Venuti, Kristin. 2009. Leaving the Bellweathers. Egmont. 242 pages.
It is nighttime in the village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay.
If ever a book surprised me--completely surprised me--it was this one. Looking at the title, the cover, even the first sentence, nothing whispered the promise of how much fun this book would be, how funny and how right this book would be. Will every reader love this one? Will every reader fall for the quirky humor? Well, it would be nearly impossible for any one book to be beloved by every reader. But oh-how-I-wish this one would find a large fan base! Because I think it's just the right blend of what makes a book work.
What is it about? It's about a disgruntled but oh-so-loyal (but not that loyal) butler who is counting down the days until he leaves his job. For two hundred years, his family has served the Bellweathers. But not anymore. When the two hundred years of pledged service are up, he is so out of there! And to make money for his new start, this butler--Tristan Benway--has decided to write a tell-all book about the Bellweathers. He's got a story to tell, and oh what a story that is! Each member of the family--especially all the Bellweather children--get a chance in the spotlight. And it is a real contest (at times) to see just which one is the wildest, craziest, out-there of the bunch.
I definitely recommend this one. It is funny and unusual. And there is just something about it that works.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Volponi, Paul. 2008. Hurricane Song: A Novel of New Orleans.
"Miles has only been living with his musician father in New Orleans for two months when Hurricane Katrina hits--and they haven't really been getting along. His dad lives for jazz, while Miles's first love is football. But father and son must set aside their differences when they seek refuge in the crowded Superdome."
Need I say more? The above quote from the jacket says it all. Hurricane Katrina fictionalized through an emotional father-and-son story. Did I like it? Yes and no. It was emotional. It was dramatic. I think Volponi has written a handful of complex characters and placed them in a very turbulent setting. And the pacing of those scenes is good. It will keep you reading, keep you engaged. But the ending felt a little bit too contrived.
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It's not that I wanted Miles and his father to suffer even more than they already did. It's just that the ending seemed to have miraculously erased the losses, the troubles, the trauma, the stress and strain of the hurricane in a blink of an eye or the snap of a finger. And I just don't think that that is the case with most folks who actually did experience Katrina.
136 pages.
Other reviews: Chasing Ray, Richie,
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Tomorrow morning I'm putting on my parenting expert hat and doing a spot on Pittsburgh Today Live (KDKA - the CBS affiliate) with Kristine Sorensen on helping parents survive the short winter days when trapped indoors with a mess of little kids. I remember those days well, even though the White Power Ranger in the above photo of my kids just celebrated his 2oth birthday, a fact which kind of freaks me out.
Anyway, here is "SMI," or the first three parts of my SMILE system - five easy parenting strategies that work in almost any tough situation, even snow days! (For that matter, they work pretty well for people of any age, with or without kids.) I've included some practical examples of how to implement them, with a focus on ideas that work well this time of year. I promise to add the last two strategies - the "LE" - tomorrow. (I'd put everything up today, but I need some time tonight to do something about my hair and figure out what I'm going to wear, especially since I have to sit next to the skinny and lovely Ms. Sorensen tomorrow morning. And I know for a fact she has two kids, so I can't just blame the difference in our looks on my motherhood status. Drat. Well, I am a lot older than she is.)
STICK TO SAME AND SIMPLE Routines, rituals and clear rules keep your child secure and happy.
- Develop a schedule and easy routines for each day's Big Events like meals and bedtime. (Visit www.flylady.net if you need help with family life routines, or if you're like me and are prone to a certain, well, slobbiness.)
- Ease post-holiday blues with a few fun traditions as you transition back into normal routines, like letting everyone eat a little of the now-stale gingerbread house on the day you put the holiday decorations away.
- Teach the Golden Rule (over and over and over), and use catchphrases (like “Use your words not your body” or “Inside voices please”) to remind your child that punching and screeching are more than you can bear at the moment.
MAKE THE MOST OF MUSIC AND ART These soothe the savage beast – and help civilize her too.
- For some reason, kids are more likely to comply with demands if you sing them. Singing in an opera voice will even make my husband do what I want, as long as I agree to stop the minute he cooperates. Adapt the lyrics to familiar all-purpose tunes like “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush” or just make up a chant that kind of has rhythm.
- Know why movies always seem better than real life? Soundtracks. (And professional make-up artists help too.) Put on music to create or change the mood in your home. It doesn't have to be kid music. In fact, on a blizzardy, cranky day - it's probably best to avoid anything sung by purple dinosaurs or by adults acting like freakishly cheerful little kids.
- Use arts and crafts to bust stress and teach kids to follow directions. I highly recommend my friend Judy Press's arts and crafts books if you need ideas. Try The Little Hands Big Fun Craft Book (Williamson).
- Here's a quick and easy "craft" or "science project" (depending on which your kid prefers). Pour about an inch of milk into a shallow plastic container. Drop dots of food coloring over the surface (they should kind of sit tight where you drip them). Pour a small amount of dishwashing liquid into another small container and give your child a toothpick. Show him how to dip the tip into the soap and then lightly into the center of one of the food coloring drops. WOW! If you go easy on the soap, you can repeat this for quite a long time before there's just too much soap in the milk. Just be nice and don't hog this activity just because it's so much fun.
INVOKE IMAGINATION AND HUMOR They’re great tools to prevent rebellion and create warmth.
- To make your child stop pinching her little brother, ask her to fly like a dragon or trot like a pony to the other room and fetch something for you.
- To encourage hat-wearing, put a mirror at kid-height by the winter clothes hooks - and allow considerable vamping and silliness. Get boots on reluctant tootsies by pretending to be Prince Charming outfitting Cinderella with her glass galoshes.
- Stock up on funny books, silly CDs, outlandish dress-up clothes, and anything else that gets your gang giggling.
Need more ideas than this and can't wait for me to post more of them? Check out my award-winning parenting books, FussBusters at Home and FussBusters on the Go (Peachtree).
This sounds like a lovely, fun book! L.
Sounds like a good read
I enjoyed this one as well. I suspect it's quirky and interesting enough to drage even the most reluctant reader into the story.