What my Mother Doesn't Know

Bibliography

Sones, S. (2003). What my mother doesn’t know.  New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.  ISBN: 9780689855535, pp. 259.

Summary

Sophie is an average teenage girl. She feels insecure about her looks and constantly compares herself to other girls. She is frustrated by her absentee dad and her mother that is more interested in soap operas than what is going on in Sophie’s life. She adores her two best girlfriends, but she feels lost when they leave her over winter break to go on dream vacations with their families. She is dating the good-looking popular, Dylan, but she finds that she can’t stop thinking about the geeky, shy boy in her art class, Murphy. She relays her teenage drama and the things she learns about herself in poetic verse that reads much like a diary.

 Critical Analysis

Readers will quickly connect to Sophie as her innermost thoughts are shared in simple verse. The events of the story are simple and there is no strong climax, but the characters are well-developed and easy to root for, especially Murphy. Through Sophie’s relationship with Murphy, Sophie begins to learn things about herself that she was afraid to admit or kept hidden for fear of the ridicule often associated with being different as a teenager. As her thoughts grow deeper, readers can see Sophie changing and developing who she is.  Her transformation is heart-warming and the innocent romance will appeal to young adults.

The Teen’s Guide to Word Domination: Advice on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Awesomeness

Bibliography

book cover retrieved from barnesandnoble.com

 Shipp, J. (2010). The Teen’s Guide to Word Domination: Advice on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Awesomeness. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin. ISBN: 9780312641542, 304 pp.

Summary

Josh Shipp’s teen self-help book begins by explaining that the only world that you should really dominate is your own, and that others will try to take control. It maintains that it is your responsibility to recognize this and stop it. He encourages teens to be a “hero” rather than a “villain” that would try to control someone else. Throughout the books he gives tips for building self-confidence, finding a unique identity, and for making the right choices. His advice is explained in a unique way describing the villains that will ruin your attitude such as “ghosts” (painful memories that are hard to overcome), “pirates” (bullies), “puppies” (ideas that seem fun but have unforeseen consequences), and more.

Critical Analysis

Shipp provides some sound advice on relationships, sex, money, and other topics that will interest teenagers. His funny, what he describes as “in your face” humor will appeal to young adults, and so will the references to pop culture such as iPods, facebook, and other media that are important to teens. It is a relevant and easy to read self-help book that students will laugh at and hopefully take serious as well. As he describes others that can influence your life, many of his references have negative tones including his description of adults that want and expect their children to turn out just like them. He focuses more on who to stay away from than whom to be friends with. It has a distrusting tone instead of a discerning tone, which would be more appropriate. However, students will find some good advice in the book, and they are likely to have a good laugh as well.