The entertainment media is built on it, school hallways are full of it, but is gossip ever really acceptable? When does talking about others cross the line from thoughtful concern to harmful activity?<p><em>Gossip: Deal with it before word gets around</em> looks at the damage gossip can cause to both its object and its perpetrators, ways to cope when a rumour is making the rounds, and what young people can do when the urge to participate in gossip feels irresistible.</p><p><strong>Catherine Rondina</strong> is a columnist and reporter for publications such as <em>City Parent</em>, <em>Good Times</em>, <em>Post City Magazines</em> and <em>Canadian Living</em>. Her writing for children has appeared in educational anthologies, literacy workbooks for students, and she is the co-author of a guide to professional baseball for women. She lives in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, with her husband and three children.</p><p><strong>Dan Workman</strong> is an illustrator and graphic artist who has been featured in such magazines as <em>Chart</em>, <em>Faze</em>, <em>Gasoline</em> and <em>Musicworks</em>. Dan is a graduate of the Interpretive Illustration Program at Sheridan College and currently resides in Toronto.</p>