Secrets of an Organized Mom by Barbara Reich

[NOTE:  I get that this was not written to be a tween/teen book, but I think even tweens and teens could benefit from the organizational tips and tricks given.  Plus, I know I have adult followers who would totally appreciate hearing about this book!]

When I saw this book on display among the new books of the Parenting section, I swear I heard it call my name!  Though I have OCD and clutter has always been able to cause me undue anxiety, my house has never been completely organized.  Many of my friends seem to think that it is well organized, and maybe it is pretty good compared to some other houses, but I know there is still a lot of room for improvement.  Being a working mom, I rarely have enough time to do more than get by from one week to the next.  After all, keeping a house organized while staying on top of the billion or so other things a mom needs to do is not an easy feat!  I often say that I practice “subsistence living” — I am not falling behind, but I only seem to get the bare minimum accomplished.  I would love to feel like I am actually making headway on the clutter [i.e. getting rid of it] instead of barely getting by, though, so I figured I would read this book and give her methods a try.

The first chapter lays out Reich’s ground rules, and subsequent chapters help you tackle specific areas of the house.  I like that you can apply her four-step method and her “Ten Commandments of Organizing” to pretty much any room/organizational challenge.  And, while she does talk about children’s areas and children’s stuff, this book could work just as well for people without children if they simply skip the parts that don’t apply.  The practical advice paired with a “tough love” attitude made me give it a try… and seeing the end result in my 8-year-old son’s room sealed the deal!  He is happy that he has more room to play and that he can find all of his toys, and I’m thrilled that the “place for everything” structure empowers him to clean it all up when he’s done. Almost one week later, his room still looks like it belongs in Better Homes and Gardens. 

I absolutely love this book!  So much, in fact, that I just ordered a copy of my own — to reference in the future and maybe even to lend to friends/family who want to check it out.

Happy Reading!

Passive Aggressive Notes: Painfully Polite and Hilariously Hostile Writings by Kerry Miller

If you’re looking for something funny and light to read during your winter break, this is just the ticket!  It almost made me wish I would have saved the passive aggressive notes I’ve encountered throughout my life so I could send them in to the author for inclusion on her website (or calendar!).  For a taste of what the book has to offer, or for more once the book is done, check out her website: http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/

Happy Reading!

Regine’s Book: A Teen Girl’s Last Words by Regine Stokke

I couldn’t possibly do any better than the publisher’s book description, so I am copying it verbatim:  Regine’s blog about living with Leukemia gained a huge following, and eventually became this book. She writes openly about emotional and physical aspects of her 15-month struggle to recover, and explains how her disease impacts her life. In the course of her illness, Regine has photography exhibits, goes to concerts, enjoys her friends & family, and advocates for registering as a blood and bone marrow donor. She was a typical teenager with an amazing will to live; and the lessons she learned have relevance for all of us. She died at home on December 3, 2009 with her family and cat by her side.  This book actually reminded me quite a bit of Jenny Downham’s book Before I Die, aside from the sad fact, of course, that Regine’s story wasn’t fiction.

Reading this book has helped me to better understand what many cancer patients go through, and it has also helped me to put some annoying bits of my own life into perspective.  Is is the end of the world if I get stuck in traffic on the way to work?  No one will die if I get to the library five minutes late.  Is it the end of the world if I forget a coupon and accidentally pay an extra dollar or two for my groceries?  Hardly.  Poor Regine really did get some “end of the world” news — as a teenager, no less — and still managed to stay extremely positive.  Even after reading her blog/book, I can’t wrap my brain around how she was able to muster up the will to carry on and to hope for a cure when every indication was that her condition was beyond hope.  Though her life was short, she lived as fully as possible and gave her life purpose.  She did a lot to raise money and awareness for cancer treatments like bone marrow transplants — and she inspired me to go to marrow.org to add myself to the national bone marrow registry.  (You can register yourself, too, if you’re a healthy adult between the ages 0f 18 & 44!)

Happy Reading!

Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America by Joan Wehlen Morrison, edited by Susan Signe Morrison

When it comes to World War II, there is historical fiction aplenty.  Many authors have done intense research to create rich stories of things that could have happened in that time, but there is nothing like a primary document to help readers appreciate exactly how people felt and what they actually went through.  I’m guessing that is exactly why the Diary of Anne Frank resonated with me when I read it in middle school.  Anne was a real girl, she was about my age [13], and she had actually lived through the things I was reading about.  As I read Anne’s record of her time spent in that tiny apartment, hiding from the Nazis and hoping to make it out alive, I gained a new appreciation for the simple things in life.  Until I read her diary, I took it for granted that I had enough food to eat, was able to spend time with my friends, and could open a window for extra light and fresh air whenever I felt like it.

Joan Whelen Morrison’s diary is both similar to and completely different from Anne Frank’s diary.  It’s different, obviously, because Joan lived in America and didn’t live in fear of being found and killed by the Nazis; her location afforded her a great many freedoms Anne was denied.  Joan’s diary is extremely similar, though, because she was also a teenage girl whose writing not only chronicled her daily life and the events unfolding around her but also revealed some incredible insights about life.  Joan’s diary gives readers a peek into the life of a typical [American] teenage girl who lived during the time of the Great Depression and leading up to World War II.  The tone of her diary ranges from light and funny entries about school and boys to more serious, with topics like the explosion of the Hindenburg and the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  People who enjoy reading and learning about this time in history won’t want to miss Home Front Girl.

Happy Reading!

Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke

Not only does this book receive my YA Librarian Seal of Approval for including lots of factual information and providing helpful resources for the teens who need them, but it also receives the Queer Teen Seal of Approval from one of my patrons.  He saw the book sitting out on my desk [as I was about to start my review] and asked if he could look at it.  I decided to hold off on my review until after he and I had a chance to discuss what he thought of the book.  I figured this was the perfect test, after all, because he is currently in the process of coming out to his friends and is trying to figure out when/how he will come out to his family.  After about an hour, he returned and told me, “It’s awesome!”  He went on to say that he liked how it was “pretty much a ‘how to’ guide for gay teens.”  I smiled and said, “That’s pretty much the idea!”  So, yeah…  I think this book is a “must own” for all libraries that serve teens — whether you think you have queer teens or not.

Happy Reading!

Don’t Sit on the Baby: The Ultimate Guide to Sane, Skilled, and Safe Babysitting by Halley Bondy

Despite the silly title and humorous “TALES FROM THE CRIB” anecdotes from real-life babysitters, this book is not a joke — it’s a wealth of helpful information!  I especially like the fact that it begins with information about what you can expect as a babysitter and includes a quiz to see if you’re ready for the job.  The book is presented in three major sections: Babysitting Breakdown, Essential Skills, and Business Basics.  Aside from the thorough index, there is also a list of resources for the topics Basic Training, In Case of Emergency, and Edu-tainment.  I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks s/he is ready to babysit, and I think it belongs in the YA non-fiction collection of every school or public library.

Happy Reading!

Stuff on My Cat: The Book by Mario Garza

This is NOT a book for serious readers…  It’s just a book of funny pictures that people took after putting stuff on their cats.  That being said — this book is hilarious!  I am pretty sure my favorite was the picture [near the middle of the book] of a kitten dressed up in a red shirt and a tutu-like pink skirt.  Darn near melted my heart!  This would be a fun book to look at with a friend or two when you have nothing better to do.

Happy Reading!

Getting Inked: What to Expect When You Get a Tattoo by Larry Gerber

With tattoos becoming more and more mainstream, I think it is very important for teens to have access to credible resources so they can make an informed decision about whether or not to go under the gun.  Since I already have several tattoos and am in the planning stages of getting another, I feel like I am pretty well qualified to review the information in this book.  And, as far as I am concerned, this book is great! The titles of the chapters speak very well for themselves:

• Thinking Before Inking
• Choosing a Tattoo: What and Where?
• Shopping Around
• Inking: How Getting a Tattoo Works

I thought the author did a great job explaining what factors a person should consider before deciding whether or not to get a tattoo, and I especially appreciated the inclusion of what to look for to ensure that the tattoo artist and his/her shop are legit.  The “For More Information” and “For Further Reading” sections were included lots of great resources for people who still want to learn more, and the bibliography was very thorough as well.  I think this book is a great choice for anyone who wants to educate his/herself before getting a tattoo and a must have for public library collections.

Happy Reading!

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Download the Weird by Geoff Tibballs (Compiler)

My son and I like looking through these books together to see who can gross the other one out with the weirdest things.  I usually lose, but we both end up in hysterics!

Some of the grossest things we found in this edition included:

• the gardener who accidentally impaled himself through the eye with a pair of gardening shears (p. 112)
• the biologists at Cambridge University who genetically engineered E. chromi bacteria to change the color of feces depending on ailments in the subject’s body (p. 98)
• the “vomit artist” Millie Brown, who consumes soy milk mixed with food dyes before sticking her fingers down her throat to make herself vomit onto the canvas (pp. 206-7)

There are plenty of interesting things that are NOT completely disgusting, as well.  Some of our favorites were:

• the Gum Man, Chris Antes, who can sculpt gum into intricate shapes without his hands (p. 216)
• the panda suits worn by keepers at the panda conservation centers in western China (p. 54)
• the SEGA game “toylets” found in urinals in Japan which measure the strength and accuracy of the gamer’s aim while peeing (p. 168)

Happy Teen Read Week!