Teenage-Pregnancy Books

she is the best by far. I love this author she has never let me down I wish I could get a copy of her new one ASAP. All I can say is I love her books.

I have read most of Diane McKinney-Whetstone's books, and this one like the others did not let me down. It is a well crafted, organized story of a very personal nature. It reminds me how nieghborhoods used to be, both black and white. Nieghbors would share and assist raising each other's children, drink each other's food, and get into one another's business without major repercussions. This is the village that raised many of us in the older portion of the modern generation, before we were raised by the video game and television set. The characters are human, sturdy and accessable. I've seen these people, I know these people, I like these people. This is a very well written and enjoyable book. And i would encourage you to read it if you have a chance.

As with all of McKinney-Whetstone's novels, you are moved by her literary prose to destinations, times, eras, and so many fine places of the heart.

I am also a big fan of Diane McKinney Whetstone, and while I'm not sure why it took me so long to buy and read this book, I am really glad that I finally did. Once again the author has given us characters who we can't help but love - even the ones that we probably aren't supposed to! I enjoyed this book immensely and can't wait for the next one!

The novel LEAVING CECIL STREET by Diane McKinney-Whetsone is set in Philadelphia in 1969 on a beautiful African-American neighborhood street. It was a joy meeting Joe, Louise, Shay, Alberta, Shawn, Neet, Deucie, and Brownie in the novel. Cecil Street and its inhabitants reminded me of the cohesiveness of the African American neighborhood in the past. This is when African American continued to try to keep their streets as nice and neighborly as possible. The story centers on family, betrayal, secrets, love, survival, and dysfunctional families. It included vivid imagery and was full of nostalgia.

The author's novel writing skills are extraordinary. She really knows how to provide vivid setting descriptions that made you think that you are right there where everything is happening. She gives you a feel for the problems that the characters have contented with in the past and current. Her character descriptions make them seem like someone you have known; they jump right off the page. Even though there were scenes were my teeth cringed (eating cat food, mouth surgery) I couldn't stop reading. This story bought back memories of my childhood neighborhood. Where everyone knew everyone's business however, the neighbors were always there to lend a hand whenever needed

One problem I had with the story was that many of the subplots developed by the author were not brought to a conclusion, which left me with many unanswered questions. In addition, through there some very dicey scenes in the book, as soon as the excitement happened, the book ended. .

Overall, I rated the book a five based on its easy read, vivid descriptions, interesting characters and wonderful story line. What happens on Cecil Street could happen in any neighborhood. If you like a good story, read this book.

ANGEL'S CHOICE begins in typical teenage fashion. A girl, a boy, a party and a very bad decision. Angel Hansen is a senior in high school and her plans for the future included graduating, going to Yale, and becoming a novelist. She's always been the smart girl. But at the end-of-summer party, she has a lapse in judgement that will change her reputation and affect the rest of her life. With all options available to her, what choice will Angel make?

ANGEL'S CHOICE takes an honest look at teenage pregnancy and the decisions that go along with such a difficult situation. Taking a walk in Angel's shoes is not easy. But it is heartwarming and emotional and realistic.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted tackles a difficult topic without judgement. ANGEL'S CHOICE is heart-warming and sincere and a must read for any teenage girl.

Angel's Choice was the best book I've read in a long time! I'm so glad that Lauren has written this book. My best friend is currently pregnant at 16 and it really helped me to understand her pregnancy better. It even helped me of what I thought of myself and my future goals. I think that every teenager should read this book. My favorite character was Angel because she was a very strong person to keep her baby even though she got accepted in to the college of her dreams and her family had very high expectations of her. I read Angel's Choice in 2 days. I just couldn't put it down!
- Courtney Jelonek

Couldn't put this book down. I read it over the weekend. really well written and believable. I've read all of Lauren's books and I think this is her best. I really cared about Angel and wanted to know what her decision would be. Great job Lauren.

To me, the most important factor in any book is the characters and their voices. This book, judging by how much I love it, really delivered.

Angel Hansen finds herself pregnant in the middle of senior year, and while everyone else is worried about getting into college, their SATs, usual high school stuff, she's got much bigger things to worry about. Does she ever complain about it? No. Does she ever let herself wallow in self-pity? Again, no. She is, throughout the book, met with many conflicts that she does not wiggle herself out of--she combats them full-on. By no means is her pregnancy easy. Being a pregnant teen in today's society means you're constantly the object of judgment, ostracism and alienation. It takes its toll on a person. But, again, does Angel cower away? You guessed it--she doesn't.

The choice she makes has strong repercussions in very important relationships in her life--with her best friend, Karin, her parents, her aunt, and Danny, a guy from school who is more than a friend but less than a boyfriend. This is what makes this novel so, so authentic. Nothing comes without a certain weight.

And of course, Angel is a truly identifiable character. Sometimes while I read this book, in the many times I have read it, I was struck by how many introspective passages sounded like my own thoughts and my own reasoning. She's got her weaknesses, her fears, her imperfections, all of which perfectly shape an admirable heroine.

All in all, this book's got it all: superb writing, characters you can relate to, authenticity, and one great main character.

9/10!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted writes a week-by-week young adult novel that chronicles the journey of a high school senior's pregnancy: from her decision to keep the baby to the obstacles she must overcome as she faces impending single motherhood.

After a few too many one night, high school senior, Angel Hansen, experiences her first time with a guy she hardly knows after her crush hooks up with someone else. Ironically, after he drops her off, he tosses Angel his phone number and sarcastically says, "Call me if you're pregnant". Two months later she makes the phone call. From difficult decisions to the consequences the decision presents to her family and friends, Angel's Choice is a brutally honest depiction of a teenage pregnancy.

A recommended read for both mothers and daughters. The dialogue is real, the voice is real, and the obstacles are real. For a frank peek into an expecting teen's world, without a pro-life or pro-choice hidden message, read Angel's Choice.

I've always been a fan of feminist comics. I wrote my thesis in 2003 on underground feminist comix as resistance art and include Arnoldi's work because it's so outside the norm. Autobiographic with stark images of people who've abused her turning into monsters. Her story of resistance and self-preservation is inspirational and moving. Her artwork is simple; it doesn't need to be more complex. Her story has enough complexity. It's a phenomenal read for an adult but it's also a great book to share with teens. I've used it in middle school and high school therapy groups and had a great response. I can't recommend this book enough!

Arnoldi's graphic-novel about a single mother is great. It is not only a direct and clear critique of the problems facing young single-mothers today (an increasingly large demographic in the U.S.), but it is also a hopeful and inspiring story about the way out of those problems -- a way out created by young single mothers cooperating as they find solidarity with one another. Although the story is simply told and very easy to read, it is not a simple story, and she weaves together issues of sexuality, family, and labor union politics.

I'm not a teen mother (or any sort of mother), but after reading a story about her struggles and her decision to put it in a comic form, I was intrigued. Her drawings describe her transition from being neglected by her mother and having no other place to go, other than to live with her sister and abusive brother-in-law. She was raped by a stranger in a car, after she left her sisters house and was again rejected from her mother, which left her to wonder the streets. She had the child from the rape, and she dreampt of leaving the town and attending college. When she was fired from her factory job after exposing hazardous working environments, she took off with her new boyfriend to Arizona. When her boyfriend began beating her, she left him, even camping out in the desert under the stars. Eventually she met up with a positive peer group, and began attending college. Great story, helps analyze the variety of circumstances that can happen to teenage mothers, particulaly alot of the negative social backlash that affects them.

I don't have a lot of experience with graphic novels, but this one is really powerful. It almost moved me to tears in several places. I love the illustrations in which she imagines what's going on in her daughter's brain. A great book to share with teen moms or any young mom who needs some encouragement about pursuing a college degree. Accessible even for those who aren't big readers.

This is the true poignant story of a young woman and her struggles to make dreams come true. Katherine Arnoldi, raped and left with a baby at 17, was forced, out of necessity, to take a dead-end, hazardous factory job. Her dysfunctional family tried to crush her and her dreams; her boyfriend turns on her and beats her. Yet through all of her pain and despair she does not give up. Arnoldi shows, in her comic book form, that if you hold on and pursue your dreams that you can overcome the ugliest past. This book is a treasure. It is simply great. And because it is so good you will want to pass it on. This is a book that can speak to the broken hearts of hundreds, if not thousands, of struggling teenagers, single moms or not. Her enduring love for her child, her courage to change her circumstances, a little luck, and a few kind people, transforms what could be a disheartening story into an inspiration.

Talented author Merry Whiteford explores the world of foster children in this tale of love, poverty and dreams, set in the mid-1960's and told by a young woman caught between the childhood she never really had and an adulthood she isn't at all prepared for.

Christened Veda by an alcoholic mother obsessed with the Joan Crawford movie MILDRED PIERCE, she renames herself "Star" when she, her brother and two other boys are placed in foster care together. Prior to that, she lived for a time in a Catholic-run orphanage, where she witnessed the suicide of another child who was punished for being pregnant. When Star discovers herself in the same predicament, she is determined to obtain an abortion, if only she can find the needed cash.

For Star has dreams. She is a poet, and her sights are set on something beyond the poverty and crime that surround her. After all, she notes, "Starting with almost nothing leaves almost everything open."

In this beautifully rendered coming-of-age novel, Ms. Whiteford vividly portrays the sense of isolation, the knowledge of separateness not only understood but, to a degree, cultivated by a child from whom relationships are controlled by fiat. In Star Hennessey, with her yearning for a life where the creativity and the life of the mind is respected, she has created a young woman of almost militant optimism who has managed not to lose faith, either in herself or in the power of love, despite obstacles life has placed in her path. Ms. Whiteford understands as well the mixture of childish innocence and precocious maturity young people caught in the wheel of poverty and foster care acquire.

IF WISHES WERE HORSES subtly studies the differences between cherishing dreams, as Star does, and nursing delusions as her mother, who insists her children call her "Mildred," clings to in the face of all common sense. Mildred has and does seek rescue, a helpless princess awaiting the arrival of her prince; while Star realizes the only one who can rescue her is herself.

What is particularly powerful about this book is its underlying theme that small applications of kindness and generosity-not necessarily of money but of time and experience and attention-can produce quality fruit even in soil that seems blasted and infertile. IF WISHES WERE HORSES is a superbly constructed window into a Dickensian world most people will hopefully never see, and yet one that everyone should have at least a taste of.

It's 1974. In a used up town, near Nowhere, NY, sixteen-year-old Star Hennessey brings us along on a journey that isn't anywhere you want to go. She's living with yet another set of foster parents, with her brother and two other teenaged boys who are the end result of social services processes and society's failures. Star clings to what little childhood she had, while coming to understand that she is with child herself; a baby who is going to have a baby. Yet she is so grown up and mature when it comes to other things.

Her life has been one hell of a ride so far. Her mother, a prostitute, a drunk, wreaked havoc with the minds of her children, her occupational hazards. The "clients" she'd entertained didn't always ignore the fact that children were in the same apartment. Star found ways to deal with it. She entered a safe place in her mind. She wrote poems in her head, and hid within them.

Now, after living in the House of Providence, an orphanage really, she ekes out an existence with foster parents. People who have nothing to offer; people who show no interest or love. It is better than Providence though, where the nuns slap your knuckles with rulers and punish you for thoughts you might someday chance to have. Providence: where another young girl's belly grew large with child and she was sent away to give birth, only to return and hang herself in the dormitory. And Star understands why.

This isn't just a coming of age story. It is a slap across the face, grow up quick or be left behind story. It is a work of fiction but the people are so real that you might very well know some of them. Here is an example of such depth of knowledge of humanity; it is like looking in the mirror at a bruised and battered 16-year-old face. Look in the mirror. See the truth that is all around us. A young girl struggles to understand her own existence, she desperately tries to know who she is and why she is. She takes comfort in words and poetry and finds hope and purpose there.

Merry Whiteford has opened doors we usually keep closed. She offers a look at what makes people tick, and a look at the deepest darkest secrets that are often shut tight in little glass jars and held tightly to our chests. She offers a reminder to hold on to our memories, even if they have become memories of what we wish had happened and not what really did.

If Wishes Were Horses is a book that you won't soon forget, nor should you.

Merry Whiteford has eclipsed all her fine work with this magnificently told tale of Star - a young woman plagued by misfortune with an uncanny clarity and capacity to look and see beyond - with remarkable understanding, a lack of critical judgement and ability to move through the world with a sense of purpose that cannot be derailed, despite wrenching circumstances.

If you're tired of the *feel good* novel with trite, simplistic endings - this is the book for you and will undoubtedly leave the astute reader - like this one - hoping for more about Star. If Wishes Were Horses this writer would be rightfully acclaimed & celebrated for her exquisite talent and ability.

Thank you, Merry Whiteford, for a wonderful novel and reading experience. This hungry reader wants more ...

If Wishes Were Horses is about a teen-age girl, but it is a novel for everyone. The struggles are common human problems, but they are addressed with uncommon insight and care. The story is narrated by Star, a sixteen year girl living in a foster home with her brother and two other teenage boys. Star's mother is a prostitute, an alcoholic and an ex-con. She visits her children in foster care occasionally, and Star visits her mother in flashbacks. These visits reveal the embarrassment and abuse Star has suffered through her mother's neglect. They are more then sufficient to justify Star's total rejection of her mother, but this is not where the story goes. Star is resolute in her efforts to maintain her affection for her mother, and her efforts are rendered credible by Star's narrative. Star shows us how she sees her mother and other people in her life. We are spared pseudo-psychological analyses; instead we read of what Star sees in the people around her--their acts, their gestures, their comments. In these descriptions the affections of people who have been hit hard by life or lost their grip on life peek through. Such affection could be easily overlooked but is not. Star sees the love in her mother, and, through her poetic gifts she allows us to see it too. Star's ability to see those around her with generosity and honesty is at the heart of the story, and at the heart of the reader's admiration for her.
The reader, I think, will come to admire Star but will not see her as too good to be true. The plot is built around her slightly outlaw life with the other foster children and her unwanted pregnancy. Her efforts to solve the problems created by the pregnancy drive the plot and keep one wondering how she will resolve the situation. Her attempts at resolution lead to more problems that a less naive person might well have avoided. Star's gift is to see the capacity for love and affection in the midst of weakness and tragedy, and she applies that gift to herself as well.
Merry Whiteford has written an excellent novel. Star and her mother are characters who will linger with you. I find myself returning to the closing scenes of the novel with a fondness for mother and daughter and for what they can still mean to each other.

I felt this book quite personally; I deeply indentified with Star and found her journey painful, moving and redemptive. I couldn't put this novel down and had to read it cover-to-cover straight through. I recommend this book to any serious reader.

the health benefits of the normal menstrual cycle and the risks of taking birth control pills non-stop to do away with the normal menstrual cycle "for convenience," I recommend The Blessings of the Curse: No More Periods? by Susan Rako, M.D. How many of us know that taking birth control pills puts us at increased risk for HPV and cervical cancer? Dr. Rako's book has information that the drugs companies don't tell us and that has been down-played in the media. It's a book that every responsible parent and every fertile-age woman needs to read.

A ton of easy to understand information for teens! My teen also really liked S.E.X. by Heather Corinna. Each gave her different information and covered simliar subjects differently.

I own Toni's first book, "TCOYF" and it completely changed the way I look at my body and my cycles. So I was thrilled that she came out with this book for teens. I purchased it with the intent of giving it to my younger sister, but after reading it; I have decided to return it.

What I loved: The first two parts (Cycle Smart and Cycle Signals) cover all the basics on the female body that I guarentee your kids will never hear about in school. :) Toni discusses the different stages in a woman's cycle, including charting your fertility signs to help understand your body. The book is very well put together with fun illustrations and page layouts. The writing is smart and fun, and very easy to read.
This book does not teach FAM as a means of birth control. In fact, I was hopeful after reading the following in the introduction: "...this book is no more a sex-education manual than it is a primer on tampons."

What I didn't love: The third part of the book (Cycle Solutions) has a chapter called "From Cycle Savvy to Sex Smart" that seemed to contradict this statment in the intro. I will conceed that from a world/secular standpoint, this chapter is presented in a very balanced way. Most of the chapter is filled with stories of teenage girls' experiences with sex. The stories cover the spectrum, from "I had sex as a teen and regret it every day" to "I waited for just the right time with my boyfriend" and everything in between. If you or your daughter are proponents of abstinence, you will definitely want to look over this chapter before buying.

From a Christian standpoint, the information presented in this chapter is completely incongruent with what the Bible teaches. As much as I love Toni and everything she has done to empower women, and as much as I loved everything else about this book, this one chapter was enough for me to return it.

If only this book had been around when I was a teen! Great, solid information shared in a straight forward way that will assist young girls in getting past the hypersexualization that they face today and move into a core of true self respect and self esteem. This book is a blessing.

As a physician specializing in fertility, I see a lot of chronic reproductive health problems (and their devastating consequences)in my adult patients that could have been prevented if the patient had been provided with quality reproductive education as a teenager. This book provides the information young women need to make decisions at a young age that will impact their health across the lifespan. Thank you, Toni for making my job easier and for preserving the reproductive health of the next generation.

Dr. Susan Carr

Juno meets real life.

This book is a great read, its very real and down-to-earth.
Its written very well and very emotional.
I loved it!

In this novel for young adults--with something valuable to say to older adults, as well--Kate Buckley has had the courage to take on subject matter few will touch. As evidence: after a long search for a traditional publisher, Buckley had to self-publish for her story to see print. While none of the traditional publishers denied the quality and value of Buckley's writing, all were squeamish at backing up a topic that continues to ignite a furor among those who are pro-life and those who defend a woman's right to make choices about her pregnancy. Only after Buckley's book saw quick success and critical acclaim (Kirkus, Ms. Magazine, and others) did traditional publishers consider her work, and Choices may yet see the imprint of one of these on its title page in a second printing.

The author comes to her writing with substantial experience. A Santa Fe, New Mexico resident, Buckley holds a master's in human development with a concentration in women's studies. She has facilitated support groups for girls in California and New Mexico. An activist for women's rights, she has worked as a teen advocate in the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women's Teen Abuse Prevention Project and has trained for the LA Commission's Rape Crisis Hot Line team. Buckley has administered a three-year, science based drug and alcohol abuse prevention program in public middle schools of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

When Buckley wrote Choices, she meant it to be read and discussed not only by teen girls, but to open lines of communication between girls and their mothers, equally their fathers and brothers, even an entire community, for it takes a village to protect a young woman. Indeed, this is the line running through the novel. When 15 year old Kara MacNeill finds herself pregnant after being raped by a school jock at a party, she must confront her every fear in dealing with a moral and ethical dilemma. There is the rape itself. She must cope with the violation of body, mind and spirit that a person undergoes after a rape. To complicate matters, Kara's mother is an impassioned pro-life activist who often has her daughter help in passing our flyers and joining in protests against abortion clinics. Surely, Kara will not find help in her dilemma at home. Time is of essence, however, as Kara searches for support in various places with varied results. The young rapist adds pressure to abort the fetus, for, as it turns out, she is not the first girl in school he has raped. The complicit and shamed silence in his female victims is something he has come to rely upon.

Choices addresses all variations and possible solutions to a problem too many adolescent girls and young women face. Is Kara in some manner responsible? Is a girl at a party who drinks too much accountable for what a boy does to her? Will a parent who has strong pro-life views feel the same way when a daughter has been raped? As simple as it can be to hold firm views when they apply to others, the insights Kara's parents experience when the results of rape hit home are fascinating for the reader to witness.

This is a story about growing up, about being accountable and taking responsibility, about taking risks and being honest when honesty becomes a matter of life and death. This is a story about what it means to be a young not-yet-woman in a society that often puts the blame and the shame on the female (in no small part due to the views of women themselves about being "nice" and that "boys will be boys") when sex becomes an act of force. Kudos to Buckley for speaking up.

Author interview in the Summer 2008 issue of The Smoking Poet.


~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet

Reviewed by Tabytha Joy (age 15) for Reader Views (8/07)

"Choices" is the story of a teenage girl, Kara, who wants to be more like other girls her age. She wants to go out more often and go out at night, but her parents won't let her. They are strict and give her an early curfew even though she is fifteen. Kara decides to sneak out her bedroom window to go to parties with Jake (a popular boy she meets at a basketball game).

Many difficult consequences result from Kara making this choice. After going out with Jake several times, Kara overdoes it with Jell-o shots at a party and ends up getting raped. She does not tell anyone what has happened until she discovers she is pregnant. Kara lives in Colorado where you must have a parent's permission, if you are under eighteen, even to get birth control.

After this happens, Kara blames herself for everything. She becomes depressed and hopeless. She thinks because she made bad decisions that she must suffer for them. But as the story unfolds, Kara learns a lot, and she grows.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it taught me some very good lessons. One of those lessons is that your parents tell you "no" because they want to protect you in every way possible. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way to understand why your parents are the way they are.

Anything can happen to anyone, at any time. But, if something happens to you, it is not always your fault. Sometimes you are a victim, and sometimes, just talking about it and getting your feelings out can help you begin to feel better.

"Choices" is a must read for everyone! We can all relate to something in this story. Great job, Kate!

Ever felt like the really tough decisions you face as a young adult, or parent of one, are just too complicated, painful and ultimately not worth facing? Then you should read Kate Buckley's "Choices." In a story of Kara, a young woman who gets pregnant in high school and sees her whole world unraveling in loneliness, fear and rejection, author Buckley reaches deep down into the humanity of Kara herself, her best friend Mel, and her parents, and shows us how their seemingly daunting circumstances turn into a profound wake up call to be courageous, face the truth and discover one of life's miracles: that people deep down inside really do care for each other despite circumstances that may seem impossible.

Written with ease and a compelling sense of "I can't put this book down", "Choices" will help you see your way through and shine new light on the choices you face. And for everyone, by the end of the book you'll feel like you are better person. Thank you Kate Buckley for a wonderful gift.

I recently read the book Choices I was not sure what to expect just knowing it was geared toward teen aged girls. As a mother of a 16 year old girl Choices is a wonderful catalyst for parents and children to have this sometimes "unapproachable talk" about the pressures of drinking, sex, social life and the importance of education. Even as a means for the girls and boys to talk and find out more about each other ...or just to give it food for thought.
What would you do if you were in her shoes at what point would it have become different for you? Would it have played out the same?
My daughter is dating a boy for a year now. I think it is important to know that there are consequences for every action. Some aren't earth shattering and some change you forever.
Just have some forethought.

This is an interesting, different kind of novel. In the opening pages, we meet Morgan, a garbage collector, husband of Zhenya, a college professor. The reader quickly learns that six years earlier, Morgan and Zhenya's 12 year old son, Phillip, committed suicide. The circumstances surrounding this "accidental death," as Morgan calls it, are made clear to the reader up front. The reader is also privvy to another piece of information: the paternity of Petey, daughter of Emma, Phillip's sister, now 20 years old.

Author Boswell carefully sets this stage, and the reader is given the sense that the family has stagnated here for some time. But then a new character enters the scene: Zhenya's father, Peter Ivanovich Kamenev. Kamenev, who claims to be one hundred years old (hence the book's title), also insists that the has involved in various pivotal moments in history, including the missed opportunity to assasinate Stalin. Zhenya, a political scientist, suspects that many of her father's stories are lies and slowly builds evidence against him. At the same time, Morgan's partner, a young thug named Danny, is arrested under suspicion of a gun shooting, so both Danny and Kamenev wind up living with the family for a period of time.

Although the above might sound like an exciting premise with plenty of potential for action, in reality, the entire middle part of the book moves extremely slowly. It is not until the last quarter of the novel or so that the pace begins to pick up a bit, with greater developement of both the plot and the characters. At this point, it becomes mainly Zhenya's story, and Kamenev, while still a catalyst at times, fades into the background. Although there definitely were some interesting aspects to this book, my overall rating would only be about 3 1/2 stars.

A wonderfully told story with great character development.

As I read this moving, and beautifuly written, accont of a family trying to put into a focus the suicide of their son, I kept re-reading the dog Prince's coments. The entire ankst of the family can be seen in the dog's (youthful) padding around seeking the lost son, and then her various thoghts about the family as she ages, and ... Can't reveal plot lines here. If I were a teacher, I would reccomend this book to young students. The incidence of teenage suicide is so real, and disturbing, that this novel, and the fully developed lives of the characters after the suicide, might be a powerful message.

The sophisticated writing of this author indicates wide popular audinece, but somethow I don't think he will find it with this book. It brought many tears to my eyes, but I am old enought to
have lived through some of these scenes. And have old dogs.

This is a painful novel, from which comes no resolution, just hope, - which is what I think the author intended.

GMS

this book was absolutely amazing. the emotions, themes, ideas, etc., throughout the book are incredible. i've never been so entertained by a novel. i highly suggest this to anyone who likes to laugh, cry, and read.

Century's Son was a truly rewarding read. if you enjoy rich characterization, then you will enjoy Boswell's writing. Few authors are able to create such textured characters with as much feeling and depth as Boswell does here. If anything, the only character that did not strike me as particularly real or original is Peter Kamenev, who is slightly stereotyped as the precocious, over-sexed, hyperbolic old man. Nevertheless, Kamenev if extremely enjoyable as a character as well.

The only reason why people may not like this book is that there were no earth-shattering developments in the plot. Nothing truly happened to resolve the lingering tension in the book. But to me, that's precisely the point. The richness of the characters is not drowned out by a schmaltzy plot device. Every character is allowed to develop and reveal his faults at their own pace. They develop organically.

You know that you've found a satisfying read when your chief complaint is that the book is too short!

Stacey Roberts writes a very nice two prong book. On the one hand, she explains to the reader just what's going on with their daughter. On the other hand, Roberts offers tips on how to help your daughter with this knowledge. With an approach of positive interaction and being prepared, Roberts offers sample conversations to help the reader start discussions even if the daughter appears uncommunicative. This is an excellent book for anyone who is stuck on how to approach their daughter, isn't sure what she's going through, or both.

Kudos to the Breast Fairy author! My daughter, who had her own supreme struggles with the Breast Fairy as a teen, is now the mother of three girl-women (ah, justice!). We've both prayed for a book like this! Seldom does one find such an honest, clear, practical guide such as Stacey Roberts has written. Too bad this book can't be "required reading" after the baby shower, but then this gives loving mothers like myself a great gift for our daughters (and their daughters) when it's most needed! A grateful grandmother.

Stacey Roberts is a trainer /coach /physical therapist/ counselor/ friend who has worked with adolescent girls for 15 years. She writes with wit and compassion about girls' teen years and their need for relationships to help steady down the turmoil in family and the developing self. While she cites various authorities on teen years, she has developed her own compassionate authority from her experiences. She is, in a sense, a "natural" therapist, one of those genuinely helpful persons who has great empathy for teens.

It is not so much a "survival guide" as an affirmation of how important relationships are, especially when they change during a girl's maturation. Roberts is clear about the importance of fathers in this affirmation. In a divorce situation, she astutely observes that girls often reserve their anger and confusion for their moms and hold back on their (more distant) dads. Her recommendations make good sense--talking things through, affirmation, being clear about limits, asking about the girl's feelings.

I think men will get a lot from this book, also. We know that when fathers pull back from daughters in their teen years, many girls end up hurt/confused/wounded/angry, so it is important to maintain an appropriate relationship with your daughter. Roberts is on the right track.

Kudos to the Breast Fairy author! My daughter, who had her own supreme struggles with the Breast Fairy as a teen, is now the mother of three girl-women (ah, justice!). We've both prayed for a book like this! Seldom does one find such an honest, clear, practical guide such as Stacey Roberts has written. Too bad this book can't be "required reading" after the baby shower, but then this gives loving mothers like myself a great gift for our daughters (and their daughters) when it's most needed!

When The Breast Fairy Comes covers the struggles faced by every parent of adolescent girls and provides practical advice based on parental experiences, the distilled thoughts of more than 200 adolescent girls, and child development specialists. When The Breast Fairy Comes applies to girls of all ages and prepares parents for the beginning, middle and end of adolescence. This is a compendium of sound, helpful, insightful, highly recommended information that can serve as a basis for establishing a rapport between parent and child that will last a lifetime.

This is a comprehensive publication including the cultural and medical issues surrounding teen pregnancy and implications for practice. It is must read for professionals caring for adolescents. It's practical approach and outline for a teen pregnancy program are still valid today. Highly recommended.

This is the best monograph on the market for professionals caring for pregnant teens. It covers the phyisological, psychologial, social, and educational needs of pregnant teens. It is a must read. Subsequent publications don't compare. Ask for this edition.

This mongraph gives a practical approach to teen pregnancy. Excellent resourch for teachers and health care professionals.

Excellent resource for all health care professionals who care for pregnant teens.

Authors review factors related to prevalence of teen pregnancy, risks and issues surrounding teen pregnancy. Authors share their experience in establishing a successful Adolescent Pregnancy Program which signficantly improved outcomes in teen mothers. Authors include excellent resources, including medical records tools, audio-visual resources, and program outline. Offers a turn key approach to professionals planning to develop such a program. Comes with 6 nursing contact hours.

If you are having this issue please get the book it will help you see clearly.

No! Neither of my teens are going to have a baby! Just to get that immediately out of the way. :) The publishers of How to Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy by Linda Ellen Perry sent me a copy and asked me to review it, because while I haven't been a parent whose had to face this, I was a teen mom myself. I'll never forget the way I had to tell my parents that I was pregnant; I had hoped to procrastinate as long as possible. But Mom had made an appointment for me to get my MMR booster shot the next day, and I was afraid that there may be birth defects if I went ahead with the shot, so I had to drop the bomb on them two weeks before school started. I wish now that they had a book like this to turn to for advice, and that we had a better support system through our church and community. While Dad tried to remain calm and talk sensibly, Mom was broken and couldn't bear to discuss the details.



If I could go back and change things, I wouldn't change the big stuff (getting married, keeping my baby), because if I did, I wouldn't have the two beautiful older kids I have, but I would change the way that my parents and I interacted in the two weeks before I was quickly married and moved out. Perry has years of experience counseling teens and their parents, and she uses that knowledge to create a workbook for parents that takes them step by step through the first discovery through the birth of the baby with stops along the way for forgiving their daughter, the baby's father, and the themselves. She encourages with Scripture and uses different Bible stories and some Christian fiction to help bring deeper understanding to the situation. Perry urges parents to really listen to their daughter to help her come up with a viable plan for her and her child. She supports both adoption and parenting with the pros and cons of both laid out neatly. This is a Christian book, so while abortion is mentioned, she encourages every other option and includes statistics about possible outcomes if a teenage girl has or is forced to have an abortion.


The book includes resources for parents with places to find Christian and pro-life doctors, adoption agencies, pregnancy resource centers, and more. While some of the activities for dealing with the emotions were a little artsy for me (I can't imagine drawing pictures or making a collage to express myself), for others it may be just what's needed. It took my parents and I several years to repair the damage done by my pregnancy and my attitude toward them during it. While a parent can't change their child's reaction to the pregnancy, mothers and fathers can change how they react, hopefully bringing healing and growth. This book is a fantastic resource for helping them to work through the grief, anger, and guilt that follows a teen's pregnancy.

This is a wise book full of practical and biblical advice for steering your family through the crisis of a teen pregnancy. There is an emphasis on forgiveness and restoration throughout as the author addresses issue such as secondary virginity, adoption, marriage, etc. Recommended Scripture reading, application questions, guidance for prayer, and helpful checklists for preparing for the baby are also included, as well as personal stories from those who have walked through this situation before.

Linda Ellen Perry has not only written a book, she's written from years of experience from guiding teens who found themselves pregnant before they were ready. Perry gives real-life advice to help parents work through all the issues they will face. The book is practical and Biblical, helping you work through things such as forgiveness, adoption possibilities, your teen parenting alone and what she needs from the adults in her life, welcoming a new baby into your home, and tons of resources. This is only a partial list for Perry has addressed every angle of the challenges faced when your daughter says those words, "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant".

This is not an easy situation to find yourself in - the pregnancy of a teen - but this book really helps you look at the situation and consider steps to take. It also provides encouragment to the parent and gives you a chance to focus on your hurt in the midst of the situation, while still helping you help your daughter make smart choices. A fantastic resource for any parent who is going through this difficult time. Pastors would also benefit from reading and having this book on hand for when the situation arises.