by Heather Salerno

About the author: Heather Salerno is a reporter for the Journal News, a newspaper serving New York.

In the airy living room of her family’s Croton-on-Hudson bungalow [in New York], Jian Gallo-Kohn settles between her parents with a Dragon Tales coloring book. A brick-red crayon in hand, the 6-year-old squirms on the cream- colored sofa. A tiny frown wrinkles her forehead.

“I need a lot of books piled up, so I don’t have to bend down,” Jian announces softly, and Jean Gallo gathers a stack from the coffee table. Jian fiddles a bit and decides that this solution isn’t working. Before anyone can stop her, she wrestles an ottoman cushion to the floor, and sits on it cross-legged.

She smiles and nods. &ldquo...