Mom & Me Book Club -- February 2022

For the month of February, my daughter and I read The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes!  I have seen this book on many middle-grade recommendation lists, but I had never read it.  Then a new "Bookstagram" friend shared a review of it and I decided I needed to read it.  When I commented on her post, she generously offered to send me one of her three copies of the book.  How sweet was that!?!  Bookstagram is a happy place full of kind people.  

Anyway, when making a list for books to read with my 8 year old this year, I felt like this one should be included.  Now that I've read it, I can see that it really is a timeless story that all "tween" kids should read or hear, especially girls. But I'll save the rest of my thoughts for my official review :).  

Below are the questions my daughter and I discussed after we'd both finished the book (some questions may be slight spoilers!):

Of the 3 main characters, who do you think you're most like?

Do you think Wanda realized Peggy was making fun of her?

Do you think Wanda was lying - or intentionally misleading - about the 100 dresses? Why or why not?

Were you surprised by who won the drawing contest and what that revealed about the story?

Do you think Peggy changed after this experience? If so, how? And if not, why not?

Do you think Maddie changed after this experience? If so, how? And if not, why not?

Have you ever been like Peggy? Or Wanda? Or Maddie?

That last question probably brought about the best discussion -- more on my part than on hers.  As a 6th grader, I can so vividly remember a time when I was a Peggy.  I regret that to this day.  And I'm grateful this book opened an opportunity to talk openly with my 8 year old, who is on the cusp of those hard middle-school years, about a poor choice I once made and how much I wish I could go back and fix it.  We all make mistakes, but we can learn from them and not repeat them.  Kindness is always the best choice.

 

Title: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Author: Angela Duckworth
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG
Tidbit: Dr. Duckworth examines the importance of grit on success and debunks the idea that all success is talent-driven.

According to this book, I'm about 30% gritty. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Thankfully, Dr. Duckworth believes, and aims to prove, grit can be learned and is not fixed. 

As with most "self-help" books I've read (though I'll admit this may not entirely fit that category), there were things I agreed with and things I didn't. But at the end of it all, I do feel like I learned some stuff to benefit my life, and hopefully help me develop more grit (because, honestly, I've felt lacking in this area most of my life). I added this book to my tbr back in 2016 or 2017 after it was featured in the Costco Connection (anyone else find books this way?). 

I also feel like this helped change my perspective on things for parenting, and gave me ideas for how to help my children develop grit. 

Things I liked:

- the nod to Steve Young and his life that got me excited to read his memoir that is sitting on my shelf

- that I didn't feel completely lacking in grit (in fact, one thing she mentioned I have accomplished, but never thought of it as gritty, so that was nice to see it that way)

- it was a hopeful book 

Things I didn't enjoy so much:

- sometimes it felt long-winded 

Overall a worthwhile read with some good insights.

 

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

 

Title: The Accidental Beauty Queen
Author: Teri Wilson
My Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Content Rating: PG
Tidbit: Identical twins pull a swap during a beauty pageant when one of them has an allergic reaction that alters her features in this romantic comedy.

I recently felt I needed something light and fluffy, and The Accidental Beauty Queen definitely delivered! This was a book club pick for my in-person book club, and it was a fun read for February!

Charlotte's identical twin Ginny has been in beauty pageants for a long as they both can remember. This is Ginny's last shot to win the crown for Miss American Treasure before she ages out of the pageant. So when she wakes up early one morning with her face severely swollen from an allergic reaction, her only solution is to have Charlotte, her identical, yet not-so-glamorous twin, compete in her place for the preliminaries. Will Charlotte be able to pull off the switch AND deal with the sparks flying between her and the hottie she met while walking her sister's dog?

It was a fun and easy read. Rather predictable, but it was a rom-com, so I expected that. Charlotte's character is a school librarian with a passion for books, so I enjoyed the bookish references throughout the story. In terms of steaminess, it's definitely clean and has a small bit of mild language. If you enjoyed the movie Miss Congeniality, you'll enjoy this book too.

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The Boys by Ron & Clint Howard

 

"I learned that success didn't need to be painful or punishing, though it did require hard work."

Book: The Boys: a memoir of Hollywood and Family
Authors: Ron & Clint Howard
Audibook performers: Ron & Clint Howard
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13/R (for language, drug use, and some sexuality)
Tidbit: Nostalgic memoir about Ron and Clint Howard's life in Hollywood and show-business.

This was a fun book, and I do recommend it on audiobook, because you can hear Ron and Clint tell their story. There's just something added when you hear their own tones and inflections as they share the stories of their lives growing up in Hollywood.

I love that they started with the story of their own parents: Rance and Jean Howard. It was so fascinating to hear how they got started in acting, what kept them going, and what drove them to pursue different aspects of the Hollywood life. Ron's drive to become a director was really impressive, and really loved how he focused on the value and importance of hard work. I appreciate how Clint was honest about his own past with drugs and the choice he made to get sober.

There's a lot I could say. It was so fun to hear some background stories about The Andy Griffith Show as well as Happy Days. The Howards really do come across as a family that love and support each other, and I thought that was beautiful.

A bit of strong language and references to drugs and male puberty-related things are present. While the sexuality isn't particularly explicit, there are enough instances and topics covered that I think readers should be aware, particularly when listening to the audiobook with younger ears present.

Though I didn't grow up watching Ron on TV (aside from the random episode of Happy Days on Nick at Night or something), I have watched several of the movies and shows he was involved in: Apollo 13! Arrested Development!) The book just had a nostalgic feel. And you know I'm all about some nostalgia! I really enjoyed this one!

 

The Island of Sea Women -- Lisa See

 Book: The Island of Sea Women
Author: Lisa See
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13 (maybe), but also maybe R (there is a section of violence that is haunting)

I'm struggling to rate this book.

I learned a lot about something I knew nothing about: the island of Jeju off the coast of mainland Korea, where women dive into the ocean to collect sea creatures to sell and eat to support their family. While this is no longer a common vocation there, it was once a way of life in this women-focused culture. This was fascinating, especially as it is so different from my own cultural history.

This book, it was easy for me to see, was meticulously researched. Because of that, the book felt very real to me. I felt like I knew these women and had an understanding (on some level) of the lives they led and the decisions they made. The story was very well-written. Prose-heavy, but still a decent amount of dialog.

One of my struggles with this book was that it was a very slow burn, at least for me. It took me over a month to finish it, and while that may have had a lot to do with timing of when I picked it up, it was also because I didn't feel invested in the story for a long time.

My other struggle is that it was very emotionally heavy. I was not expecting quite how much it would be. The novel spans over 70 decades and includes the impact of the various occupations of other countries in the people of Jeju. Some of the events were so horrific. My heart broke for Young-sook so many times.

I did love the way it ended. Even so, there was still such a sense of sadness and loss and regret. A good reminder that forgiveness, though sometimes excruciatingly hard to give, may be the thing that saves us from regret and more loss.

It was good. Just heavy.

A Single Shard -- Linda Sue Park

     

Title: A Single Shard
Author: Linda Sue Park
Reading Level: Middle-grade
My Star Rating: 4.25/5
Content Rating: PG

Tree-Ear is a 12 year old orphan who lives with his friend Crane-Man under a bridge in 12th century Korea. Fascinated by the process of pottery-making, Tree-Ear spends many hours surreptitiously watching Min, one of the most talented potters in his village. One day, while Min is away, Tree-Ear decides to take a closer look at the potter's creations. When he accidentally breaks one of the pieces, he becomes Min's apprentice to pay off the debt of the broken piece. In time, Tree-Ear will be entrusted with Min's most prized work in order to seek a royal commission, and his life will never be the same again. 

This was such a good story! I am going to use it as a read-aloud in the not-too-distant future! It was the 2002 Newbery Winner, and I think it was well-deserved.

Pony -- R.J. Palacio

 

Book: Pony
Author: R.J. Palacio 
My star-rating: 4.25/5
Content Rating: PG-13 (mainly for violence and some more mature themes)

"The connections that bind us are astounding, as I've noted. The invisible threads weave in and around us, and tug at us in places and at times that we may not ever see, or that only make sense over time." 

When 12 year old Silas Bird watches his father ride off into the night, a captive of armed men, he doesn't fully realize he's about to leave his childhood behind. But he senses his father needs him, so he determines face his fears and go after his father, though doing so is a direct violation of what what his father has told him to do. So Silas sets off, with a white-faced horse he names Pony, and Mittenwool, a ghost only Silas can see, to rescue his father. What he finds along the way will teach him about his past and the connections which bind us to each other.

I really liked this story! I found it very engaging and beautifully written. The end definitely got my emotions swelling. The characters are rich, and I loved the spiritual aspect of the book that came with Silas's unique abilities. The book takes place in 1860 in the frontier regions, and that setting is so perfect for this novel.

There were some more gruesome and violent events and depictions in the book and some more mature themes, so I'd probably recommend this for 13 and up, based on my own readers.