Mod 10: Penny From Heaven Review

What's It All About?

11-year-old Penny's family is far from normal in the summer of 1953. No one mentions her father, her Uncle lives in his car with a perfectly good house right in front of him, and her mom won't speak to any of her dad's Italian family. When Penny gets hurt, she overhears something startling about her dad. Could it really be true? What did being Italian in America during the 50s REALLY mean?

What'd I Think?

Holm's depiction of the off-the-wall family raising Penny was flawless. She gets you invested in them to the point of feeling like you are a part of the family as well. I ugly sobbed towards the end. I had no idea that things like this happened to Italian families not so long ago in American history.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Publishers Weekly

(August 28, 2006; 9780375936876)

Newbery Honor author Holm (Our Only May Amelia) conjures a nostalgic 1953 New Jersey summer in this novel with a plucky 11-year-old narrator at its center. Penny divides her time between two extremes: her overprotective single mother (who is "afraid of just about everything that involves fun") and the maternal grandparents with whom she lives, and her deceased father's colorful Italian family. Despite her passion for the Brooklyn Dodgers and gentle comic voice, Penny emerges primarily as an observer witnessing the antics of her more zany relatives, including her favorite uncle Dominic who lives in his car, her scheming cousin Frankie (who doubles as her best friend) and her perennially black-clad grandmother Nonny, who lives to feed people and feuds with her daughter-in-law, an ex-Rockette. In the conflict between Penny and her mother's beau, the narrative offers a fresh take on a familiar plight. The relaxed pace picks up after an accident lands Penny in the hospital and she overhears a rumor about her father. Holm includes telling historical details, including information about WWII Italian internment camps and how Penny's mother will not allow her to swim in a public pool or visit a movie theater because of the risk of polio. Readers will enjoy observing Penny's growth, how she mediates a peace among her family members and offers a glimmer of heaven. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)

Booklist

(April 15, 2006; 9780375936876)

Gr. 5-8. Penny lives with her plain old American mother and grandparents, but she has an open invitation to visit her deceased father's Italian family, where the delicious aromas are as inviting as the boisterous relatives who welcome her. Against the backdrop of these contrasting 1950s households, the author of Newbery Honor Book Our Only May Amelia (1999) charts the summer of Penny's twelfth birthday, marked by hapless episodes as well as serious tensions arising from the estranged families' refusal to discuss her father's death. Penny is a low-key character, often taking a backseat role in escapades with high-spirited cousin Frankie. However, Holm impressively wraps pathos with comedy in this coming-of-age story, populated by a cast of vivid characters (a burping, farting grandpa; an eccentric uncle who lives in his car--not exactly normal for people in New Jersey ). Concluding with a photo-illustrated endnote explaining Holm's inspirations in family history, this languidly paced novel will appeal most to readers who appreciate gentle, episodic tales with a nostalgic flavor. Hand selling may be necessary to overcome the staid jacket illustration. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2006 Booklist

What Do I Do With It?

Penny carries a magic/lucky bean with her everywhere she goes. What do the students imagine the bean looks like based on any descriptions from the book and filling in the rest with their imagination. They will create a bean in this image using air-dry clay and paint.

Module 9: The Dollhouse Murders Review

What's It All About?

12-year-old Amy is always having to look after her sister, Louann, who is brain-damaged. THis costs her friendships and the joy of being a kid with no responsibilities. When Aunt Clare lets Amy stay with her for a while she discovers an exact replica of the family home in dollhouse form. THis isn't just any dollhouse though, it is haunted by a past family mystery and won't stop until someone hears what the dolls within have to say. With the help of her sister, they'll dig up the past and solve the mystery once and for all.

What'd I Think?

I'm not typically into paranormal-type mysteries as I am what one might call a "Pansy." THis one had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out just what had happened in that old house. Wright does a great job of keeping the suspense up and illustrating the ups and downs that come with being the sister that is always counted on.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

School Library Journal

(August 01, 1999; 9780874995206)

Gr 3-7-When she witnesses peculiar events surrounding her aunt's old dollhouse in the attic, 12-year-old Amy unravels a mystery that involves a deadly family secret. By Betty R. Wright. (c) Copyright 2010.

Publishers Weekly

(May 10, 1999; 9780874995237)

Wright's taut, suspenseful novel proves a solid choice to kick off the Live Oak Mysteries audio series. The attic is always a great place to look for nuggets of one's family history, but when 12-year-old Amy explores her great-grandparents' attic, she uncovers clues to a chilling family secret. As Amy and her Aunt Claire sift through clothes, trinkets and other memorabilia, Amy comes across Aunt Claire's long-forgotten dollhouse, a finely crafted replica of the house they are in. Aunt Claire seems unusually distressed about the dollhouse and Amy is determined to find out why. The real fun begins when Amy learns that the dolls in the dollhouse move of their own willÄand that they seem to be trying to tell her something. After a little sleuthing at the local library, Amy learns that her great-grandparents were murdered years ago and that Aunt Claire's fianc‚ (who died in a car accident that same night) was the prime suspect in the unsolved case. Before long, Amy unravels the mystery, helping Aunt Claire to resolve her feelings about the past. A subplot about Amy's relationships with her parents, younger sister and best friend adds depth and warmth to this crisply paced tale. Stewart handles the narration with aplomb, using her voice to give listeners a hint of each character's personality. Her portrayal of Aunt Claire, who delivers a few chillingly snappish retorts to Amy, is particularly strong. Ages 8-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

What Do I Do With It?

Using a shoebox, students could create a diorama/dollhouse of any type they choose. It could be based on a house from a story, real life, or even just their imagination. They will create objects such as tables, and couches using recycled materials.

Mod 8: Nightmares! Review

What's It All About?

Charlie Laird can't catch a break. When his mom passed away his dad married, Charlotte, whom he is 99.9999% sure is a witch. They had to move to HER house, this weird purple mansion. Worst of all, he can't sleep for fear of running into a nightmare that won't go away.

What'd I Think?

Jason, baby, honey, what are you doing?! I had such high hopes for this novel when I heard you were behind it. Your screenwriting has been brilliant thus far and your acting never leaves me wanting. not to say I thought the book terrible. There were definitely some good comical parts but overall it felt like it was a plot that was stretched too thin and would have been better had it not been made to drag on.I do think kids will enjoy the silly bits and jokes that have been thrown in but won't be overly frightened of the monsters within.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Booklist

(September 15, 2014; 9780375991578)

When Charlie Laird's mom died, he was, of course, devastated, and he's devastated all over again when his dad marries Charlotte, the kooky herbalist with unruly red hair. After they all move to Charlotte's family home a spooky, purple mansion Charlie begins having terrible nightmares starring a cauldron-stirring, red-haired witch, and he starts believing that his stepmom is not who she seems. While investigating her workroom in the tower of the house, he stumbles through a portal into the Netherworld, a creepy, fractured version of his own town that's populated with elements from kids' nightmares, including bunnies with toothy jaws for faces and a fedora-wearing gorgon. There he discovers who's really behind his bad dreams as well as some secrets about not only Charlotte but also his own mother. Segel (of The Muppets movie) and Miller build an entertaining, cartoony world full of scary (but not too scary) monsters, silly jokes, plucky kid heroes, and a cinematic plot that trundles onward to a satisfying conclusion, with a promise of adventures to come. Final illustrations not seen.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist

School Library Journal

(September 01, 2014; 9780385744256)

Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old Charlie Laird is absolutely convinced that his stepmother Charlotte is a witch. She dresses funny, serves seriously strange food (kale pancakes), and runs a store called Hazel's Herbarium. Charlie's dad, little brother, and friends all like Charlotte and think Charlie's still grieving for his mom. He's also suffering from terrible nightmares, and living in Charlotte's crazy purple mansion isn't helping. The evil witch who stars in those nightmares threatens to follow the protagonist into the real world and kidnap his brother. Instead, he is tricked into the Nightmare World, peopled with monsters and madness: gorgons, goblins, crazy clowns, scary bunnies, tests filled with gibberish, and the monomaniacal President Fear (who also inhabits the real world as the truly terrifying Principal Stearns). But all is not what it seems, and some of the scariest creatures turn out to be sympathetic-or even allies. There are lessons to be learned about facing fears and uncovering the real enemy in this tale. Pals Alfie, Rocco, and Paige are interesting and fairly three-dimensional; most of the adults (with the exceptions of Fear/Stearns and Charlotte) are merely background. The fear is as much psychological as anything, and there's humor and a fairly high ick-factor, but relatively little violence. A good choice for elementary-aged scare-seekers.- Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2014. 

What Do I Do With It?

Students will create their own monster. They must give it a name, powers/scare tactics, as well as other valuable information about it should be mentioned. Their imagination is key here. They will then put the monster on a "wanted" poster to display in the hallway.

Mod 7: Umbrella Summer Review

What's It All About?

Annie is careful. VERY careful. That's because there's a million bad things that could happen. Giving up all the fun things kids her age like to do - such as riding a bike - is a small price to pay to know that she'll stay safe. She wasn't always this way though. She was carefree before her brother Jared unexpectedly died. Can Annie ever go back to the way she was before or is she stuck in her ever-evolving hypochondria bubble?

What'd I Think?

Whew. Watching the heartbreak that Annie goes through after she has lost her brother is rough. All I wanted to do was wrap her up in my arms and tell her it would all be okay, and then take her to feed the ducks like they always did on the Fourth of July.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Horn Book Guide

(October 02, 2009; 9780061431883)

After her brother Jared dies from a rare heart condition, Annie copes by reading about illnesses; though prepared, she's not healing. That comes slowly, aided by understanding friends and a close-knit community of complex, concerned (but never cloying) characters. Expect tears, but also expect to cheer for Annie's recovery as she gradually learns to honor Jared's life and care for her own. (c) Copyright 2010.

School Library Journal

(June 01, 2009; 9780061431883)

Gr 4-6-After her brother's unexpected death from a rare heart ailment, adventurous Annie Richards changes into an overly cautious child who diligently tries to prevent any illness or accident happening to her. Each cut or bump is bandaged. Instead of racing her friend Rachel on her bike, the 10-year-old invents turtle racing to see who can ride the slowest. Games she deems too dangerous are avoided. Annie's neighborhood is filled with friends and neighbors who care, but too often she sees the "dead brother" look on their faces. Only when Mrs. Finch moves into the long-vacant "haunted" house in the neighborhood, and Annie attempts to sell her outdated Junior Sunbird cookies, do things begin to change. Friendship, shared moments, and some careful listening help Annie close her umbrella of sadness. As in The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower (2008) and The Thing About Georgie (2007, both HarperCollins), Graff has created a lively, quirky individual who tells her story with frankness and humor. Annie's three friends come across as real kids who treat Annie's eccentricities with a mixture of understanding and occasional anger. A more complex read than Andrea Beaty's Cicada Summer (Abrams, 2008), Annie's story deals with death with sensitivity, love, and understanding.-Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH (c) Copyright 2010. 

Mod 7: Stargirl Review

What's It All About?

Stargirl breezes into the hallways of Mica High and throws a blanket of colors on the student's drab lives. Leo is smitten from the start. How could he not be. The students can't get enough of her quirky behavior until her optimism is shared with the wrong team. When the tides turn can Leo get her back in the school's good graces? Can Stargirl stay true to herself?

What'd I Think?

I wanted to love this. I did. I had seen it on the shelves time and time again when I was a shelver and think, "I should check that out sometime." I kind of wish I had left it on the shelf so it could still hold its mystique it once held over me. The book came off as overly preachy about the horrors of changing for others as well as her overly eccentric lifestyle.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Publishers Weekly -

(June 26, 2000; 9780679886372)

Part fairy godmother, part outcast, part dream-come-true, the star of Spinelli's latest novel possesses many of the mythical qualities as the protagonist of his Maniac Magee. As narrator Leo Borlock reflects on his junior year in a New Mexico high school, Stargirl takes center stage. Even before she appears at Mica High, Spinelli hints at her invisible presence; readers, like Leo, will wonder if Stargirl is real or some kind of mirage in the Sonoran Desert. By describing the girl through the eyes of a teen intermittently repulsed by and in love with her, Spinelli cunningly exposes her elusive qualities. Having been homeschooled, Stargirl appears at Mica High dressed as a hippie holdover and toting a ukulele, which she uses to serenade students on their birthdays; she marks holidays with Halloween candy and Valentine cards for all. As her cheerleading antics draw record crowds to the school's losing football team's games, her popularity skyrockets, yet a subtle foreboding infuses the narrative and readers know it's only a matter of time until she falls from grace. For Leo, caught between his peers and his connection to Stargirl, the essential question boils down to one offered to him by a sage adult friend: "Whose affection do you value more, hers or the others'?" As always respectful of his audience, Spinelli poses searching questions about loyalty to one's friends and oneself and leaves readers to form their own answers. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Horn Book Magazine -

(July 01, 2000; 9780679886372)

(Intermediate, Young Adult) Cynics might want to steer clear of this novel of a contemporary Pollyanna, whose glad-game benevolences include singing Happy Birthday to her classmates, dropping change in the street for children to find, and-to her downfall-joining the cheerleading squad and rooting for both teams. High school junior Leo is at first nonplussed by Stargirl's not-so-random acts of kindness, but he really loves her from the start. After Stargirl is shunned for her disloyal cheerleading, Leo persuades her to go along with the crowd, and she even reclaims her birth name, Susan. Predictably, this doesn't work for Stargirl; on the author's part, it occasions much heavy-handed moralizing about conformity. While it is true that we are meant to see Stargirl as larger-than-life (""She seems to be in touch with something that the rest of us are missing""), there are no shadows to contour her character, and thus her gestures seem empty. While Spinelli's Maniac Magee was on the run for a reason and Pollyanna needed something to be glad for, Stargirl has nothing to lose. But as a story of high school outsiders and light romance, this will find an audience, and the book does bear many strong similarities to Maniac Magee, offering a charismatic female counterpart. r.s. (c) Copyright 2010. 

What Do I Do With It?

Students could have a classroom talent show to showcase their own weird quirky talents. Dressing up in over the top, movie wardrobe clothing is highly encouraged.

Mod 5: Going Bovine Review

What's It All About?

In Going Bovine, we are introduced to Cameron who describes his best day ever as the day he was 5 and almost died at the It’s a Small World ride at Disney. He is just trying to make it through high school as the “lesser twin.” His sister is part of the cool kids and concerned with her grades while Cameron doesn't see the point in trying so hard. Then he receives a diagnosis of Mad Cow Disease. In order to find the cure, he sets off on an adventure with a host of wacky characters looking for random signs and a mysterious time traveling Doctor X.

What'd I Think?

Damn you, Libba Bray! You hit me right in the feels every time. This book is a twisting and turning quixote-like journey that kept me asking what was real and what was fake, and whether or not Cameron would make it through. With his sidekick, Gonzo, by his side surely, he can't fail! 

I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Publishers Weekly -

(August 03, 2009; 9780385733977)

Cameron Smith, 16, is slumming through high school; overshadowed by a sister "pre-majoring in perfection," while working (ineptly) at the Buddha Burger. Then something happens to make him the focus of his family's attention: he contracts mad cow disease. What takes place after he is hospitalized is either that a gorgeous angel persuades him to search for a cure that will also save the world, or that he has a vivid hallucination brought on by the disease. Either way, what readers have is an absurdist comedy in which Cameron, Gonzo (a neurotic dwarf) and Balder (a Norse god cursed to appear as a yard gnome) go on a quixotic road trip during which they learn about string theory, wormholes and true love en route to Disney World. Bray's surreal humor may surprise fans of her historical fantasies about Gemma Doyle, as she trains her satirical eye on modern education, American materialism and religious cults (the smoothie-drinking members of the Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack 'N' Bowl). Offer this to fans of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy seeking more inspired lunacy. Ages 14-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist -

(August 01, 2009; 9780385904117)

*Starred Review* In a giant departure from her Gemma Doyle historical fiction trilogy, Bray's latest offering is an unforgettable, nearly indefinable fantasy adventure, as immense and sprawling as Cervantes' Don Quixote, on which it's based. Here the hero is Cameron, a 16-year-old C-plus-average slacker who likens himself to driftwood, but he suddenly becomes the center of attention after he is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow disease. In the hospital, he meets Dulcie, an alluring angel clad in fishnet stockings and combat boots, who presents him with a heroic quest to rescue the planet from an otherworldly, evil force. Guided by random signs and accompanied by a teen dwarf named Gonzo, Cameron sets off on a wild road trip across the U.S. to save the world, and perhaps his own life. Talking yard gnomes, quantum physics, cults of happiness, mythology, religion, time travel, the blues, Disney World, the vacuous machine behind reality TV shows, and spring break's beer-and-bikini culture all figure prominently in the plot, and readers may not feel equally engaged in each of the novel's lengthy episodes. But Bray's wildly imagined novel, narrated in Cameron's sardonic, believable voice, is wholly unique, ambitious, tender, thought-provoking, and often fall-off-the-chair funny, even as she writes with powerful lyricism about the nature of existence, love, and death. Familiarity with Don Quixote certainly isn't necessary, but those who know the basic plot will want to start over from the beginning and pick up on each sly allusion to the classic story.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist.

What Do I Do With It?

Students will take a poster-size map of the United States and chart Cameron's epic journey with clip art and photos from pivotal stops along the way. They can enhance the map in anyway they like as long as they make sure to stick to the path listed in the book.

Mod 4: The Higher Power of Lucky Review

What's It All About?

Ten-year-old Lucky lives with her French guardian, who happens to be her dad's ex-wife from before her mother. They live with her dog, HMS Beagle, in Hard Pan,  California where they just try to make do. She gets by with her friends Miles, and Lincoln and earns a little extra cleanign up after a myriad of twelve-step anonymous programs. When Lucky believes her guardian has plans to leave her behind and head back to France, she decides it's time to run away. 

What'd I Think?

The story was okay but only reading it as an adult. Reading it from a child's point of view, I think it misses the mark and I can understand why it doesn't get checked out regardless of the fact that it won the Newbery award. This is one of the many books that was listed in an article about award comittees choosing books that are more obscure or unique but that don't really have the factor that the kids crave. 

I give it 3 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

School Library Journal -
(December 01, 2006; 9781416901945)

Gr 4-6-When Lucky's mother is electrocuted and dies after a storm, Lucky's absentee father calls his ex-wife, Brigitte, to fly over from France to take care of the child. Two years later, the 10-year-old worries that Brigitte is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan (pop. 42) in the middle of the California desert. While Lucky's best friend ties intricate knots and the little boy down the road cries for attention, she tries to get some control over her life by restocking her survival kit backpack and searching for her "Higher Power." This character-driven novel has an unusually complicated backstory, and a fair amount of exposition. Yet, its quirky cast and local color help to balance this fact, and the desert setting is fascinating. Lucky's tendency to jump to conclusions is frustrating, but her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death and with her new life ring true. Phelan's cover and line drawings are simple and evocative, a perfect complement to the text. Fans of novels by Deborah Wiles and Katherine Hannigan will be happy to meet Lucky.-Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010.

Horn Book Guide -
(April 01, 2007; 9781416901945)

Ten-year-old Lucky lives in Hard Pan, California, a tiny enclave on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert. Her legal guardian is a beautiful, melancholy Frenchwoman, Brigitte. Patron's episodic tale of a grieving, insecure little girl is never heavy-handed or maudlin, due in part to quiet bursts of humor. Her sensory descriptions, supported by Phelan's gentle spot art, animate this unique community. (c) Copyright 2010.

Mod 4: The Witch of Blackbird Pond Review

What's It All About?

Kit Taylor is an orphan transplant in the Connecticut Colony far from her life on the Caribbean island where she grew up. She joins relatives she hasn't seen in years in their Puritan community where she is expected to follow the rules including attending multiple church services. Feeling out of place, she finds a friend in the old Quaker woman who lives in the meadows. The only problem is that the woman has been deemed a witch by the community and leads to troubles for herself she never saw coming.

What'd I Think?

I had heard of many people reading this novel in school either for pleasure or school assignments but its just one of those that never fell in sync with my younger self's reading schedule. I am sorry that I waited so long to pick it up! The friendship formed between Kit and Hannah as well as the help she gives to young Prudence warmed my heart and had me begging that everything would be okay for them in the end.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Horn Book Guide - 
(October 01, 2001; 9780395913673)

This edition of the Newbery Award-winning novel is illustrated with twelve watercolor paintings. Moser's portraits do a fine job complementing the text, with one jarring exception: an oddly anachronistic portrait of young Kit and her grandfather on the island of Barbados shows a contemporary-looking child in a sundress and a flowered headband. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal -
(April 01, 2003; 9780807207499)

Gr 5-8-Mary Beth Hurt gives an excellent performance in this reading of the Newbery Award-winning novel by Elizabeth George Speare (HM, 1958). The setting is the Colony of Connecticut in 1687 amid the political and religious conflicts of that day. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle's doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her. Having been raised by her grandfather in Barbados, she doesn't understand the conflict between those loyal to the king and those who defend the Connecticut Charter. Unprepared for the religious intolerance and rigidity of the Puritan community, she is constantly astounding her aunt, uncle, and cousins with her dress, behavior, and ideas. She takes comfort in her secret friendship with the widow, Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled from Massachusetts because she is a Quaker and suspected of being a witch. When a deathly sickness strikes the village, first Hannah and then Kit are accused of being witches. Through these conflicts and experiences, Kit comes to know and accept herself. She learns not to make hasty judgments about people, and that there are always two sides to every conflict. There are several minor plots as well, including three romances, which help to bring this time and place to life. Hurt's use of vocal inflection and expression make this an excellent choice for listening whether as an enrichment to the social studies curriculum or purely for pleasure.-Maureen Cash Moffet, St. Anne's Catholic School, Bristol, VA (c) Copyright 2010.

What Do I Do With It?

This novel could be a tie-in during a unit on early settlers in America. Classes can discuss the different religions presented in the book and why they felt the way they did towards each other. Students can then look up information on other witch trials that actually happened and report what they discover. They could even perform a mock witch trial. 

Mod 2: Are You There, God, It’s Me, Margaret Review

What's It All About?

                                                             

Growing up is confusing. Who are you? When will all the “big things” start happening to me? What do I believe in? Am I normal? Margaret asks God these questions and so many more as she faces big changes such as a move from New York City to the suburbs and trying to fit in with her new friends. Margaret finds that the one person she always feels comfortable talking to is always there to listen even if she can’t see him.

What'd I Think?

I never had the pleasure of reading this as a child. Not because I wasn't allowed to or because it was banned from my school library either. It simply just was one of the many random books that EVERYONE has read that I kind of just... missed. I could tell though, as an adult reading it, that it would have been a pertinent book for me to have read at around 11 or 12 years old. Periods were scary things to talk about. I hadn't been baptized as a Catholic like everyone else in my family and the choice was left to me to make. I think a lot of the questions Margaret had fit with what I was curious about. I like that it was open and honest. It didn't make mentioning your period feel so taboo. It's natural. Same thing with getting a bra. We all hit puberty and have to deal with the changes that happen with our bodies so why are we so scared to have frank, factual conversations so that we aren't left confused and misled by others who don't have actual facts themselves?

I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

What'd They Think?

Changing Times -

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret,  by Judy Blume (Dell; $1.25, $1.50 for a larger edition). An Adolescent's worries about growing up are the subject of her private conversations with God. (Ages 12 and up.) 

BOOKS YOUR KIDS WILL WANT TO READ. (1978). Changing Times (Pre-1986), 32(11), 23. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199109437?accountid=7113

Booklist - 

"For me, it all started with Judy Blume, who asked, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. Sure, Margaret was fixated on menstruation and breasts. But those concerns paled in comparison to the absurdity of socializing at boy-girl parties, looking for religion, and buying a bra, by itself the most ridiculous activity in which a woman, budding or otherwise, can engage."

She Reads...Humor. (2008). Booklist, 104(15), 29.

What Do I Do With It?

Those reading the book can fill out blank, anonymous slips of paper with ANY questions they have regarding puberty. These will then be answered the next class  or meeting period. Because the questions are asked anonymously and drawn from a box, no one knows who has asked it. This helps alleviate some of the embarrassment some may still feel about asking the questions. Hopefully this leads to more children feeling comfortable asking questions they may think of during this additional lesson.