Public interest in domestic violence waxes and wanes with the headlines. This article describes how libraries can play an important--and even lifesaving--role in empowering abused women, providing useful resources for shelters and other agencies, and enlightening students and the general public about domestic violence.

Following a brief introduction to the topic of child abuse (why children are abused, who are abused, who are abusers, what forms abuse takes, what sources of help are available), this essay examines 16 children's fiction books and comments on the action of the characters. Five references are included. (EJS)