Ten authors' viewpoints about preparing healthy children for possible hospitalization are presented. Selected topics include (1) the fallacy of "preparing" young healthy children for possible hospitalization, (2) parents as the best preparers of young children, (3) preparing young children for unplanned hospital admissions, (4) anxiety created when young children tour hospitals, (5) engendering positive feelings about hospitals and health care, (6) program models for preparing healthy children for hospitalization, (7) preparing children for hospitalization, (8) preventing distress once the child is in the hospital, (9) children's handling of difficult events, (10) information about nonpatient preparation by three child advocacy groups, and (11) practices and studies in nonpatient preparation. Bibliographies for adults and young children are included. The board of directors and advisory board members of pediatric projects are listed. (BJD)