Book Review: Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson

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Carzy U cover imageAny parent who’s had a child apply for college will be able to relate to Andrew Ferguson’s look at the process in Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College. But the ones who will get the most out of reading the book will be anyone with a kid who’s in high school as well as the students themselves.

I read Crazy U with my daughter and our mother-daughter book club with girls who are nearly 17 and looking at completing college applications in the fall of 2011. Most of them have older siblings who have already gone through the process, so both moms and daughters are familiar with what to expect. Even so, Crazy U is an eye opener in many ways, and Ferguson’s ability to humorously focus on the absurdities in the system makes it fascinating to read.

It was also interesting to get a “behind the scenes” look at things like the college rankings put out by U.S. News and World Report, the SAT, marketing strategies colleges use, writing the college essay and more. I’m not sure my daughter will drastically change her approach to filling out applications as a result of having read Crazy U, but I think it has helped to demystify the process more and help her relax—at least a little bit.

As for me, I’m recommending Crazy U to every parent of a high schooler I know. As one of the “kitchen people” Ferguson describes, I have a new outlook on the role I play in helping my daughter through the process. We’ll see if I can keep that attitude until next May.

This book was a reading selection of my mother-daughter book club.

 

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Book Review and Giveaway: Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth

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Unforgettable cover imageBaxter remembers everything since he was three. Doctors say a fall from a swing rewired his brain, and now he remembers every detail of everything that has ever happened to him, particularly the events surrounding his court testimony that sent Dink, his mother’s boyfriend, to jail.

Elementary school, where he was known as the Memory Boy, was a disaster, and after three years being homeschooled, he has a chance to start over in a new town where people don’t know he’s a freak. He’s especially interested in renewing his relationship with Halle, a girl he knew in kindergarten who doesn’t remember him from before, Trouble is, Dink’s out of jail, and Baxter is sure he’ll find them and seek revenge.

Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth is a great book for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and over to read. At 15, Baxter wants what most teens want, which is the ability to have friends, fit in, feel normal and be involved in something he believes in. Baxter is reading The Great Gatsby, and while he sees parallels between his own life and Gatsby’s, he desperately needs to believe his story can be different.

Book clubs can talk about the choices Baxter makes and how they influence what happens to him. They can discuss the challenges of embracing things that make a person unique without being ostracized from the crowd for being different. There is also a great subplot about environmental concerns as they relate to industrial safety and how that affects everyone in town in some way. Unforgettable covers multiple issues and Ellsworth expertly weaves the threads of these issues into an unforgettable story. I highly recommend it.

For more information on Unforgettable, you may want to check out the book trailer.

Intrigued? Comment here to win your own copy of Unforgettable. The giveaway will run through midnight (PDT) on Friday, October 14 and is open to entrants with U.S. and Canadian addresses. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to April on winning.)

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Book Review and Giveaway: With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

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With a Name Like Love cover imageWith a Name Like Love is a new book by Tess Hilmo that explores themes of friendship, pursuit of what’s right, and standing up for someone who is unpopular. Geared to readers aged 9 to 12, it will resonate with those even older. In a previous post, author Tess Hilmo offered her thoughts on The Power of Words. Below you’ll find my review of the book. I’m also thrilled to be able to offer a copy of this quiet but powerful book to two readers at Mother Daughter Book Club. com. To enter your name to win a copy (U.S. and Canadian addresses only please), just leave a comment here by midnight (PDT) on Wednesday, October 12. If you’d like, you can talk about a time when you took a stance that was unpopular with those around you, but that you were ultimately glad you took. Here’s my review:

When the Love family pulls into the town of Binder, Arkansas, Ollie has no reason to believe her time there will be different from any other place they’ve been. Her daddy, Everlasting Love, will preach in a field for three nights and the people will come from far and wide to receive comfort from his words. Then she and her four younger sisters will be off with their parents to the next town.

But when Ollie meets a boy named Jimmy whose mama is falsely accused of murdering his daddy, she feels maybe she can help do some good as well. The trouble is, there are some folks in this small town who would rather things stay the way they are, and they would resort to violence in order to encourage the Loves to leave. Ollie is determined to do what’s right for Jimmy and ultimately, for the townspeople, but first she has to convince the rest of her family to put down roots for a change.

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo reveals the whole of human nature through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl. Ollie admires her daddy’s ability to be calm and bring comfort to his family members as well as to those who hear him preach. She also recognizes the restlessness in him that keeps the Loves on the road when she would dearly love to stay in one place for a while and make friends. She sees the goodness in people who will help out their neighbors, and the indifference that will make them look the other way when something goes wrong. Ollie also is a witness to the darkness that can live in a human soul, and the fact that even when you shine a light on it, the darkness may not go away.

Tender and moving, With a Name Like Love is also a bit of a mystery and crime thriller that will have you rooting for the town of Binder, Jimmy and his mama, and most of all, Ollie and all of the Love family. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

 

Author Tess Hilmo Talks About the Power of Words

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Tess Hilmo photo

Photo by Jenni Howell Photography

Tess Hilmo is the author of With a Name Like Love, a book that looks at the power of compassion and friendship, and how the collective reasoning of people in a town isn’t always right. (Check out my review and details of a book giveaway.) In this essay, Hilmo talks about ways words can build us up or knock us down.

The Power of Words

By Tess Hilmo

Words are powerful! They can lift someone to the greatest heights or break someone’s heart. Every day we choose which words we will use.

Thinking about this concept, I am reminded of Harry Potter, one of my favorite characters in children’s literature. As you will recall, among Harry’s many courses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was Professor Flitwick’s class in charms. In this course the students learned that by saying certain words in a certain way, they could make magic happen.

I’ve discovered this to be true in my own life. Consider these magic formulas:

  • You can change a sad person into a happy, confident person by saying: “You are amazing!” or “I really like how you did that!” in an upbeat, outgoing tone.
  • You can magically heal a broken friendship by saying the formula: “I’m sorry for what I did.  Will you forgive me?” Don’t forget the required tone: sincerity.

My book, With a Name Like Love, also has examples of this. There is a boy named Jimmy who is all alone and going through a really tough time. He tries to keep positive, but it is difficult because some people in town say unkind things to him. At one point, Jimmy comes to a revival at the invitation of the main character, Ollie Love. A mean spirited woman, Mrs. Carter, tells Jimmy to leave. Here is what happens:

Esther Carter was standing behind Ollie.  “Go on, boy.  Git.”

The boy shoved his hands into his blue jeans pockets, turned and sulked off toward town.

Hot anger rushed up through Ollie’s veins. “He’s not some dog you can chase off.”

Mrs. Carter turned back to the crowd. “You’re right,” she said over her shoulder. “A dog is good for something.”

Beyond simply being cruel, words can also mislead people. There is another part in the novel where Mrs. Carter says,

“If’n you’re asking me, I’d say you were looking for a mess of trouble invitin’ that Koppel boy to your celebration. He’ll bring bad luck upon you and your whole clan—plus shoo us good people away.”

 

This statement is untrue and paints Jimmy (Koppel) in an unfair light, possibly costing him the help he so desperately needs.

On the other hand, there are many examples of the Love family helping Jimmy and lifting him up with their kind words. They invite him for meals and offer to help him with his problems. This is what happens at a later revival:

“And Jimmy did feel welcome. . . . It was a beautiful sight to see the joy coming from somewhere deep inside of him. The joy that comes when you finally let go of the worry and settle down in the comfort of friends.”

 

Our words matter! And, remember, you don’t have to be a wizard to work magic. You can be a regular person, like Ollie Love, who uses the enchanting power of words to change someone’s life for the better.

Book Review: Doggirl by Robin Brande

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Doggirl cover imageRiley Case, aka Doggirl, has always been better at communicating with dogs than people, and she sees no reason to change that. All she wants to do is get through high school and go to college so she can become a professional animal trainer.

So when the notice shows up about the school’s theater department needing a dog trainer with a trained dog, Riley thinks it’s the perfect way to get some experience under her belt without risking too much of herself. Before long she feels like one of the theater pack, but she’s unsure how to tell if everyone really likes her, or if they’re just being nice until the show’s over. If only people were more like dogs, she’d know what to do.

Doggirl by Robin Brande addresses an issue many teens may feel: struggling to be accepted for who you are. Riley is unsure of herself, in part, because kids she thought were her friends in middle school ended up being mean to her. She doesn’t want to get burned again, but she really does want the companionship of people as well as dogs. And learning how to communicate with them will obviously be something she needs to do her whole life; she can’t always expect her parents to be the only ones in her social circle.

I learned a lot about dog behavior, and I also found it fun to follow the progress of the action of the play within the story. Robin Brande carries the connection between dog behavior and human behavior well throughout, and at times I found Doggirl to be laugh-out-loud funny. And it’s not just for dog people. I’m more of a cat person myself, and reading Doggirl converted me just a bit. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 12 and up.

The author provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars

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Let's Make Some Great Art cover imageToday I’m thrilled to let you know about a new book that can help kids get excited about creating art, and I have one copy of it to give away to a reader. If you’d like to win, just leave a comment with something about art, whether it’s about what you like to create, or your favorite artists, or one of your favorite paintings. The giveaway is open until midnight (PDT), Monday, October 10. Entries from U.S. and Canadian addresses only please. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Elizabeth on winning.)

Here’s the review:

To inspire her own children to move away from the screen and get creative, professional artist Marion Deuchars put together art projects that would keep them engaged and challenged. Those projects evolved into a book that parents will cheer and kids everywhere will love: Let’s Make Some Great Art.

This oversized book is filled with activities that range from simple, like coloring in drawings, to more complicated, like making a mobile. Taken all together, the projects educate young artists aged eight and above about famous artists, the history of art, and different ways you can make your own art.

For example, one set of activities starts by talking about Alexander Calder, an American artist known for his mobiles and sculptures. The next page gives directions for coloring in a mobile in Calder’s style. The page after that gives instructions on how to make a mobile.

Basic concepts of art—line, color, perspective—are built into many of the ideas as are techniques that help kids learn to draw, such as crosshatching, creating patterns and using grids. Above all, kids are asked to use their imaginations and actively think about what they want to create.

Let’s Make Some Great Art will provide hours of fun for kids, and it’s likely that their parents will want to join in too. This book would also make a great gift for budding artists.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Book Review: The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

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The Unforgotten Coat cover imageJulie is thinking of nothing more than sneaking makeup from her friend’s mom and getting boys to notice her as she finishes summer term of Year Six. Then one day Mongolian brothers Chingis and Nergui appear in her classroom, and they appoint her their “good guide,” the person who will help them learn about their new home.

Suddenly Julie wants to know more about these strange brothers who seem very good at manipulating teachers and students into getting what they want, but who reveal little of themselves and are afraid of demons. Julie takes her role as good guide seriously, and she’s determined to find out more about the Mongolia Chingis speaks of and why he’s so protective of his younger brother.

Equally heartbreaking, funny and moving, Frank Cottrell Boyce’s The Unforgotten Coat is a small book with a big heart. It tells a story of family, emigration, hope and possibilities that will carry you along as it tranforms Bootle, England into the steppes of Mongolia. As in his other works, Millions, Framed and Cosmic, Boyce portrays children who are innocent, yet in their naiveté understand basic truths better than many adults.

From Chengis and Nergui, Julie learns to look at the world around her with fresh eyes. The Unforgotten Coat may inspire you to do the same. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 14.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Interview With Bianca Turetsky, Author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista

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Bianca Turetsky is the author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista (see my review), a book about a girl who tries on a vintage dress and ends up transported back to the time the original owner wore it. It’s the first in a new series, and here, Turetsky talks about how she became a writer, her interest in fashion and the stories that go with history, as well as what’s up next in her series.

Bianca Turetsky photo

Bianca Turetsky

How did you decide to become a writer?

BT: I’ve been writing stories since I was a little girl. My first published piece was a poem I wrote when I was seven years old and I was hooked from there! (Although I’ve since realized that poetry is definitely not my forte 🙂

What do you like about being a writer?

BT: So much! I love discovering the story. For my book The Time-Traveling Fashionista, I had an idea of how it would begin and how it would end, but the middle part was an adventure I got to go on as well. It was fun to surprise myself.

I also love the feeling of connectedness I’ve gotten from this book. Writing is such a solitary act but when the book goes out into the world and other people can relate to it and it starts a dialogue, that’s pretty awesome. There’s nothing better than hearing from my readers.

What do you find to be your biggest challenge in writing?

BT: My biggest challenge is finding the time to do it. I write every morning before I go to work, and often times I have to leave right when I get to the good part. It’s really frustrating, but then again I’m always excited to start again the next day so maybe it’s a good thing.

In The Time-Traveling Fashionista, Louise loves vintage clothing. Is that an interest you share with your character? Is so, what do you like about it?

BT: Yes! One of my favorite things is going to thrift stores and flea markets and hunting for the perfect vintage piece. Unlike going to the Gap, you never know what treasures you’re going to find!

Why did you decide to write about traveling to a different time?

BT: The idea came to me about 5 years ago after visiting this amazing vintage shop in New Haven, Connecticut, called Fashionista Vintage and Variety. It’s owned by these two fabulous women, Todd and Nancy, who know everything and anything about vintage clothing. I tried on this pink party dress that belonged to a Mrs. Baxter from Newport, Rhode Island, and I couldn’t help but wonder what her life was like, what the last gala or fancy event was that she wore this to. Was she in love? Was she happy? And how in a way, her memory was being preserved through this garment.

How did you research the fashions of the time Louise travels to?

BT: In an amazing coincidence one of the hottest fashion designers of the time, Lady Lucy Duff Gordon, happened to be on the Titanic as well. She made these dresses she called “emotional gowns” which she would personalize to the woman she designed them for. She thought she could capture the soul of the woman in them, which was one of the themes I was trying to get across. So I read a lot about her.

What kind of research did you conduct to find out about other historical details from the time period?

BT: I did a lot of research online (although of course you can’t trust those sources 100%) and at my local library. Also one of my friends was an assistant director on the Titanic movie, and ended up being a huge resource to me. He had this great illustrated book that James Cameron gave to the crew which really helped me get an idea of the layout of the ship, and what it would be like to actually have been a passenger on the boat. From what I would have eaten in the first class dining room, to how I would have spent my free time, to who I would be traveling with. Through these pages and drawings, I really felt like I was there.

Do you enjoy spending time on research?

BT: I was actually surprised by how much I loved the research side of the book. History was never my favorite subject in school, but approaching it from a different angle, in this case through the clothing and the personal stories, was fascinating to me. It made this event that happened almost 100 years ago seem so much more real and personal.

As this is a new series, is there a general message you like to have come across in each of the books?

BT: I think that each book has a slightly different message, but there is a little bit of a Wizard of Oz, “there’s no place like home” feeling to this one!

Can you tell us a little bit about Louise’s next adventure?

BT: I’ll give you a hint; I took an amazing research trip to Versailles and to Paris, the birthplace of haute couture. So Louise is going to have some sort of fabulous French adventure on the horizon! The Time-Traveling Fashionista and the Palace of Marie Antoinette will be out Sept 2012. Stay tuned!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers at Mother Daughter Book Club. com?

BT: I just think it’s so great that you have a mother daughter book club. I am still sending my mom books that I think she’ll love after I finish them, but I wish that we had something like this when I was growing up. Books are such a great springboard for talking about all kind of subjects that you may not otherwise discuss.

And I’d love to share the The TimeTraveling Fashionista Reading Guide as well.

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