Tag: Strong female character

Smallest Kid in the Class: Resources for Talking to Kids About Being Short

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“Mommy, [Max] says that I’m a baby. He doesn’t believe I’m four.”

One day, Molly came home saying that her classmates think she’s a baby because she’s so short. As a mom, I had a little moment of panic, not going to lie. Molly is a sensitive kid and she has an incredibly accurate memory for remembering what people tell her. I knew she would remember my explanation and we would most likely have this talk multiple times over the years, so I had to set the foundation.

I’m 4’10”. Both of my parents are short, and my sister is also under five feet tall. So, it’s really no surprise that my daughter is the smallest girl in her preschool class. Growing up, I was picked on about my height, but I never really let it bother me. My mom proved to us multiple times over the years that being short doesn’t hold us back in life, and because of this I never felt self-conscious about being vertically challenged.

I told my daughter that there is nothing wrong with being short. I knew I would revisit this with her again, but I needed to think how I wanted to have a more in-depth conversation.

I spent some time thinking about appropriate resources for talking to my preschool-aged daughter about being short. All of the small characters show audiences that being short does not mean life has to be limited.

Reading Molly her first book, Madeline, in 2016.
  1. Being So Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) by Lori Orlinsky. I had the absolute pleasure of reviewing this book a few years ago (Being So Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) Book Review)and knew I would be using this book in the future with Miss Molly. I love that this book highlights the positive aspects of being small in a kid-friendly way with adorable illustrations.
  2. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. This was the very first book I read to Molly and it’s always been a personal favorite of mine. This past weekend we had a binge fest and watched the cartoon TV show from the late ’80s (currently on Amazon Prime). To say Molly loved it was an understatement. After hearing Madeline’s song, Molly declared that she wants to be like Madeline. The books, show and movie all show young children that size doesn’t put limits on someone. There are still so many adventures to be had, regardless of height.
  3. Disney/Pixar characters. There are sooo many reasons why I love Disney, such as the use of diverse characters. The following movies and characters continue to support the positivity of being short. Ratatouille– Remy, a rat, not only breaks away from his family’s expectations, but pursues his dream of becoming a chef. I love how Remy uses creativity to cook in a real kitchen to reach various utensils and ingredients, showing viewers that there are ways to work around obstacles. Edna from The Incredibles and Incredibles 2. There is no stronger minor female character than Auntie Edna, in my opinion. Her self-confidence is clearly seen as she takes charge, especially with Jack Jack. She demonstrates that short statured women can still stand their ground next to successful and intimidating men. Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. Did you just hear Boo’s voice, too? I love how the filmmakers add a sense of humor to being short. Whether it’s when Sully picks Mike up by the head, or when Mike’s eye is covered during the TV commercial, height is embraced in a loving and fun way.

While it’s a great idea to use these resources when talking to young children, it’s important to remember to follow-up with an open discussion. Ask questions about how characters are feeling, why they made decisions and what this teaches us. Personally, I would also include some of my own personal stories from my childhood to help show Molly that I truly understand how she feels. Every child is different, so always keep that in mind when having conversations.

To this day, many times I’m still the shortest in the class and I wouldn’t change it :).

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. For more information head to my website.

Open Book Book Review

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In the mid 2000s I was in high school and wanted nothing more than to be Jessica Simpson. She had this gorgeous Louis Vuitton purse and an insanely hot husband. Like most girls, I watched Newlyweds and have the DVDs still, which I will never part with. I was just like Jessica, the ditzy dumb blonde, and truthfully I can still have my moments. When she was getting divorced I was also dealing with the breakup of one of my high school boyfriends and felt connected to her, which sounds extremely lame saying this 15 years later.

About two weeks ago I started seeing that she was releasing a book on social media. To be honest, it’s been quite a while since I thought about her. I knew she was an extremely successful business woman with her Jessica Simpson Collection and that she was married with kids. But, I have to admit I was intrigued about her book.

Open Book, by Jessica Simpson, is truly a remarkable memoir that encourages readers to accept themselves and to never give up.

Right away I loved the writing style of this piece. In the very beginning, Simpson  explains the reasons for her authenticity and honesty in the future pages. I instantly trusted the writer and loved how she talked to the reader throughout the work. She speaks to readers as though she’s speaking with her best girl friends, creating a bond.

I knew Jessica grew up as a pastor’s daughter, but I never realized how devoted to her faith she really is. As a Jersey girl myself, families like the Simpson’s are not super common, so when she described her childhood I not only understand the power of her faith, but I can also appreciate and respect it. She truly believes she is doing God’s work through singing and helping others, and I can definitely see that. She is dedicated to supporting and honoring troops, children and women all over the world.

It’s pretty common knowledge that our childhood greatly impacts our lives as adults, and that is what happened to Simpson. She was touched inappropriately as a child for years by another girl and that experience has without a doubt shaped her into the person she is today. She is so honest and raw in expressing how this situation caused her anxiety and the need to be accepted, which ultimately led her to alcoholism. She does not make excuses for her behavior, but reflects on certain stages of her personal downfall by connecting all of the dots. Her explanations are crystal clear and allow readers a true peek into her world.

One of my favorite parts of the book was of course about her marriage to Nick Lachey. As a 16 year old girl in high school, I sympathized with Nick when he released his album What’s Left of Me, however, there are always two sides to the story. Hearing Simpson’s side for the first time in the book made me want to sit down and have a glass of wine with her. And, I have to admit, rewatch Newlyweds.

Marriage is as personal as it can get. No one will ever know all of the details except the husband and wife. It’s very easy to bash the other, especially in the public eye, but to her credit, Simpson explains this chapter of her life with poise and grace. I do not look at Nick Lachey any differently than I did as a teenager. The woman has true class.

Regardless of what Simpson was experiencing in her personal life, she never stopped growing as a successful woman. She started the Jessica Simpson Collection and turned into a boss babe (woot woot!). She used her personal struggles to help others. When she was getting publicity for being “fat” she instead turned it around and made sure she was creating items that flattered all woman.

Simpson is very open and honest about her romantic relationships with John Mayer and Tony Romo. Like most women, she gets caught in the web of going back and forth with a guy. As a reader you want to yell at her that the guy is a jerk, but she wants to be loved so much that she can’t see it. It’s always easy for an outsider to see these things, but when you’re the one involved you don’t always realize what’s happening. I actually remember a segment from E! News where Jessica is in a box at the infamous football game to watch Tony Romo and she was wearing the pink jersey. My heart went out to her when Romo never publicly stood up and defended her.

One of my favorite parts is when Simpson talks about building her family. You can feel her giddiness as she tells the story about meeting Eric and their connection jumps off the pages. The love she has for her children is undeniable.

Simpson is truly a warrior. She is her own worst critic, but has a tremendous amount of self love and acceptance. Personally, I believe she is in incredible role model, especially as she juggles motherhood, marriage and business. Her strength contagious and motivates readers to be true to themselves.

To purchase the book click here.

I Am This Girl: Tales of Youth Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

I’ve been teaching for ten years, and during that time I have seen/heard about quite a bit of tween/teen girl drama and bullying. Cellphones and social media have completely changed the world for bullies since victims can never escape it like they used to back in the day. When we read about incidents in the news we never get the whole story, until we are introduced into that world by a book.

I Am This Girl: Tales of Youth, by Samantha Benjamin, is a young adult novel that takes readers on a journey filled with bullying, self discovery, and teenage love.

We follow Tammy, a teenage girl, as she moves from London to Morpington, a small town where everyone is related and knows each other. She instantly struggles with leaving her two best friends, Kristie and Sonia, and tries to fit in at her new school. The girls aren’t very welcoming, and Tammy finds her head in a toilet on her very first day. She also endures physical altercations with girls while trying to navigate her new social environment.

If that isn’t stressful enough, Tammy is also expected to spend time with her dad who clearly is not father of the year. He pushes his daughter to date a boy she is not a fan of, and does not support her emotionally or financially. Readers will like him less and less the more they learn about him.

As we dive deeper into her story, we learn that Tammy was bullied in her old school by a girl named Lorraine. Readers can understand why this character has trust issues and has difficulties making friends.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book based in the U.K., and I realized I don’t think I’ve read any YA book quite like this one.

The story is told in third person omniscient, and the scene changes happen very quickly, which took me a little getting used to because there are no space breaks between switches. My reading was definitely a little choppy in the beginning because of this, since I was trying really hard to figure out what was going on. However, once I got the hang of it my reader brain was able to follow the story line seamlessly. In fact, I don’t think certain pieces of the story would have been as effective without the quick switches.

The characterization of Tammy is raw. Plain, simple, and true. We experience all sides of her, not just the good ones, and she is not meant to come across as cute. It reminded me a little bit of Veronica Roth’s Divergent character Tris, except that while Tris had an inaccurate portrayal of herself, Tammy knows she has issues and expresses them very clearly.

Tammy will admit to readers when she is making a poor decision, but will continue to do so anyway. Why? Because she’s a teenager and that’s what they do. Her realness is incredible. Because of a domino effect, Tammy smokes cigarettes and weed, and even dapples with drinking. She tells readers she needs cigarettes to take the edge off, not because it’s cool. Adults tend to think teens partake in these activities because of peer pressure or whatnot, but Tammy shows readers that sometimes teens do the same things as adults for the same reason, to escape.

She is also going through the process of self discovery with her sexuality. Benjamin leaves little hints here and there, but it’s not until Tammy’s neighbor Alexis discusses the topic with her that Tammy realizes that she is bisexual. Personally, I loved this component of the plot. Being a teenager is challenging enough, as Tammy shows readers, but it’s even more complicated when you have to hide part of yourself.

As adults, we often look down on teenage love as not real. Teenagers are hormonal, emotional and have a flair for the dramatics. However, teenage love is also extremely complex and complicated, as we see with Tammy. When she starts seeing a girl named Lucy we are introduced to the legit crazy world that some teenagers experience. Feelings of guilt, desperation, and obligation are all very much real, and adults sometimes don’t realize their significance.

This novel was truly eye opening about what happens in the life of a teenage girl. Not going to lie, I was petrified a few times while reading it, especially thinking about what the world will be like when my three year old daughter is older. However, if you work with teenagers or you have a daughter, this is a must read.

I would also highly recommend that every teenage girl read this at one point to realize that they are not alone with how they feel or what they experience. The intricacies of friendships, family issues, and surviving high school are extremely complex and delicate. This book holds nothing back and literally touches on every topic imaginable for a teenager.

To purchase the book click here.

The Bones of Who We Are Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

As you know, my weakness in my book life is YA. A few weeks ago I shared my thoughts on Swimming Sideways, and I loved it so much that I DM’d the amazing author and totally bonded. So when C.L. Walters reached out to me to be part of the The Bones of Who We Are I literally jumped at the opportunity.

The Bones of Who We Are, by C.L. Walters, dives into the realities of friendship, family, and personal growth.

The amazing characters pick up right where they left off, but this time we get Gabe’s story. The amount of build up to this will have you skimming pages to get to the good stuff, although the entire novel is quite fabulous. My goal is to not give anything away because I don’t want to ruin that reader moment for anyone.

Walters has a way of creating the most genuine characters I have ever come across. In The Bones of Who We Are, two characters really packed an incredible punch that have such positive impacts on Gabe’s life.

Martha, Gabe’s adoptive mother, has been depicted as the quintessential housewife. The woman makes fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookies every day with an apron. But, we discover that Martha is an incredibly strong woman. We get a glimpse into her past during a heartfelt conversation with Gabe. Underneath the perfect mom, is a ferocious mama bear who has the biggest heart I have ever seen in literature. The love that she has for Gabe and the need to protect him reminds me of Lily Potter. Martha will stop at nothing to get her son what he needs to learn in a healthy environment. As a teacher and parent, I hear this story so many times from mom’s of classified students who have to fight for their children. Martha symbolizes the strength it takes to raise a child who is different in a world that is not understanding.

Dr. Miller, Gabe’s psychologist, is a true team player. We go back in time to the first session, and it’s clear that Doc Miller has way with children. I love how he is able to guide Gabe through the healing process with such kindness and heart. He is the glue in Gabe’s life. Dr. Miller’s insight is powerful and leaves readers to ponder their own lives. He is a pillar of strength in Gabe’s support system.

Along with incredible characters, Walters really dives into the themes of family and friendship. Families today look very different than families from fifty years ago. Families deal with addiction, separation, divorce, and abuse in a very judgmental society. Through Gabe’s story, Walters shows readers that a family does not have to be made up of biological parents and children. Family can be defined by those who love, fight, and protect one another. This is a very powerful message for readers today. It let’s them know it is okay not to have the perfect nuclear family. In fact, there is no such thing as a perfect family.

Friendship is a re-occurring theme in Walters’ novels, and she continues to dig deeper into this concept with each novel. In The Bones of Who We Are, forgiveness is seen between all of the characters. They learn that regardless of what was done in the past, it is possible to move forward with relationships. True friendships have a solid foundation that can withstand anything, as we see with Seth, Abby and Gabe. The quality of friends is more important than the quantity.

Personally, I think that every reader can relate to Gabe. Throughout the novel, he is battling some serious internal conflicts that have plagued him for years. It is as though Seth’s accident and life/death situation has forced Gabe to battle through demons of his past. We see him contemplating suicide while extremely intoxicated in order to deal with Seth’s condition. Gabe’s personal growth is really explained in the second part of the book. We see his physical change in actions (sitting in the cafeteria again) but we also see some symbolism with his wardrobe. He exchanges his black hoody based attire for lighter colored clothing. It’s as though Abby has literally brightened his world. I love that he takes Dr. Miller’s advice of working through situations because it allows Gabe to morph into a stronger individual.

The Bones of Who We Are is an incredible book that I would recommend for readers 15 and up. There is some mature language and content included in this text. I truly can’t say enough about these amazing novels.

 

 

Arial the Chef Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

I love food. I’m a fan of going out to dinner, experimenting with different recipes and watching Hell’s Kitchen. Molly is also a fan of these food things, especially watching Hell’s Kitchen while cooking in her play kitchen.

Arial is definitely becoming one of my favorite characters in a picture book series. I’ve previously reviewed Arial the Youtuber (an Amazon best seller) and I’m so excited to share another Arial story today that involves food!

Arial the Chef, by Mary Nhin, is a fabulous story about the importance of working hard and helping others.

I really like how Arial’s Youtube videos continues into this book. We pick up with her recording a new video for making sushi at home (she makes it look so easy!). Arial wants to purchase a sushi robot to help her cut rolls, but she doesn’t have $400.

The family makes and delivers dinner to their neighbor, who is sick. Britany, the daughter, reveals that her dad may lose his job because he needs a surgery to get better, but the family can’t afford it. This bit of information may seem random and out of place, but it’s an important component to the overall plot and message.

To make money, Arial opens a sushi bar. Her grand opening is busy, but soon she realizes the struggles of starting a new business. Even though she feels defeated, Arial looks to her parents for advice, and they give her some great ideas. I love how Arial’s family works as a team to support one another. Her parents’ ideas allow Arial to gain some momentum with her sushi bar, and at the end of the month she is able to walk away with a profit.

But, wait, there’s more! With her $400 profits, Arial doesn’t buy the sushi robot, but instead goes to Britany’s and gives her the money! This act of kindness makes my heart so full and speaks volumes to young readers. The overall theme of the text can be summed up by this quote from the book. “She proved to herself she could do hard things and help others.” I am absolutely head over heels for this quote and want to put it in my office. I love, love, love the lessons of grit and kindness that this book offers. I feel like I fall more in love with Arial with each story she’s in.

And, just like Arial the Youtuber, Nhin provides some great extras at the end of the book. First, there is a step-by-step guide for making sushi at home and how to open a sushi bar. Super cool fun fact, the author has experience with opening a sushi restaurant! There is also a vocabulary activity, discussion topics, a writing exercise and drawing space for readers to interact with the story.

I think this book would be fabulous when discussing theme, characterization, or character education in a classroom or homeschool environment for students in grades 1-3.

To purchase this book click here.

 

Jupiter Storm Book Review

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Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book from the author to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way. Jupiter Storm by Marti Dumas is a great realistic fantasy upper elementary chapter book.

Book description: 10-year-old Jackie excels at being in charge. Her skills keep everything from gardens to five unruly brothers in line. So when a curious chrysalis appears in Jackie’s front yard, Jackie naturally decides to take charge of it. The creature that emerges is not like anything she has ever seen, and Jackie soon realizes that she must protect it at all costs, even from her own family.

What I personally enjoyed about this book was the realistic and accurate portrayal of family. Not every family is perfect, and the author did not shy away from this, but rather embraced it. Jackie’s mother comes across as an extremely strong, no nonsense woman, who can still be a great mom to her children.  Her brothers are typical little boys, filled with energy and curiosity. Jackie’s father’s true colors don’t come out until the end, where he melts your heart with his love for his daughter. The parents have a clear partnership in the running of the household, and work together to keep the chaos under control. It was interesting to see inside the life of this family so much. It helped to balance the plot with Jackie and Jupiter and kept the story real.

Jackie is a typical ten year old girl, she makes mistakes, daydreams, and lies to her family. She comes across as a strong young lady, which readers will easily fall in love with. The writing style used to describe the family interactions and dynamics were extremely accurate. The dialogue and point of view are shared through Jackie, but have an insightful and mature voice, which adds to the strength of the her character.

Jackie will teach young girls to speak their mind, fight for their beliefs, and embrace responsibilities. She is a fantastic role model for all readers.