Camp Rolling Hills is the perfect book for tweens 9-13. It would be a very good book if you are about to go to overnight camp for the first time. This book is about a certain group of kids going to camp. Each book switches between the perspectives of a girl and a boy. So this book would be perfect for both girls and boys (no matter how girly the cover looks, just check the back … [Read more...]
7 Reasons Busyness is Not the Answer
People tell you time goes fast when your kids are young. You smile and look at them like you wish they’d really shut up because your kid just puked on you and you’d really like some sleep. Most moms inwardly dream of when your kids are older. At least I did. Then, your kid hits middle school. Time moves faster. Things get busier, and you live on a school year to school year … [Read more...]
Book Review: Between Baby Dolls and Boyfriends: How to Successfully Navigate Your Daughter’s Tween Years
Navigating the Tween Years with Your Daughter The tween years can be an uncertain time for both girls and their parents. Parents try to identify and sympathize with the mood and attitude changes of their daughters, they watch friendships change or come and go, and look on as mean girls take center stage. If that weren’t enough, temptations and negative influences are … [Read more...]
10 Books For Your Tween’s (and Teen’s) Summer Reading
Summer Reading for Your Tween Yep. It's that time of year. If you are not already actively Pinteresting fun stuff to do with your kids this summer, you are gonna be one tired Momma by the end of that first week of vacation. We're completely serious: kids show no mercy to the weak and underprepared. So shore up the craft supplies, summer camp brochures, and snacks, then check … [Read more...]
Podcast with Angelhood Author, A.J. Cattapan
We have A.J. Cattapan on the show this week and considering her audience is largely made up of young adults, we have a special teen host doing the interview! Sydney takes her turn at the mic and asks the questions that only a young adult can ask of Angelhood author, A.J. Cattapan! … [Read more...]
What Would You Do If You Knew You Couldn’t Fail? Book Review
What Would You Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail? It's quite a question, isn't it? More like being 'called out', forcing us to walk our talk, show what we're really all about. I love the images that come to mind, and when I read the book by the same title by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons, I fell into an instant pool of understanding. It just clicked with … [Read more...]
5 YA Books You Need to Get for Your Reader Right Now
It's a known fact... parents who read have kids who read. And if you're like us, you probably grab a few of the books your teens and tweens are reading (hello, Hunger Games?!) so we've got a list of 5 of our current favorite YA books you need to add to your reader AND your kid's reader! The Book Thief - It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. … [Read more...]
Winter Break, Spring Break: No Break for Online Reputation
It is that time of the year again, when teens are planning their trips or what they will be doing with their time off during school break. One thing we know about teenagers: their social media won't be taking any vacations, quite the contrary, keystrokes and uploads usually work overtime. Parents continue to have the discussions about underage drinking, distracted … [Read more...]
A World Without Heroes Video Discussion
I had a wonderful conversation with Stacey Seguin, owner of paloozaonline dot com. She is a regular reader of tentotwenty and agreed to participate in a video chat about our respective perspectives on Brandon Mull's A World Without Heroes. Be sure and read my review of the book here, and let us know your opinion of the book in the comments section below! If you like our … [Read more...]
A World Without Heroes – A Book Review
Published:2011 Author: Brandon Mull It's About: Jason loves baseball and wants to be a zoologist when he grows up. Not a hero. He's hoping that the cute girl in his class notices him. Not some evil wizard. But since life never quite turns out the way we expect, Jason finds himself in an alternate reality on a mission to overthrow Maldor, the dark emperor ruling with fear … [Read more...]
Fablehaven, the Series – A Book Reveiw
We’re readers. Thankfully, my daughter, L, inherited the I Love to Read gene, and can’t keep her nose out of books any better than me. While I have many opinions on the merits of reading as a family, I won’t extol them today. Suffice it to say – I am of the staunch opinion parents should read to, and with, their children all the time. My daughter introduced me to the … [Read more...]
The Help – A Book Review
Published: 2009 It’s about: Skeeter: a young white woman, recently graduated from college, who aspires to be a writer. Aibileen: an older black maid, who has spent her entire life in the service of white families. Minny: a thirty-something black woman, also a maid, but with a mind of her own that she’s oftentimes too willing to share. Set in 1962 Mississippi, the … [Read more...]
The Thief Lord – A Book Review
Published:2002 Author: Cornelia Funke It’s About: A group of young orphans living together in an abandoned movie theatre in Venice, Italy, enjoy the independence of an adult-free life until the stakes are suddenly raised when they accept a back-alley job to steal an artifact in hopes of securing financial freedom for themselves. Awaiting them, however, are big risks, … [Read more...]
Revolution is Not a Dinner Party – A Book Review
Published:2007 Author: Ying Chang Compestine Awards: California Book Award for Young Adult Literature * 2008 ALA Best Books For Young Adults * 2008 ALA Notable Children’s Books * 2007 Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Fiction Book List It’s About: Nine-year-old Ling tells her personal story of growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China. Set in the city of … [Read more...]
Shooting the Moon – A Book Review
Published: 2009 It’s About: Jamie is a confident, exuberant and normal 12-year-old army brat, who idolizes her father and refers to him simply as "the colonel." When her brother TJ enlists as an army medic and gets sent to Vietnam, Jamie can't contain her pride and is "combat ready" for the exciting military details she's sure he'll share with her in letters, but all she … [Read more...]
Princess Academy – A Review
Published: 2005 It's About: Fourteen-year-old Miri lives in a mountain village, where the community works together quarrying stone. Word arrives on Mount Eskel that the prince will choose his future bride from among the eligible daughters of Miri's village, but the girls have only one year to prepare themselves for proper princess etiquette and so must attend a princess … [Read more...]
The Hunger Games Movie – A Review
Since I read the book my objective is simple: to compare the two mediums and to assess how Hollywood did in their translation of the story to the big screen from the written page. If you haven’t yet, please read my review of The Hunger Games trilogy here. This movie review is intended for those of you familiar with either the book and/or the movie. Let’s jump right into my … [Read more...]
The Hunger Games Trilogy – A Review
The Hunger Games, published 2008 Catching Fire, published 2009 Mockingjay, published 2010 I’m going to treat my review of these three books as a collective whole, as I do not see them as separate stories, but rather as one contiguous tale told with two lengthy bathroom breaks. Please be forewarned, there are SPOILERS. It’s about: Set in a … [Read more...]
