Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank

Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank
Celia Rivenbark
St. Martin Press
$13.95
2007
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any manner for my review.


Total grade: A+

Total rating:16+

Summary:

Celia Rivenbark is an intrepid explorer and acid commentator on the land south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In this collection of screamingly funny essays, you'll discover:

*How to get your kid into a character breakfast at Disney World (or run the risk of eating chicken out of a bucket with Sneezy)

*Secrets of Celebrity Moms (don't hate them because they're beautiful when there are so many other reasons)

*ebay addiction and why "It ain't worth having if it ain't on ebay"

*Why today's children's clothes make six-year-olds look like Vegas showgirls with an abundance of anger issues

My Thoughts:
O-M-G this book was hella funny. I cracked up over and over. This is not a book for the immature or the sheltered. It has so many stories that you have to have lived through or know a tad about to enjoy, but if you do you will be in hysterics.

I recommend this book to all mom's and anyone looking for a funny book. It is a real pick me up for sure.

Must Monday

Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris

What?

Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?

But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.

Why?
Books about proms are always very cute and fun to read!

When?
February 8th, 2011

Death Wind

Death Wind
William Bell
Orca Soundings
$14.95
2006
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any way for my review.


Total grade: B

Total rating: 12+

Summary:
The woman's dress was ripped and her tears made white streaks in the dirt on her face. She stared into the mass of jumbled lumber. Allie could hear a baby wailing from somewhere in the mess. Allie's life has just taken a turn for the worse; not only do her parents fight all the time, but she is failing more classes than not and now she thinks she might be pregnant. Unable to face up to her parents she decides to run away. She hooks up with her old friend Razz, a professional skateboarder, and goes on the road. Razz is ranked number one but constant confrontations with the challenger Slash put Allie in some dangerous situations. With the rivalry heating up, Razz and Allie head toward home - right into the path of a fierce tornado. To survive in the horror and destruction that follow the storm, Allie has to call on an inner strength she didn't know she had.

My Thoughts:
I adore books about Natural Disasters, my problem with this however was it's length. By the time the tornado got raging it was already half over. Not a ton of storm details were included. I should have expected that though because of it's length.

Since the book was not super traumatic I find it to be a good "adventure" story for younger teens. I suggest it to all middle school educators and recommend it to reluctant readers as well.

Wednesday Wishlist

Let's Get Lost

by Sarra Manning

What?
Isabel is the girl who rules the school with an iron fist and a gang of minions who do her bidding. Her friends are scared of her, her teachers can't get through to her, and that's just the way she likes it. With her razor-sharp edges and tall walls, nothing gets to Isabel—and no one, but no one, is ever going to discover her dark, sad secrets. Then she meets Smith. And Isabel learns that sometimes when all the expectations and pressures are too much, you just need someone to help you get lost.

Why?
Bitch with dark secrets? I think it sounds delicious.

Something Girl

Something Girl
Beth Goobie
Orca Soundings
$9.95
2005
FTC: This is a library book. I am not being compensated in any way for my review.


Total grade: B

Total rating: 12+

Summary:
I couldn't swallow. I couldn't talk. When I got scared like this, a hand came up from inside and grabbed all the words out of my mouth. My dad started coming toward me and everything went into slow motion. I tried to run into the kitchen, but every step seemed to take five minutes. So I grabbed a chair and pulled it in front of me. My dad picked it up and threw it across the room. Then he grabbed my arm. "Stupid," he hissed. "No good. Nothing." Sophie is in a lot of trouble. She is on probation for stealing and is doing poorly at school. Her mom doesn't really talk to her, and the other adults in her life are pressuring Sophie to talk about her bruises. Sophie worries that if she tells, she will be sent to live in a group home. Her friend Jujube is the only person who knows the truth, and now Jujube, too, wants Sophie to speak up.

My Thoughts:
This book was incredibly sad but also incredibly moving. Child abuse books are usually to devastating for younger readers but this kept enough out that I would insist they read it. It was very short and super easy. There was no filler garbage but in my opinion it could have been a little longer.

I think this is an important issue and should receive more focus in schools. I would highly recommend this book to educators and younger teens.

Must Monday

Something Like Hope

by Shawn Goodman

What?
17-year-old Shavonne has been in juvenile detention since the seventh grade. Mr Delpopolo is the first counselor to treat her as an equal, and he helps her get to the bottom of her self-destructive behavior, her guilt about past actions, and her fears about leaving the Center when she turns 18. Shavonne tells him the truth about her crack-addicted mother, the child she had (and gave up to foster care) at fifteen, and the secret shame she feels about what she did to her younger brother after her mother abandoned them. Meanwhile, Shavonne's mentally unstable roommate Cinda makes a rash move, and Shavonne's quick thinking saves her life—and gives her the opportunity to get out of the Center if she behaves well. But Shavonne's faith is tested when her new roommate, mentally retarded and pregnant Mary, is targeted by a guard as a means to get revenge on Shavonne. As freedom begins to look more and more likely, Shavonne begins to believe that maybe she, like the goslings recently hatched on the Center's property, could have a future somewhere else—and she begins to feel something like hope.

Why?
I love books where juveniles are actually given a chance to change and be who they are.

When?
December 28th 2010

Guest Review

Back on the stage is my mama :)

Promise Me
Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster
$19.99
October 5, 2010
Ftc: This book was sent to my daughter by the publisher. We are not being compensated for this review.

Grade: A

Age: Aimed at adults.

Summary:
"As you read my story, there is something I want you to understand. That in spite of all the pain—past, present and that still to come—I wouldn’t have done anything differently. Nor would I trade the time I had with him for anything—except for what, in the end, I traded it for." Beth Cardall has a secret. For eighteen years, she has had no choice but to keep it to herself, but on Christmas Eve 2008, all that is about to change. For Beth, 1989 was a year marked by tragedy. Her life was falling apart: her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was suffering from an unidentifiable illness; her marriage transformed from a seemingly happy and loving relationship to one full of betrayal and pain; her job at the dry cleaners was increasingly at risk; and she had lost any ability to trust, to hope, or to believe in herself. Then, on Christmas Day, as she rushed through a blizzard to the nearest 7-Eleven, Beth encountered Matthew, a strikingly handsome, mysterious stranger, who would single-handedly change the course of her life. Who is this man, and how does he seem to know so much about her? He pursues her relentlessly, and only after she’s fallen deeply in love with him does she learn his incredible secret, changing the world as she knows it, as well as her own destiny.

Thoughts:
It had been a long time since I had read a book by this author so this was a great opportunity to reacquaint myself with his writing. I read this book in one day which was very quick for me. It was a book that I kept wanting to pick up. I enjoy the authors style of writing as it keeps your attention but is not a difficult read. I felt the editing of the book was really good which is something that I really appreciate! It is a very sweet story that I would recommend to everyone.

Wednesday Wishlist

Fake Boyfriend

by Kate Brian

What?

Lane and Vivi have had it with Isabelle Hunter's boyfriend, Shawn Littig (a.k.a. Sluttig). He is the only person who can turn their smart, confident best friend into a complete mess. When Shawn Sluttig cheats on and dumps Izzy just months before the prom she's been planning since the ninth grade, Lane and Vivi decide to take action.

With a few quick keystrokes, they create a MySpace page for "Brandon," the perfect guy to get Izzy out of her revolving-door relationship with Shawn. Too bad he's totally fake. Vivi's younger brother, Marshall, who they hire to be the "man" behind the profile, is way too into being Izzy's fake boyfriend. So they turn to cute, prep-school Jonathan to be the face of Brandon. But when Vivi falls for Jonathan, and Sluttig tries to wedge his way back into Izzy's prom picture, the whole plan starts to go south faster than you can say "fake boyfriend."

Why?
Kate Brian!!!!!! Need I say more? :)

Guest Review

Please welcome as a new blogger (every now and then) on my blog, Lenae. She is my mom as well :).

Good Enough To Eat
Stacey Ballis
Berkley Publishing Group
$14.00
September 7, 2010
Ftc: This book was sent to my daughter by the publisher. We are not being compensated for this review.

Grade: A

Age: Aimed at Adults (Some language and content)

Summary:

The last thing Melanie expected to lose when she went on a diet was her husband.

Former lawyer Melanie Hoffman lost half her body weight and opened a gourmet take-out café specializing in healthy and delicious food. Then her husband left her-for a woman twice her size. Immediately afterwards, she's blindsided by a financial crisis. Melanie reaches out to a quirky roommate with a ton of baggage and becomes involved in a budding romance with a local documentary filmmaker.

Thoughts:
This was the first time I had read a book by this author and I was very pleased. This was a cute story and was a very fun read. This story actually gave me the desire to cook. I felt motivated and encouraged by this book which to me shows that it was well written. I now look forward to reading other things written by this author!

Must Monday

Other Words for Love

by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

What?
When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future.

When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?

Why?
It sounds so good. I am just super excited for this one!

When?
January 11th, 2011 (MY BIRTHDAY!!!!)

The Help

I was asked to share this with you :)


THE HELP
DREAMWORKS STUDIOS
Website and Mobile site: DreamWorksStudios.com
Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheHelpCommunity
Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HelpCommunity

Genre: Drama
Rating: TBD
U.S. Release date: 2011

Cast: Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone
Director: Tate Taylor
Producers: Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
Executive Producers: Tate Taylor, Mark Radcliffe, Dean Jones, Nate Berkus, Jennifer Blum, Jeff Skoll, Mohamed Khalef Al-Mazrouei
Screenplay by: Tate Taylor
Based on the novel by: Kathryn Stockett

Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (star of the breakout hit, “Zombieland”) as Skeeter, a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives—and a small Mississippi town—upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Academy Award® nominee Viola Davis (“Eat Pray Love”) stars as Aibileen, Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, who is the first to open up—to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter’s life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories—and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly—and unwillingly—caught up in the changing times.

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling novel, “The Help” is a provocative and inspiring look at what happens when a southern town’s unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.

Wednesday Wishlist

Boy Crazy

by Hailey Abbott

What?

How to Date Like a Guy:

1. Flirt constantly.

2. Keep your options open.

3. Don't get attached.

Cassie and her two friends, Gretta and Keagan, are so over boyfriends. But just because the girls are anti-boyfriend doesn't mean they're anti-boy. So they make a pact for the summer: They'll each kiss ten different guys before school starts no commitments, no drama, just fun. Sounds easy enough. Then Cassie meets the perfect guy(nine boys too soon), and the pact starts to seem like a terrible idea. Not to mention Boy Number One turns out to be her best friend's ex. Ugh Cassie's summer just went from carefree to complicated faster than she can say "heartbreaker."

Why?
Sounds like a flirty romance!

Getting the Pretty Back

***** I MET MOLLY RINGWALD!!!!!

Getting the Pretty Back
Molly Ringwald
Harper Collins
$25.99
April 2010
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated in any way for my review.


Total grade: A

Total rating: 16+

Summary:

In Getting the Pretty Back, Molly encourages every woman to become "the sexiest, funniest, smartest, best-dressed, and most confident woman that you can be." She shares personal anecdotes and entertaining insights about the struggle to get through the murky milestones and identity issues that crop up long after the prom ends. Whether she's discussing sex and beauty, personal style, travel and entertaining, motherhood, or friendship, Molly embodies the spirit of being fabulous at every age, and reminds us all that prettiness is a state of mind: it's "the part of you that knows what you really want, that takes risks."

Lavishly illustrated by Ruben Toledo, Getting the Pretty Back is sure to charm women of all ages with Molly's unforgettably personal, refreshingly outspoken take on life, love, and, of course, finding that perfect red lipstick. . . .

My Thoughts:
I adored this book. It was super cute and I admit I am a huge Molly fan. I wasn't alive when she came around so it was super fun reading her book and seeing just how she started. The stories were all entertaining and meshed well. The only thing I was confused on was the point of the book. At some times it felt like self help and a moment later it was like a memoir!

I think this is a great book for all women (young and old) to read. Molly can help you feel like things are going up if your 16 or about to turn 40. The best part of this book was that I got to meet her! I bought her book because she was at the WeHo Bookfair. Super exciting :). This is also a very fast read.

Must Monday

The Transformation of Things

by Jillian Cantor

What?
What if the reality you thought you knew was nothing but a fantasy?

Jennifer Levenworth has a great big pounding headache. It could be because her husband, a judge, is indicted on bribery charges, leaving her unsure about everything in her marriage. Or it could be caused by the media, who are relentlessly covering the story. Or because the friends Jennifer thought she knew and trusted have turned their backs on her in her greatest hour of need.

And then the dreams begin. . . .

And while Jennifer sleeps, she swears she can see—and hear—her friends' and family's most private moments. Soon Jennifer realizes she is actually learning the truth about their lives, which is also leading her to question everything she thought she knew about herself. But when the dreams start to reveal a startling reality, can Jennifer find the strength to ultimately transform her life?

Why?
Doesn't it sound beautiful?!

When?
Tomorrow!!!!