Book Review: Rocky Road by Rose Kent

Posted on by

Rocky Road imageWho moves to Schenectady, New York with plans to open an ice cream shop in the middle of winter? That’s what twelve-year-old Tess is wondering as she’s on the way there from San Antonio, Texas. Tess and her little brother Jordan, who is deaf, have seen a lot of their mother’s pie-in-the-sky plans crash and burn, along with most of the family’s savings. So she’s sure this new venture will be a disaster, especially since her mother tends to have bouts of boundless energy followed by times when she’s too depressed to get out of bed in the morning. Tess feels like the whole family is on a rocky road, just like the name of her favorite flavor of ice cream.

In Rocky Road, Rose Kent has written a book that will produce much thoughtful discussion in mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged nine to 12. Tess is a cautious girl who’s rightfully afraid of what will happen to her family if the business doesn’t work. She counters her mother’s enthusiasm with a healthy dose of skepticism. But she also has to learn that expecting to fail can have negative consequences too. Tess, her mother and her brother all grow in surprising ways throughout the story, and they find unexpected strengths to help them find solutions to their problems.

Ma is also a great character: she’s enthusiastic, full of endearing aphorisms that you can almost hear spoken in a Texas twang. But she also has to learn her limitations and to trust in someone other than herself. Of course, Rocky Road will also have you hankering for a couple of scoops of your own favorite ice cream. You might even be inspired to serve some of the special ice cream concoctions listed in the back of the book at your book club meeting. As Ma would say, “Ice cream warms the heart, no matter what the weather.” I couldn’t agree more, and I couldn’t give Rocky Road a higher recommendation.

Book Review: Nonna’s Book of Mysteries by Mary Osborne

Posted on by

Nonna's Book of Mysteries imageFlorence in the 1400s was a world center for painting and culture. But the guild tightly controlled who could be licensed as a master painter, and girls and women were not allowed on their list. Still, fourteen-year-old Emilia Serafini lives for her art, and she’s desperate to find a way out of the marriage her father has planned for her. So she turns for guidance to a book her mother gives her that has been handed down through generations in her family:  Manual to the Science of Alchemy.

But the book’s advice is not always easy to interpret, and sometimes Emilia doesn’t want to follow the advice she reads there. When she finds herself involved with a wealthy but unscrupulous businessman who covets the book, Emilia must call on all the magic she can muster from its pages to help her create the future she longs for.

In Nonna’s Book of Mysteries, author Mary Osborne paints a fascinating picture of Renaissance Italy and its thirst for beauty and knowledge. She includes enough historical details to bring the time period to life, but not so much that it overwhelms Emilia’s story. And Emilia is a great character who is rooted in her era with all the dreams of a girl far ahead of her time. Headstrong and determined, she also learns a lot about patience and tapping into wisdom passed down through the ages.

I also enjoyed reading about creating icons and frescoes and getting a taste for what life was like in a master artist’s studio of the period. Nonna’s Book of Mysteries is historical fiction at its best. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up.

Book Review: My Air Force Mom by Mary Lee

Posted on by

My Air Force Mom imageMy Air Force Mom is a soft cover picture book by Mary Lee that helps young children get a glimpse of military life. The story is told through the eyes of eight-year-old Susie, whose mom is in the Air Force. Through Susie we learn about Air Force uniforms, the commissary, ID cards and other military customs, like saluting.

We also see that the military offers careers for women. My Air Force Mom is an easy way to introduce this branch of the military to children of civilians and those whose parents are serving our country.

Save

Postertex: A Fun Way To Show Your Love of a Book

Posted on by

Postertext logoHere’s a website that lets book lovers hang their favorite books on their walls…sort of. It’s called Postertex. The brain child of Peter Kao, Postertex includes all the words of your favorite book designed around an image somehow related to the story. For instance, the words from the New Testament of the Bible wrap around the shape of a cross. The poster for Moby Dick shows an outline of a whale’s tail splashing down.

There are lots of titles to choose from, including some well-loved classics, such as The Wizard of Oz and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which features a profile of Alice along with the Cheshire Cat’s smile. I imagine these will make a great gift for book lovers you may know, and you may want to purchase your own favorites to display on the wall next to your own bookshelves.

Save

Book Review: Breakaway by Andrea Montalbano

Posted on by

Breakaway imageLily was born to play soccer, or at least that’s how she felt the first time she kicked a soccer ball. She’s good at it too, the best on her team. But when she finds out the hard way that what she thinks is best for her isn’t always best for her team or her family and friends, she must work to earn back everyone’s trust.

Breakaway by Andrea Montalbano is a great book for any girl who loves to play soccer or even watch from the sidelines. Lily’s confidence in her ability to play the game is a good primer for girls to learn how to recognize their skills and use them. Her struggle to look outside herself and learn how to recognize what others have to offer will resonate with anyone who’s ever heard the phrase “there is no ‘I’ in the word team.” I recommend it for girls aged 9 to 12.

Dads Play a Role in Mother-Daughter Book Clubs Too

Posted on by

With school about to start many of you may be thinking of starting a new mother-daughter book club or getting your established group going again after summer break. While making your plans, don’t forget about those important silent members of your group: dads.

Even though dads don’t usually participate in discussions, they can play an important role in helping make your book group successful. How so? Depending on the age of your daughter and whether or not you have other children dads can:

  • Entertain your other children and get their meals while you and your daughter attend a meeting.
  • Listen in as you read a book club choice, so your whole family can discuss the book.
  • Help you get ready when the meeting is hosted at your house, and help you clean up after everyone leaves.
  • Take charge of the household if you go away overnight with your group.

When dads get involved they also reap benefits, such as:

  • Having dad-only time with siblings when they plan a fun outing to a movie, a restaurant, or a local attraction.
  • Building a connection with their daughters when they ask about book club books and talk about some of the issues.
  • Expanding their social network by getting to know some of the other dads and siblings of book club members.

Over the years my husband has enjoyed his dad-only time with one daughter almost as much as I’ve enjoyed book group with the other. And we sometimes have great conversations about what’s going on in a book we’re reading. It’s helped us all feel connected in many ways.

Book Review: Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins

Posted on by

Monsoon Summer imageWhen fifteen-year-old Jazz Gardner discovers she’s going to spend the summer in India with her family she is not happy about it at all. She has a thriving business in San Francisco with her best friend Steve, and she can’t imagine leaving either one for three months. She’s certain one of the other girls from school will make a move while she’s gone and claim Steve’s heart before she even tells him how much he means to her.

When she arrives in the town where her mother was born and adopted from the orphanage, she’s determined not to get involved in helping out in any way. All she wants to do is pass the time while she counts the days until she goes home. But her encounters with the people, and a little bit of monsoon madness, just may convince her she’s got something to contribute after all.

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins is a great book for mother-daughter book clubs. Jazz is an independent girl whose parents are very much involved in her life. She constantly compares herself to her mother, and often feels she’s lacking. This book can generate great discussions on finding and believing in your own strengths, working to help others, trusting people and having the courage to say what you’re feeling. Perkins has an excellent mother-daughter book club discussion guide at her website, www.mitaliperkins.com. Here’s just one of the questions that may provoke great discussion:

“What’s the most risky thing you’ve tried when it comes to helping someone else? Did it work?” I highly recommend Monsoon Summer for book clubs with girls aged 10 and up.

Book Review: Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney

Posted on by

Blue Plate Special imageBlue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney is at its heart a story of mothers and daughters. In this case, there are three generations of mothers and daughters who all make mistakes but ultimately struggle to do the best they can.

Each of the storytellers, Madeline, Desiree and Ariel has a distinct voice. Madeline is super-responsible, and she takes care of her alcoholic mother. But she’s extremely overweight, and she fights to stay above water in a vast sea of loneliness. Desiree is happy with her school and social life, but at home her mother is too depressed to pay much attention to her. Desiree can’t rely on her mother to protect her. Ariel’s got a good relationship with her mother, but she’s in danger of falling under the control of a boy who wants to monopolize every minute of her time for himself.

Each story is told from the point of view of the girls when they were 16, and seeing the continuity between generations is both painful and hopeful. Can these women and girls escape their pasts and their present circumstances and find a way to be stronger and support each other?

Blue Plate Special should provide great discussions for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and older. Issues to talk about include finding a feeling of self-worth, what is the difference between being loved and being controlled by someone, and overcoming obstacles to provide a safe, loving environment for your children. This book gets stronger as it goes along. The stories are very simple, but very powerful, I highly recommend it.

Check the author’s website, http://www.michelledkwasney.com/, to read the first three chapters, which introduce each of the three characters, or listen to an audio excerpt. The downloadable discussion guide also has great questions, including this one that would be interesting in a mother-daughter book club:

“It’s hard for us to imagine what our mothers and grandmothers were like as teenagers. If you had the chance to travel back in time and meet your mom or grandma when they were your age, would you do it? What questions would you ask them?”

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...