Book Review: The Other Side of Blue by Valerie O. Patterson

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The Other Side of Blue imageSince her father drowned while sailing a year ago, Cyan and her mother hardly speak to each other. There are too many things Cyan can’t ask her—why didn’t her mother go out with her father that day, how did she meet someone else and fall in love again so quickly—for them to bridge the gap. Now they’re back on the Curacao, where they’ve come every summer for years. Cyan’s soon-to-be stepsister, Kammi, is also with them, and Cyan wonders if Kammi’s presence will drive her further apart from her mother or help her find a way back.

The Other Side of Blue by Valerie O. Patterson explores how things left unsaid in families can hurt just as much as things said. It looks at how teens can work to find what’s truly important to them and gain confidence in their own abilities instead of comparing themselves to the success of their parents. Set in a Caribbean paradise, The Other Side of Blue will have mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up talking about the nature of friendship, parental love and responsibility, communicating hurt, and moving beyond tragedy. I highly recommend it.

Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook All About the Gross Stuff

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The Worst-Case Scenario imageLots of kids love gross stuff. They may learn to be polite and hide their fascination with body fluids, creepy bugs and germ-ridden places, but that doesn’t mean they’re less drawn to reading about them. Which is why lots of kids will also love the latest addition to The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series—Gross Junior Edition.

Before I even picked this book up to read my daughter was already quoting tidbits she had gleaned from its pages, like the types of burps listed in the Burp Classification System and advice on removing a tick.

The gross scenarios to survive are divided into four chapters that cover situations with the human body, at home, at school and in the wild kingdom. Parents may even want to refer to this handy little guide when they have to deal with gross things like getting rid of lice and dealing with an infestation of flies.

Fast facts like this one are scattered throughout: “While most bacteria and viruses need moisture to survive, some germs can live in a piece of ABC gum for up to a year.” With recipes at the back for fake blood, vomit, poop and snot, this handbook may even inspire kids to head to the kitchen for a little experimental cooking.

Profiles of authors David Borgenicht, Nathaniel Marunas, and Robin Epstein, and illustrator Chuck Gonzales are listed in the back alongside bios of the scientists and experts consulted to compile the material. This book is a sure-fire winner with any kid or adult fascinated by the gross stuff all around—that means most of us.

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Book Review: Hurricane Mia by Donna Marie Seim

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Hurricane Mia imageThe last thing Mia wants to do is spend the summer with her grandparents in their home on the Caribbean island of Bambarra. She was supposed to be at a camp with her best friend, but instead she’s stuck with her little brother, no cell phone, no TV and a grandma who is strict. Mia is also worried about being away from her mom, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

When Mia discovers that a traditional healer may have a special tea to help her mom get better, she’ll break any rule to get some and take it home long before summer ends.

Hurricane Mia written by Donna Marie Seim and illustrated by Susan Spellman shows what can happen when adults and children don’t communicate about important events that affect everyone. Mia’s grandparents and her mother mean well, but they don’t talk to Mia about why they make the rules they set down so she thinks they are unfair and is inclined to break them when she can. Mia deems all the rules unreasonable and has a hard time seeing beyond getting what she wants. But then she learns that breaking the rules can have very real consequences beyond getting punished.

I’m not sure how much Mia learned from her mistakes, and I wasn’t convinced that Mia, her brother, and their friend would be so competent when they ran into trouble on the water, but overall I think Hurricane Mia brings up good issues to discuss about friendship, making judgments about people, and communicating with family members.

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Book Review: The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

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The Pink Crystal Ball imageErin has one thing on her mind: writing the perfect essay that will earn her one of the spots in an all-expenses paid trip to Italy to study art. She’s got the highest GPA in her 10th grade class, but she also lives a rather normal, boring life. There’s nothing she can write about herself that will make her stand out. That is, until her aunt dies and leaves her a pink crystal ball. Erin and her friends believe it’s nothing more than a toy, until the things she asks it for start to come true

Risa Green’s new series for young adults, The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball, presents a lot for teens and their moms to think about: What would you do if you thought you could control your future? Are there some things that you shouldn’t try to control? What should you do if things turn out differently than you expect? Why is it important for you to take responsibility for your actions and make things happen for yourself?

Erin and her friends, Lindsay and Samantha, want what many teens want: a dating relationship, harmony at home, and success at school. It’s fun to read about their adventures as they try to achieve success in each of these areas. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and I recommend The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up.

Book Review: The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

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The Red Umbrella imageDuring the midst of the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960s, thousands of children were sent alone to live with relatives or be taken in by aid agencies in the U. S. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, tells the fictional story of two of these children.

When the revolution first began, life didn’t change much in the Alvarez household. Lucia still read fashion magazines with her best friend Ivette, and Lucia’s little brother Frankie liked riding his bike and spying on soldiers. But eventually they began to notice more tension in their home as their father came under increasing pressure at work. Their parents’ friends began disappearing, and kids their age start joining a revolutionary youth corps before their parents decided that Lucie and Frankie would leave their home to live with a foster family in the U.S.

Gonzalez’s vivid prose brings Cuba of the 1960s to life with all its vibrant colors, spicy food, and tropical climate all in a backdrop of revolutionary tensions. No one knows who to trust anymore; even family members and best friends turn against each other. Each chapter starts with a headline about Cuba pulled from newspapers across the U.S. It’s a great way to compare how the revolution was viewed in this country as compared to how it was being experienced by Cubans.

Through Lucia’s eyes you fall in love with the Cuba she longs to have back again and worry for the family and friends she leaves behind. As Lucia and Frankie struggle to adjust in a country where they barely speak the language and a state where it snows in winter, they also learn the outside world’s perspective of their homeland.

Gonzalez based her story on the experiences of her parents and thousands of other children who came to the U.S. in a program known as Operation Pedro Pan. The tale she weaves in The Red Umbrella is more than great historical fiction about an event that still affects the lives of Cubans and Cuban exiles, it is also a tribute to the courage the children of exile showed in the face of immense uncertainty and upheaval. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 14.

Book Review: The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

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The Julian Game imageRaye Archer is new at her high school, and even though she has a close friend, she’d like to fit in with more people. So when the opportunity comes up for her to tutor Ella Parker, leader of the mean girl popular group, she grabs it. But Ella’s not all that interested in learning to speak Chinese, so when the tutoring sessions turn to other talk, Raye finds herself offering to help Ella get back at her ex-boyfriend Julian by using a fake online personality.

Their scheme works better than Raye expected, or wanted, when it ends in a set up fistfight. Raye finds herself confessing to Julian, and becoming better acquainted with him in the process. But when Raye ends up on Ella’s bad side, she has to figure out who her true friends are and what is most important to her.

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin is a look at so many issues that teens deal with: wanting to be liked, finding out what friendship really means, deciding how far they’ll go to get back at someone who has hurt them, and creating online personalities to meet people they feel are unreachable in real life. Mother daughter-book clubs with girls aged 14 and up should be able to mine this book for lots of great discussion. I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Stalker Girl by Rosemary Graham

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Stalker Girl imageCarly never expected to stalk her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. She knew it was her own fault that Brian broke up with her; she simply wanted to see what the new girl looked like. But after her first glimpse she found herself wanting to know more about Taylor Deen, and following her around seemed harmless enough. But each time Carly saw Taylor she ended up wanting to know even more, and pretty soon her need was like an addiction, something she knew she should stop but couldn’t seem to shake. She was even lying to her parents and her best friend about what she was doing. Sooner or later something was bound to go wrong.

Stalker Girl by Rosemary Graham is a realistic look at how an otherwise normal teen girl can become obsessed when a boy breaks up with her. Carly had not only fallen for Brian, but she loved his family as well. With her own parents divorced, her stepmother pregnant, and her mom’s long-time boyfriend moving out, Carly’s life was in upheaval. She connects with Brian’s family because they seem so stable.

Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up can talk about ways girls (and boys) can lose themselves in relationships. They can discuss the choices Carly makes and the consequences of those decisions as well as ways to avoid making the same mistakes she does.

Book Review: The Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow

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The AristobratsParker, Ikea, Plum and Kiki can’t wait for eighth grade to start at the exclusive Wallingford Academy. They feel like they’ve earned the privilege of being at the top of the social heap and are set to reap the rewards before they leave for high school. The foursome is inseparable, even signing off on emails and texts with the acronym “Lylas”—Love you like a sister.

But the year gets off to a rocky start when the principal assigns them the job of producing Wallingford Academy Today, a webcast produced in the past by the very uncool and very unpopular. Suddenly the group’s glam appeal drops. How are they ever going to regain their status when they are stuck in the production room all the time?

The Aristobrats by Jennifer Solow is the first of a fresh series for middle-grade readers. There is a lot to dislike about the foursome at first glance: they seem self-centered, shallow and totally focused on material possessions. But it’s really fun to read about their clothing and makeup dilemmas, how they stress over their number of friends on Facebook, and how they react to stress in their lives. Yes, they’re spoiled and privileged for the most part, but they’re also nice, and they don’t plot to advance themselves by demeaning others.

The Aristobrats (so called because they are the second or third generation members of their family to attend the academy) solve their issue in a very creative way, even if that’s not what they intended. Girls aged nine to 12 should find this a fun read. This first book in the series, Lylas, only goes through the first couple of months of the school year, so I expect the group will face many more challenges before eighth grade is over.

For a little extra fun, author Solow has a secret page on her website that only a select group of bloggers has access to, and I’m with the in crowd. So check out this link for a look at The Aristobrats Essential Guide to Terms, Abbreviations, & Otherwise Completely Made Up Words. You might also be interested in taking the Which Aristobrat Are You? quiz found at the author’s website.

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