I hope that Mita and Meg will read this book as it speaks to their age and I think Mita can identify with the main character, Lahni.  Of course I can not push it on them to forcefully or it will come right back. The joys of having twelve year old girls!

A quick plot review:  Lahni is a tranracially adopted, only child who is fourteen years old. Her parents are white and she goes to an elite private school where she is the only student of color.  It seems her main goal in life is to not be noticed and she ends up being put in the spotlight without her asking to be.  Along the way she deals with divorcing parents, an older boy who is threatening, dealing with normal school issues and trying to find her voice.  She also developed some new relationships with adult African Americans and this makes a big impact on her.

As a mother to two trans-racially adopted children there were a few parts of the book that made me feel triumphant, as I am a much more open and affectionate mother than Lahni’s mom.  Here are a couple of lines where I felt this:

“Do you think I have a decent voice?”

“Of course I do. God knows where you get it from.  Certainly not your father or me.”

How could she be saying this. It is not as though she knows more than I do if my real mother or father were good singers.  But it was something my mom always did. Speak as though were were really one family, instead of me being apart of someone else’s.

The family dynamics demonstrated in the book showed that Lahni was very loved by her parents, but that they were distant enough to Lahni to sometimes think that they thought the adoption was a mistake.  While reading the book I would get irritated at some of the interactions of the family, but I do acknowledge  that her younger memories show a happier, close knit family. The strain of the divorce and Lahni becoming a teenager may be a couple of factors for the emptiness felt in this family. You can see both parents struggling and so can Lahni.

I have to wonder though, if the author is showing his experience or lack of experience with trans-racial adoption in this story, or if in fact this is just how he envisioned the story. I would love to talk to him and ask him.  I  hope that people don’t assume that trans-racial adoption, or any type adoption at all for that matter produces lack-luster affection in families or families who don’t address and celebrate their differences.

Any thoughts on this book if you have read it?  I really enjoyed it. I even sat in a Sears parking lot today reading it, because it was driving me nuts having it in my purse while I was running errands and I couldn’t finish it!  I love it when a book gets into me that way.

(Disclaimer:  I was not asked to read or review this book, I just wanted to for participation in the 2012 Adoption Reading Challenge hosted by Jenna.  Links are Amazon Affiliates.)

I have not watched To Kill A Mockingbird since I was young and was anxious to watch it again as an adult to glean more of a message. I am also inspired to re-read the book, and have put it on my library list.

Mita and I cozied up on an icy day when the rest of the family were on a snow hike. We popped some popcorn and watched the movie together. I love watching old movies with the kids.  Being a black and white film, long beginning credits and the length of the movie itself are a history lesson.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a movie filmed in 1962 and was based on the novel of the same name that was written by Harper Lee. Set in the deep south in the 1930′s  Atticus Fitch, a single father,  is appointed to be the defense attorney for an accused black man.  The story is shown through the prospective of Atticus’ children, and covers far more than the racial divides of the day.  For example the topic of a neighbor with a mental delay/illness shows us how people with special needs were treated and feared in that time.  The poverty of the depression is shown throughout as is the mourning a family without a mother is noted upon.

I will not give away the story as it is such a powerful one, I do recommend watching this movie and reading the book if you have never done so before.  A great movie to watch with your older children.  It was great to watch with Mita and point out how things were just  100 years ago. The jury in the courtroom consisted of twelve, white men. The courtroom only allowed blacks in the balcony and the use of the n word and calling grown black men boy was very noticeable.

To Kill A Mockingbird hits the stores January 31st in DVD and Blu-ray.  The extra features include a conversation with Gregory Peck, and his Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Actor.   I enjoyed watching the Scout Remembers feature and seeing Scout all grown up and learning the story of how she was chosen to act in the film.  The book,To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition is now available at Amazon.

(Disclosure: I was provided with a preview copy of To Kill A Mockingbird from Universal Home Entertainment for my honest review. No other compensation was received.  Amazon links are affiliate links.)

Or did they?  I have slowing gleaned that while they seem conversationally fluent, if they don’t know something they fake it, or guess the meaning by the context of the conversation.  I have learned we need to work on vocabulary, tone, sarcasm and idioms.  They are still very literal in many ways.

Enu and I have worked a lot with word ladders.  This has improved her spelling and vocabulary and they are fun to do.  I found two other books that helped with her language skills:

In A Pickle And Other Funny Idioms by Marvin Terban

Ever wonder where the expression “To let the cat out of the bag” came from? This book will tell you along with other idioms like “He got up on the wrong side of the bed” or “Keep your shirt on.”  I learned some things reading this and I know Enu did as well.

How Much Can A Bare Bear Bear? by Brian P. Cleary is a book on homonyms and homophones.  “A bee can be.” ” A horse can get hoarse from talking of course.”  An easy read that shows kids how to learn our complicated English in a fun, silly way.

I would love for Mita to read these books as well, as I know she too struggles with some of these things as Enu does. Of course a fifth grader is not always open to such suggestions from mother ;)

I wanted to share these books to help out the fellow homeschooler and the parents of newly adopted older kids who are learning English. They are helpful and fun and free if you get them from the library as I did. I did get the word ladder of Amazon, but it was totally worth the few bucks it cost.

(Disclosure: I was not asked to review these materials, nor do I make money on the links.  I should do something about that shouldn’t I!)

Before I start with my review I have to tell you that Melissa Fay Greene is a part of my adoption story.  It was her article in Good Housekeeping that I read sometime in 2004 (while pregnant with Elle) that I fell in love with Ethiopia and got my dormant adoption feelings going again.  It was also her book There Is No Me Without You that tugged at our hearts so dearly when we were doing the paper chase in 2006 and 2007.  It must be said that in tough times she has been blamed for this!  After reading her newest book, I know she doesn’t think ill of us for those blaming thoughts.   No Biking In The House provides some back story to my situation.  We used the same agency, so reading about Layla House and AAI, well it’s like reading a prequel.

Greene does a nice job in combining this biography of how her family of eleven came to be with anecdotes of daily life with her children.  As a fellow  mom who adopted after having biological kids and who twinned  two of her kids, I could really relate in some of her stories, thoughts and fears.

This book is a must read for large families and adoptive families and for families who dream of becoming large and adoptive. All mothers can relate to this story just with the hilarity that motherhood can be at times.  I loved reading how her bio kids and adoptive kids became closer, how she maintained her Ethiopian children’s heritage and languages and found the biological mother for her Bulgarian son.   She bulks against have a group home effect, and in that I can totally relate. There have been times that I feel I am the maid in a bed and breakfast.  Families have to work at being families sometimes, and that is okay. She gets International Adoption for what it is. Not a solution for poverty, but a way to build a family for parents who want to parent a child who has no family that can care for them.

The feelings that ran through me while reading No Biking In The House Without A Helmet, ranged from sadness, joy and knowing to jealously.  Yes, I said Jealously.  When reading about Helen’s disobedience over a can of Coke and how it led to an hour-long holding her violent little body I could wholeheartedly relate. I’ve been there, many, many times.  When she ended that story with “That was the only tantrum we ever had out of Helen.”  I was envious.  One time!  I’ve been spit on, bitten, kicked, pinched and hit so many times that we do not do the “holding therapy” anymore. They are just to big.  Her bout with post-adoption depression resonated in me as well.  It’s not all roses and rainbows, those first few months.

I am also acutely aware that we do not live in a diverse, metro area as she does in Atlanta.  She was able to hire an Ethiopian babysitter who spoke Amharic to her kids and could make Ethiopian food. Her town also offers many different schooling and recreation opportunities that my rural town doesn’t offer.  I wonder how my lack of access to these things have effected my girls and if that could have made the difference with some of our issues.

Melissa Fay Greene has written a thoughtful, funny and lovely book that speaks of the truths of adoption while not being to heavy of a read.  Go and read this book and laugh out-loud!

That was a lot of reading and I enjoyed 98% of it so I look forward to my new goals.

1)  Reading 3 adoption themed books at the Adoption Reading Challenge 2012.

2)  I wish to keep my reading goal at 75 books at Good Reads this year.

3)  I want to explore poetry, a type of writing that I have never spent much time on.  I hope to read at least three different poets this year.

4) I would love to do an online book club. I would adore having a in-real-life book club, but with schedules so crazy I don’t think this will be possible for many years!

5) I want to continue to write book reviews on my blog and host more book giveaways.

You may have noticed that my goals are not  higher or the same as they were last year.  I wanted a more relaxed approach as this year is going to be a busy one!  If you have any book suggestions or a Poet you think I should read please let me know.

What are your reading this year?

The book sent to me was The Magic Room:  A story about the love we wish for our daughters by Jeffrey Zaslow.  It goes on sale January 2, 2012. Zaslow is the bestselling author of The Girls From Ames and The Last Lecture.   I read parts of The Last Lecture but for some reason never read the entire book.  As a general rule I adore non-fiction, especially when it hits upon history and culture.  I was excited to read this book and to participate in the discussion.

A quick synopsis of The Magic Room:

The author spends time getting to know the owner of a well-known bridal shop in the middle of no-where Fowler, Michigan. This bridal shop has a  mirrored room with a tile pedestal that brides go into when they think they have found the dress.  Zaslow tells the stories of several different brides and their families.

From the first few chapters I had memories flood my mind of trying on a wedding dress for the first time.  I was at a fancy-smanzy department store in Columbus.  I was newly engaged and giggly.  We stopped by the bridal section just to look and the bored sales lady talked me into trying on a gown.  I picked a gorgeous, heavy silk gown that I know I could never afford.  I put it on, stepped on a pedestal and looked at myself in a mirror. I bawled like a baby.  There was something so amazing about seeing myself dressed in the traditional life changing dress.

Unfortunately after the first few chapters, the book started to wear on me.  Instead of following the title of the book , A story about the love we wish for our Daughters, I feel it was more a look at the societal changes of the past few decades and I must say the tone was a bit to judgmental for me.  While I am a sap at a good old-fashioned love story, I don’t presume to believe the only love is a traditional love.

All in all it wasn’t a bad book, just not what I had hoped it would be. If you enjoy reading non-fiction books with discussions of societal changes this would be a good book for you or if you are a wedding planner by trade or by hobby I think you too will like to read it.

Check out the discussion at the BlogHer Book Club page!

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above book and will receive compensation for participation in the BlogHer Book Club discussions and my review.  All opinions are my own.)

My friends at Scholastic are giving me two books to give away in time for Christmas.  Whoo-hoo and yeah!Look at the books we are giving away:

Book #1

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express written and illustrated by Walter Wick and published by Scholastic.  The Can You See What I See?  books are great for pre-readers and early readers and are both boys and girls seem to really like them.   They are fun, colorful and full of life.  I have to admit that when Elle was at the peak of her Can You See What I See? books I would hide them occasionally, just every once in a while, mind you ;)

Book #2

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo and published by Scholastic

I have yet to read War Horse, but I cannot wait to read it as the description sounds great:

“In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey’s courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?”

Scholastic.com is having a great sale right now!  Use the coupon code HOLIDAY for an extra 20% already great prices :)

To enter just leave a comment telling me what book you would like to win. Mandatory! 

*Extra entries:

1) Like Scholastic on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so.

2)Follow @Scholastic on Twitter and leave me your Twitter Handle so I can follow you as well! I am @FourAgainstTwo btw…

Winners will be chosen on Cyber Monday at noon by random.org and  US addresses only please (sorry).  Good luck!

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final book in the Stephanie Myers Twilight Saga, just to bring you up to speed if you are not up on the sparkly vampire series.  This book is being split into two different movies (a la Harry Potter 7) and what just came out was part one.  My review is more of a book made into a movie review than a movie review, as the books are usually my first love.  If you have not read the books the rest of this will have spoilers, just to warn you. If you  have read the book, I won’t give away any movie secrets. Though I will tell you they threw something in the beginning that was so book one I was a bit miffed, but I think it was done for the non-readers to catch them up a bit.

The movie begins with the wedding.  This wedding has to be the best movie wedding I have seen in a long time…if not ever. The wooded scene with simple white flowers, the way they said their vows like they were the only people in the world, the silly and sappy wedding speeches were all perfection.  I did not cry by the way, but I did hear some sniffling in the theater.

Of course Isle Esme was as beautiful as I imagined in my mind, though the white room wasn’t as white as it should have been.  The honeymoon went pretty much per the book and I will not go into detail..ahem.

Bella’s pregnancy through the delivery was portrayed quite well.  They really made Bella look sick and emaciated.  The house (which I adore) was a big part of this movie as they spent a long time in it.  It is not set up how I imagine it in the book and my mind kept thinking the rooms could have been more dramatic and kept the family closer, but that’s just my mind playing tricks I guess.

Edward looks better in this movie than the other three. All of the vampires have lost some of the ultra-heavy makeup and don’t have that startled look they once had.  For those of you that don’t know me, I am Team Edward, but the book Edward, not the movie Edward (sorry Robert Pattison, but you will always be more of a Cedric Diggory than an Edward Cullin). In the movie I find Edward to be more human than ever.  His character has grown and he seems less demanding than the first few books/movies.  He seems to be more angry at Bella than himself in the movie, while in the books he is angry more at himself and what he has allowed to happen.

Jacob. Poor, dear Jacob.  The film did well with portraying the book Jacob.  The wolves were more involved in the movie than ever and it was done well.  I won’t go into details but there was some changes from the book, but they were done to make the movie more action packed and the changes didn’t bother me.

I adored this movie. It made me happy.  Yes. I know it seems lame to some, but oh well!  Some people watch reality/tabloid TV and I enjoy sparkling vampires…life goes on for all of us!

I will give you Hubby’s review.  Hubby has seen all the movies now, just because he kinda likes me ;)  He didn’t like this one as much because he said it there was too much time in the house and not as much action.  Then there was the imprinting part… he laughed. Out loud. In the theater.  I think if there was any chance he would ever enjoy the series, it was lost at that moment.  He doesn’t get it!

There is more blood and gore this time around, not horrible, but enough to warn you!

Go and see if you are so inclined and tell me how you liked it!

Photo

Hermione

Years before I read Harry Potter I had had a mom at the hospital name her daughter Hermione and I thought she was a little weird to do that, I must confess.  Then when I started reading the series and actually got to know her character a bit more I became to admire her greatly and totally agreed with the name choice of the mother I had met years before! Who doesn’t want their kid to be Hermione-Amazing?

Hermione is extremely intelligent and she is not apologetic for it in the least. Along with her smarts, she is brave and clever and can always come up with a plan.  She has patience (poly juice potion takes a long time to make you know) and grit and can rock a Yule Ball dress.  Her cause of championing the enslaved house elves showed she is a pure at heart. 

Born a witch she could have gone to Hogwarts and aced the OWLS and NEWTS and become one successful professor. She, however, stood by Harry and Ron and kicked some butt!  It is hard for me to find a criticism about Hermione.  She was a bit precocious in her younger days, but who wouldn’t be with that brain?!

Bella

I first read Twilight after the first movie came out.  I had not heard of the Twilight Saga, nor had I seen the movie, but my friend Julia gave me the book to read and I finally read it.  I fell head over heels with the series and though  I agree the writing could be better, the story was an intriguing one. I liked Bella. She reminded me of me a bit.  Quite, not wanting to bring attention to herself thinking of others.

While I liked Bella, I made Meg wait until the sixth grade to read the first two books. I then let her read Eclipse, the third book, with some pages off-limits.  I did this for a few reasons. One the sex, or I should say the topic of sex was a little too much for her to read. Also I didn’t like how Bella was so intently dependent on Edward, how he was so possessive to the point of controlling of her.  As an adult I can handle this of course, but I didn’t want Meg to think this was a healthy relationship to have.

Through the series, Bella has gained confidence, courage and she has grown in to her character.  Unlike Hermione, she was pure human, a muggle if you will, and got to choose her future.  Bella is steadfast, determined and brave.  Those are good qualities that I would love my girls to model.

She is also unable to be alone and that is not a good trait at all, that scares me a bit actually.  I want my girls to be independent and I want them to find love of course, but not to have to have it.

Katniss

The Hunger Games was a thrilling read for me. My heart immediately went out to Katniss and her plight.  Even before she was put in the spotlight, she was a tough provider for her family. Brave and unwavering  with amazing nerve in a crisis I can only hope I would act as cool as her. 

She does have a sadness about her that goes so deep I don’t think she will ever recovery fully.  I certainly hope my girls can recover from any sadness they have or will encounter. Like Bella, she is totally human with no super powers or magic to aid her in her quests.

Her self-sacrifice is genuine, but unlike Bella it comes from a need to protect her family and not the need to not be alone.

So there you have it. My thoughts on the three most popular young women in young adult fiction.  I know the world was waiting for my synopsis!

What do you  think of the ladies I spoke about.  Do you let your daughters read the books and use them as a jump off point for discussions?

The movie was released in the theaters, I didn’t see it because I rarely get to the movies anymore. As a Harry Potter fan I’m ashamed I haven’t even see movie seven part two yet (pathetic I know).  I’m not in the time of life where it is easy to get out to see a movie and I accept that.

When I was offered a copy of the movie to review on my blog I jumped at the chance.  I have been movie starved lately and my mind needs a romantic love story to combat all the serious stuff I have been reading lately.

The DVD came at the perfect time.  I was home with the kids all weekend without Hubby and my friend Julia needed a break as well. So I put the kids to bed, Julia came over and we watched Water For Elephants with a bottle of wine (Moscoto) and chips with sweet onion salsa….hmmm yummy.

Julia had also read the book and was as skeptical as I was…we loved it though. It held true to the book, keeping the unique storyline and characters.  The cinematography was great with the animals and the train scenes.  If you enjoyed the book I am willing to bet that you will like watching the movie. If you haven’t read the book, the film lets you in and tells the story well and stands up on its own.  Of course I say read the book first, but I won’t yell at you if you don’t!

Starring Robert Pattison as Jacob and Reese Witherspoon as Marlena with a host of other well known actors, Water for Elephants tells the story of a young veterinary student, Jacob, who has just lost his parents and his home during the Depression starts wondering on the train tracks. He meets up with the Benzini Brothers’ Circus and meets Marlena -the shows star performer, while working with the animals.  They are attracted to each-other though Marlena is married to the man who owns the circus.  Along the way an elephant named Rosie makes her way into the story.  I refuse to give spoilers!

 This is the first movie I have seen Pattison in since the Twilight Saga. After the first few scenes I was able to watch the movie without thinking about him as an Edward and thinking of him as a Jacob!

Rated PG-13 I think I will let my older two watch the movie with me if they want to. There is one sex scene I would fast forward through, but the other not so kid friendly things will be a great discussion starter for me and my older girls.  The movie also gives insight into the Depression era and Prohibition and I think the girls will like the fashions of that time in the movie.

Read the book or see the movie on DVD/Blu-ray on November 1st, 2o11!

(Disclosure:  Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment  (@FoxHomeEnt on Twitter) for the preview copy of Water For Elephants I received.  No other products or compensation was given and my review is honest!)