...presents new information about the oldest juvenile court in the United States. The book forces its readers to pause and think how daring some of the CCJC's ideas and practices were. This book is a welcome addition to the existing literature and should be read by scholars, students, juvenile court professionals, and the general public.-American Historical Review
...a very useful and well-written introduction to the complex history of a pioneering institution.-Journal of American History
This book is a welcome addition to the existing literature and should be read by scholars, students, juvenile court professionals, and the general public.-American Historical Review
A quite brilliant and compelling book. Based on his detailed analysis of some 3,000 case files from the Cook County Juvenile Court between 1899 and 1926 he builds a picture of how the first juvenile court came to be established and uncovers the historic roots of some contemporary questions about young offenders-what is the legal status of a child that commits a crime, especially a horrific one, how should they be punished, and what causes children to commit crimes in the first place?-Howard Journal of Penal Reform
This book is most helpful in educating lawyers and political scientists about the findings of delinquency studies from the sister disciplines of sociology and psychology.-The Law and Politics Book Review
Juvenile Justice in the Making is a must read for anyone concerned with children. David Tanenhaus suggests that our view of childhood has changed quite radically in recent years. With the storytelling skills of an historian and the clearheadedness of a law scholar, Tanenhaus takes us back to the founding of the juvenile court to illustrate how far we've strayed from our faith in childhood as a separate province from adulthood.-Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here
In this time of despair over the very possibility of achieving juvenile justice, David Tanenhaus makes a compelling case for understanding the present by looking backward. Juvenile Justice in the Making reminds us of the persistent power of the belief that the young deserve a separate system designed expressly for them. And he insightfully explains why we must understand that the American juvenile justice system did not emerge full born ut evolved over time out of determined attempts to realize its critical mission. By giving juvenile justice back its past, Tanenhaus pens a persuasive argument for rethinking its present and reimagining its future.-Michael Grossberg, Professor of History & Law, Indiana University
Juvenile Justice in the Making captures the timeless lessons of the early juvenile court and applies them intelligently and passionately to the complex challenges it faces today. Tanenhaus carefully reconstructs the early history of this resilient institution to remind us how a separate court for children evolved through swirling social contexts and political cultures to give a recurring institutional voice to our enduring notions about children and the law.-Jeffrey Fagan, Professor of Law and Public Health, Columbia University
In his compelling new history of Juvenile Justice in the Making, David S. Tanenhaus has accomplished what many scholars considered all but impossible: a fresh historical interpretation of the development, operation, and enduring importance of the juvenile court. Scholars, lawyers, child welfare workers [or children's advocates], and policy pundits will wrestle with the significance and perhaps even more with the lessons of Tanenhaus' bold new opening.- Harvey J. Graff, author of Conflicting Paths: Growing Up in America
