Hardwick. The author says the letters deal with "fear, anger, confusion, love, grief and hope." One child writes "My stepdad explained the Justis Sistem (sic) to me. It does not sound right."
The letters are short and pithy, or longer and amazingly eloquent.
If any of these emotions are striking into the heart of your family during a custody crisis or other family court matter, this book is heartening reading. Pale Horse Publishing specializes in books on family court matters.

Reviewer:"katclarkson" (Mission Viejo, CA)

Sometimes it takes weeks and months to build enough trust with a child to get this kind of honestly felt comment. I had a notion these letters were out there. I have purchased Dear Judge in bulk and am handing it out to parents the court has assigned to me for family evaluation.
I will put my personal favorite here...
Dear Judge,
Please have the valuator come back out to our house. The day she came was not a day like all the rest. The kitchen caught fire because my brother was trying to make cheese grill sandwiches for us kids to eat so mom could talk to the valuator. Tell Miss Hill the dog never peed on anyone before and we will put him outside this time.
Yours truly, Bobby J.