Raising Competent teenagers by Dr. Linda Friedland

This gives good practical advice and ideas on how to live and communicate with teens.
The question and answer approach makes it easy to find what you need and the what to do in point form is great for quick tips.
I'm always gleaning information from different sources in hope of finding some harmony over the next few years.
It is also reassuring to note that I am on the right track...so far...in theory!



5 may 2015  this about sums it up (sometimes)

uugghh...
why is parenting so exhausting?

last minute nonsensical
bedtime bothers!

save me!
need to shake my head like a
cartoon character with all the
sound effects

just call me

SUPER NAG

anytime anywhere anywhy

A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicolas Drayson

Fun, charming, touching.
The tortoise and the hare.
Secret side stories.
Wonderful birds.
Khan - surface bling, no real substance.
Malik - simple, noble...learning to see what is right in front of him,
Around him, his son, Benjamin, Petula.

Lovely.
Entertaining characters, sweet story for a rainy Sunday morning.      

           

Looking for Alaska by John Green

First love, friendship, bonds, adolescence, questions, answers, frustrations, silliness, importance, fun, sadness, difference, acceptance, loss and pain.

All the big things are here.  The how, who, when, why and what. 
The awkwardness and ridiculousness of youth, the good and bad choices and how some of these moments can change us forever.

I liked Pudge's essay right at the end.
And this sentence, 'There is a part of her greater than the sum of her knowable parts'.

The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and his Ex by Gabrielle Williams

Two Australian authors publish books based on the same crime around the same time.
Having read Cairo by Chris Womersley I was curious to compare angles. 
Interpretations of the same theme are often interesting.

I loved how this story unfolds, how slowly the characters come together in strange twists of fate.
There is a mix of youth, young love, family, choices, right and wrong, tragedy, death, desperation, vanity, loss, stupidity, and life in it's many forms.
There is strength and fragility and a sense of optimism despite bad choices.
Fun, well paced and entertaining.

The Keepers Trilogy by Lian Tanner

An exciting adventure into a strange and unusual world where people are almost too scared to breathe!
Interesting and courageous characters including a museum with a mind of its own.
Many suspenseful, funny and endearing moments.
We will be listening to the next part starting tomorrow.

Read from May 27 to June 02, 2015
	We are really enjoying this trilogy so far. Great strong characters and wonderful reading. An air of calm peacefulness pervades the room or car when we are listening to the story. It's wonderful. This adventure was just as exciting as the first. We got to explore more of the land with Goldie, Toadspit and Bonnie and despite the dangers It was fun. Love Idle Cat...all these wondrous beasts are incredible. Goldie put all her training to practice. Looking forward to more.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

This was a wonderful funny journey read in a day.
There are so many elements that make us who we are.
Empathy is an emotion we should explore and practice more often,
Then perhaps the many misunderstandings and misinterpretations we suffer from these days could be avoided.

There is often little logic involved in emotions and how can we really define love?
There is lots of specialness in this story.
We all suffer from/enjoy our own differences and uniqueness whether it is a defined condition or not.
We can all love and be loved as we are, for and despite our weirdness.

Of course it is not easy or without hurt,
But it is comforting and reassuring and beautiful knowing
That love comes in as many ways as we do.

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Another audio book enjoyed with my kids.

Despite the harsh reality of the main theme of this story, I loved the description of Mark and the urge behind his journey.

I loved his love of haikus and photography, the strong bonds between boy and dog and Mark and Jessie.  

Loyalty rang strong throughout and his brief encounters with others along the way were poignant.

There were desperate moments and emotions, scary and heart wrenching ones too.

A touching tale of love, hope, illness and alienation, frustration, life and death, small miracles, strength, courage and a big journey of self discovery.