Book #5: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I have finally read The Help and watched the movie (book first, though).

As for the book, when I first started reading it, the style of writing bothered me.  The entire chapter was written as if the character were speaking and used her dialect.  Now, I don't mind when authors use this tactic in writing dialogue.  That makes perfect sense to me, but for all writing, it was a bit much.  Then, the point of view switched to another character, and so did the writing.  Ah ha!  Now it was clear and I was no longer annoyed with the style.  It actually helped in differentiating between the three characters from whose point of view the story was being told.  As soon as I got past that initial issue, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Even though it is a fictional story, there is a ring of truth in it, probably due to the fact that the author grew up in the deep south and was brought up by a maid (which surprised me given that she appears to be around the same age as I am and I didn't know anyone with a maid growing up).

My favorite characters were Aibileen for her deep love and concern for Mae Mobley; Miss Skeeter for not following the conventions of the particular time and place where she lived, but trying to do what is right; Celia Foote for seeing Minny more as an equal even though she was her maid.  Oh, yes, I almost forgot, Hilly's mother simply because she found "the terrible awful" to be so hysterical.  Speaking of "the terrible awful", (which I will not put in a spoiler here) I thought it was well thought out to leave that as a surprise until near the end of the book.  No one had spoiled it for me, so I had become very curious about that by the time it was finally revealed.

I watched the movie last night.  It always interests me to see how close a movie is to its book.  I was pleased to see that it remained true to the novel but I did notice some differences and an omission that needed some explaining to a friend who hadn't read the book.  The reason for the $200 check that Hilly receives at the end of the movie is not given so it only makes sense to the people who have read the book.  The scene with Constantine and her daughter was changed, I assume to either save time in all the background explanations that it would require, or to avoid the additional topic of multiracial individuals.  The movie also makes it look as if Skeeter didn't spend much time working on the book.  She was interviewing all the maids all together.  Meanwhile, in the book, it's a very painstaking procedure and she spent many nights at Aibileen's house interviewing individuals.

All that being said, I enjoyed both the movie and the book.  They are both worth the time (but read the book first, of course).

The Help

The Help Trailer

Book #4: Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zelda McDonough

While in the midst of reading 3 other books, today I read this book to my daughter.  She has been assigned Harriet Tubman for her Black History project and her teacher gifted her this book to assist her.  Initially, my daughter resisted (she wasn't in the mood to start working on her project).  We settled in to read and after completing the first chapter her response was:  "More!"  She said this after EVERY chapter so we read the whole book in one sitting.  She was completely engaged throughout the entire book and asked a few questions along the way.  A historical biography that can fascinate a second grader so thoroughly must be worth the read.  It is written on the third grade level and has extra information thrown in about related topics mentioned in the book such as slave auctions, abolitionists, Quakers, Fredrick Douglass, and Susan B. Anthony.  Ideal for completing a project or just wanting to learn more about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

Who Was Harriet Tubman?

Book #2 & 3: Judy Moody is in a Mood & Judy Moody Gets Famous! by Megan McDonald

Yes.  My second (and third!) read for 2012 is a children's book.  My daughter has become a VORACIOUS reader (she's in bed reading as I type this) and asked for 12 chapter books for Christmas.  She was delighted to discover that she received more than 12 and her first selection was book number 1 of the Judy Moody set I bought her.

The book is delightful and any girl aged 6-9ish would enjoy it.  It is funny and has a steady, attention getting pace.  Even the chapter names are amusing.  It contains realistic problems for this age group, and, yes, Judy Moody is, indeed, moody.  If you have a daughter of the appropriate age, get her some Judy Moody books.  If you're lucky, she won't read them all by herself, and you'll get to read some of them with her.

Judy Moody is in a Mood
Judy Moody Gets Famous!

After you've read at least one Judy Moody book, check out this website with your daughter!

Book #1: What Your Son Isn't Telling You: Unlocking the Secret World of Teen Boys by Michael Ross and Susie Shellenberger

As the mother of teenage boy, I thought this might be a useful book to read, and hoped it might provide some useful insight, especially in light of some specific issues that I have to deal with on a regular basis.  As a single mom, the emphasis the book puts on the father's role (even though it is evident that it was written for mothers) was not helpful to me and presented a bit of a distraction (I am not trying to downplay the importance of fathers here).  That being said, the authors presented a lot of good information on the needs of the teenage boy and the role of the mother in meeting these needs.  The book is written from a Christian perspective and references several applicable Bible verses to assist in addressing various issues.  It was reassuring to know that some of suggestions given are things that I already do, although I have a lot of room for improvement.

The authors address several topics including:

• what the teen boy's world looks like and feels like to him
• what the teen boy needs his parents to know about him
• how to get through to your son
• sex, dating, and related issues
• anger and depression
• guy time
• what he needs from his mom.

I would recommend this book for anyone parenting a teen (or soon to be teen) boy (particularly moms) as well as anyone who works with or mentors teen boys.

What Your Son Isn't Telling You