Parenting Teens

It can be difficult to find books for teens that hold their interest and, at the same time, deal with real life. The Kimani TRU line from Harlequin is a line of books aimed specifically at African-American teenagers. They feature strong characters, and deal with today’s teen issues in sensitive and down-to-earth ways that teens can relate to, and yet still hold their reading interest. And one bit of good news is that some of these books have male lead characters which can hold a guy’s interest as well! There’s a new book from this imprint on the first of each month. Here are descriptions from the August, September, and October releases.

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James “JD” Dawson grew up in the hood, but left a life of violence three thousand miles behind to make something of himself at Clark Atlanta University. But when the freshman got off to a fool’s start–kicking it with his new homeboys, showing up late to class, not studying and checking out the shorties–JD was assigned a tutor, the luscious Katrina Turner. She made studying real fun. But if JD wanted to get with a girl like Katrina, he’d also have to learn to grow up.
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Three girls. Three high schools. Three gotta-read stories.

How To Be Down by Felicia Pride

When Nina Parker decides to straighten her Afro, lose her valley-girl accent and get a total makeover for her new school in the hood, the cutest guy notices — yes! But so does the meanest girl, Vivica, queen bee of her crew, who wants Jeffrey for herself.

Double Act by Debbie Rigaud

In the hood, Mia Chambers is ‘the smart girl,’ but at her prestigious new prep school she hardly stands out. So Mia does what it takes — only to be accused of selling out by her old friends!

The Summer She Learned To Dance by Karen Valentin

At first, Giselle Johnson hates spending the summer with her cousin from the Dominican Republic. But she soon starts loving the island and even learns to dance to her own rhythm. That is, until her cousin attracts Giselle’s high school crush…
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Fifteen-year-old Kenisha Lewis has it all: good friends who also live to dance, a hot boyfriend headed for the NBA, loving parents and a bling-filled home in the burbs.

But all that changes when her dad drops a bomb: he wants a divorce–and his pregnant girlfriend is moving in. Suddenly, Kenisha and her mom are squeezed into her grandmother’s small house in the city, and Kenisha’s sharing a bedroom with a cousin she barely knows. Could she hate her life any more? Yeah. Because her boyfriend dumps her, her friends are acting weird and her mother is getting more and more depressed. Time for Kenisha to push the pause button on her life and take a long, deep breath…
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For more on books for teens, visit Jackie at
Tiny Treasury

teens, teenagers, teen reading, teen books, Kimani TRU, Harlequin, Pushing Pause, Hallway Diaries, First Semester

Aside from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which your teen has probably already read, if he or she is anything like mine!), here are a few of the books recommended by the good folks over at Teenreads. Click on the link to view an entire list, and to see all the other great things their site has to offer.

Cadel Piggott has a genius IQ and a fascination with systems of all kinds. At seven, he was illegally hacking into computers. Now he’s fourteen and studying for his World Domination degree at the Axis Institute. Although he may be advanced beyond his years, at heart he’s a lonely kid. When he falls for the mysterious and brilliant Kay-Lee, he begins to question the moral implications of his studies for the first time. But is it too late to stop a criminal mastermind’s evil plot?

EVIL GENIUS is an engrossing thriller that explores the fine line between good and evil.

SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS is a fluent, ambitious journey through the literary canon as well as a suspenseful tale of murder (or suicide?) and coming of age, told in the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue Van Meer. After a childhood spent on road-trips between universities with her erudite father (a man prone to aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue, in her final year of high school, falls in with a peculiar group of friends and their charismatic teacher, Hannah Schneider. A drowning and a mysterious death lead to a confluence of mysteries, and Blue is left to make sense of a landscape strewn with cultural references, perhaps entirely fraudulent, and at the same time, bleakly real. Pessl draws on every literary giant, from Shakespeare to Flaubert, Ovid to Tennessee Williams, in order to create the mindscape of a young woman who comes of age at a time when post-modernism is a theory of the past and literature is passé. Pessl’s opus will incite debate on both of these topics, between readers and reviewers alike, while the story unravels with fluid writing and unexpected plot twists.

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire — that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny — with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

What’s the best revenge when your best friend ditches you for the popular crowd? Alyson Noël reveals all in her hot new young adult novel.

As freshmen at Ocean High last year, Winter and her best friend Sloane thought they could ditch their nerdy past, launching from invisible to cool. But after another miserable year of standing on the sidelines they make a pact to do whatever it takes not to go unnoticed in their sophomore year, promising each other that whoever makes it into the cool group first will bring the other along.

One Sloane gets a taste of life on the A-list, she slams that door in Winter’s face. Suddenly cast out of her former best friend’s life, Winter takes revenge the modern way: by announcing all of Sloane’s dirty little secrets on an anonymous blog. Then the blog becomes more popular than she ever dreamed and Winter must decide if her retaliation is really worth the consequences — and if the price for popularity is one she’s willing to pay. Once again, Alyson Noël navigates the tricky waters of the high school social scene with the heart and humor her readers have come to love.

teens, teenagers, teen books, Teenreads, Evil Genius, Special Topics In Calamity Physics, Marked, Kiss & Blog, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

The minds of many teens, ‘tweens, and tons of others(myself included!) are on Harry Potter today. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in the series, goes on sale at 12:01am tonight/tomorrow! My daughter and I preordered our copy awhile back, and we’ll be picking it up promptly at midnight, with the party at the bookstore, and everything else! She gets it first but, fast as she reads, I should have it no later than Sunday morning, or maybe even Saturday night!

I’ve stayed totally away from all the spoiler talk that has been going on. I think it’s really rotten of anyone to spoil it for those of us who have been waiting for so long! When my daughter’s friends say anything about it, we both cover our ears, and yell at them to be quiet (nicely, of course)!

So, everyone have a great weekend reading and, if any of you finish it before I do, please don’t tell me about it!

Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, teens, teenagers, parenting teens, parenting teenagers, teen reading, teen books

For teens, ‘tweens, and everyone else alike, it’s a Harry Potter summer! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has its U.S. release on July 11.

My 16-year-old daughter and I are so looking forward to this movie! With each successive movie, we’ve become more crazy about the series. We were thrilled to hear that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson had all been signed for the rest of the series. We plan to catch this one at one of the midnight showings with two of her friends.

We’re a little less thrilled with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It’s not that we’re not looking forward to reading it. It’s just that, with it being the final book in the series, we’re both prepared to cry, no matter how it ends! After all, this series of books has been part of both our lives since she was in third grade. Both the books and movies have been a great bonding experience for us, since we are both fans.

Is your teen or ‘tween a fan? Do you plan to see the movie and read the book? Let us know about your experiences with your kids over Harry!

Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, J.K. Rowling, teens, ‘tweens, movies, summer movies

Here’s what’s going on at some of the dad blogs I visit regularly:

All About Fatherhood has a new dad blogging-Aaron! Go over and welcome Aaron to 451 Press and read his take on fatherhood!

Divorced Dads Matterhas an interesting post about momblocking-what it is, and how it affects dads. Check it out and see if you agree!

DaddyZine has a funny story about kids and their daddies playing in the backyard! Take a look and get a laugh!

Freaked Out Fathers has a great video about the annoyance of cell phones at the movies. Go over and get a look!

Inside Fatherhoodis featuring an educational post about the origin of Father’s Day. Click over and get your history lesson for the day!

fathers, fatherhood, parents, parenting, parenting teens, parenting teenagers, dad blogs

Continuing with my focus on dads, I’d like to share the following quotes with readers. They come from many different sources (authors, actors, generals, etc.); some are serious, some humorous. But they all have something great to say about fathers! For more great quotes, you can visit Don’t Quote Me.

*Confucius (551-479 BC), (K’ung Fu-tse) Chinese philosopher
“The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.”

*Bill Cosby (1937-) U.S. comedian and actor
“If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right.”

*Sheldon Glueck (1896-1980) U.S. (Polish born) professor and criminologist
“The most effective guard against delinquency is a father who is at the same time both strict and loving.”

*Billy Graham (1918-) U.S. evangelist
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”

*Kent Nerburn U.S. educator and author
“It is much easier to become a father than to be one.”

*William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English playwright and poet
“It is a wise father that knows his own child.”

*Mark Twain (1835-1910), (Samuel Clemens) U.S. author
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.”

*Alice Walker (1944-) U.S. author
“It no longer bothers me that I may be constantly searching for father figures; by this time, I have found several and dearly enjoyed knowing them all.”

*Red Buttons (1919-2006), (Aaron Chwatt) U.S. actor
“Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.”

*Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) U.S. statesman and military leader
“By profession I am a soldier and take great pride in that fact, but I am also prouder, infinitely prouder, to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys.”

[/tags]dads, fathers, quotes, dad quotes, father quotes, Confucious, Bill Cosby, Sheldon Gleuck, Billy Graham, Kent Nerbern, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Alice Walker, Red Buttons, Douglas MacArthur, parenting teens, parenting teenagers[/tags]

Build the ultimate summer reading list for teens and tweens! That’s the project taken on by Char over at Weary Parent. No wonder she’s weary!

The idea is to give a list of at least three of our own teens’ and tweens’ favorite books, and compile all the answers into a massive reading list for these age groups. As both my daughter and I love to read, we couldn’t wait to participate! Here are three of her absolute favorites:

The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot Girls ages 12&up. My daughter proudly proclaims herself a geek, and these books are some of her favorite “guilty pleasures”

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Grades 10&up, according to School Library Journal. One of the classics, which most of us have to read at some point in our high school career. This one really fired up her imagination, and quickly became a favorite.

The Da Vinci Codeby Dan Brown Adults & older teens. My daughter, being the nut she is over both history and archaeology, fell in love with this book immediately. She barely laid it down over the course of the two days she read it! I haven’t seen her read any books this fast, except for the Harry Potter series. And those are already on the list, so I thought I’d add different ones!

So, there you have it! Three of my daughter’s favorite reads! Get your teens reading this summer! Visit Char over at Weary Parent for the rest of the list. Reading is still one of the best forms of entertainment around!

reading, summer reading, teen books, teen reading, The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot, Lord of the Flies, William Golding, The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, Harry Potter, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

Coming up with fun summer activities to do with your kids changes a little when they’re teens or tweens. For the most part, they no longer like to do crafts with popsicle sticks or make their own treats with little faces done with raisins and cherries! It can be a challenge.

Family activities with teens can be fun for the whole family. So far, in the week-and-a-half that my 16-year-old daughter’s been out of school, we’ve managed to fit in two family movies-Shrek The Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Both were great movies, although I didn’t really like the third Shrek as much as I did the first two. We’re also looking forward to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and a few other movies which are coming out this summer.

Concerts are another great thing to do with teens. Find an artist or band you can all agree on seeing. If you never agree on these kinds of things, give a little. You might find that you enjoy some of the same music your teen likes! This Saturday, June 2, my daughter and I will be attending Starfest 2007, a concert presented by Atlanta radio station Star 94. Their lineup this year includes headliners Daughtry, as well as Dashboard Confessional and Augustana. I, personally, could do without Dashboard Confessional and Augustana. I love some of their songs, but am not particularly dying to see them in concert. I did become a big fan of Chris Daughtry during last year’s American Idol, though, so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing him.

Later this summer, we’ll be seeing last year’s American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks and, probably, attending this year’s American Idol concert. In the spirit of giving a little, she’s also accompanying me to a concert whose lineup includes Def Leppard and Journey.

We’ll be enjoying a two-week trip to visit my father, brother and sister-in-law, which is always fun for us. We get to lie around, relax, and just talk and enjoy one another’s company! My sister-in-law is big on antiquing, so we’ll probably do a little of that, as well. Trips to visit grandparents or other family members can be fun activities for teens, as well as younger children.

Summer’s also a great time to catch up on reading. We’re both looking forward to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and we’ve been to the library and stocked up for the next two weeks.

We’ll also be going on a couple of hikes with Dad and probably some short trips like the zoo and the aquarium, since we all love animals. Activities with teens can be a bit more of a challenge but, if everyone’s willing to give a little, they can be easier to find and a lot of fun!

[tags]Shrek The Third, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Daughtry, Dashboard Confessional, Augustana, American Idol, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks[/tags

The King of horror himself (Stephen, that is) has spoken about the writings of Cho Seung-Hui, the 23-year-old student responsible for the mass shooting at Virginia Tech. Stephen King’s take on Cho’s writings is posted at Entertainment Weekly’s website, where he serves as a contributing editor on pop culture.

He is frank about the fact that, in this day and age, his own college writings would have raised flags. King also speaks about a one-time student of his who raised red flags for him . He is quick to point out, though, that, in his own case, he had none of the other signs which would have pointed to him as a possibly violent personality-he interacted with his peers, never stalked girls, etc.

The following quote from King seems to pretty well sum up his opinion on Cho’s writings and his violent state:

For most creative people, the imagination serves as an excretory channel for violence: We visualize what we will never actually do (James Patterson, for instance, a nice man who has all too often worked the street that my old friend George used to work). Cho doesn’t strike me as in the least creative, however. Dude was crazy. Dude was, in the memorable phrasing of Nikki Giovanni, ”just mean.” Essentially there’s no story here, except for a paranoid a–hole who went DEFCON-1. He may have been inspired by Columbine, but only because he was too dim to think up such a scenario on his own.

On the whole, I don’t think you can pick these guys out based on their work, unless you look for violence unenlivened by any real talent.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not unbiased where Stephen King is concerned. I discovered King in the ’70’s during my own teen years and have been a huge fan since then. I write horror stories myself, and have come up with some pretty gruesome storylines in my time. However, as someone who has also served as a social worker in the mental health field, I have to wholeheartedly agree with him here. The writings, on their own, do not mean that a person is violent. If so, many of today’s top novelists and writers would be in mental institutions!

So, if you have, or know of, a teen who reads and/or writes horror, don’t automatically assume that he/she has a mental problem! Look for other signs, such as isolation, anti-social behavior, etc. We all worry about our kids, but let’s not let that take over our lives.

[tags]Virginia Tech, Virginia tech shootings, Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, Cho Seung-Hui, writing, parenting teens, parenting teenagers, teen writing, teenage writing[/tags[

First, I’d like to apologize for my absence for most of the last week. I had a family member who needed emergency surgery, so I was away from home and internet access unexpectedly for most of the week.

I found an interesting study published by the University of Alberta. It’s called Family Literacy Matters by Linda M. Phillips, Ruth Harden, and Stephen P. Norris. It was a longitudinal study taking place between 2001-2005. You can read the entire study at the above link or, if you’d like, there’s an excerpt in PDF format at http://www.famlit.ca/resources/Ch.6%2OLT%20report.pdf

The results were no surprise. They basically confirmed the effects of parents’ education and reading ability on their children. How does this tie into teenagers? The following statement from the study said it all for me: “The results point to the crucial importance of children finishing high school with commensurate literacy. Educational policymakers should redouble efforts to promote the importance of school completion with appropriately corresponding levels of literacy.” There are far too many teens who graduate high school with below average reading skills.

Read with your kids. Learn with your kids. If your own literacy skills or educational level are lacking, do something about it. Do whatever it takes to help your kids graduate from high school and read effectively. Both making a good living and living a happy life can depend on it.

teens, teenagers, reading, literacy, learning, education, school, parents, parenting, University of Alberta, Linda M. Phillips, Ruth Harden, Stephen P. Norris, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

Today’s homework helper is a great public library web site. The King County Library System in Washington State has a really good homework helper page on the Arts. Here are just a few of the topics they have to offer:

*Animation and Cartooning
*Art History
*Artists
*Crafts
*Film
*Photography
*Sculpture

Each section lists numerous links to really good sites about that particular topic. If your teen is studying art history, has an assignment relating to a specific artist, or is just interested in the arts, they should find this site helpful.

In addition to homework helper, they also have a section titled TeenZone which features reviews of books for teens and reading lists for different genres. It also has links to sites on creative writing, careers and college, as well as crisis help and support. A few features require that you have their library card, but most are accessible by anyone.

A very good site for students, budding artists, readers and just about anyone!

homework, homework help, reading, libraries, King County, King County Library System, colleges, careers, teens, teenagers

If your teenager needs serious help with schoolwork, Sylvan Learning Centers can provide it. If your teen has been absent from school and needs to catch up, or just has subjects which give him/her a lot of trouble and other options for tutoring don’t seem to help, Sylvan can often be the answer.

I don’t want to sound like a commercial for them, but I have a friend who is a Sylvan tutor. She’s a certified teacher, as most of those who work for Sylvan are. I’ve seen how they work, and they can work wonders. I returned to college as an adult and needed to take my SAT’s again (since it had been about ten years after I graduated high school!). I went to Sylvan for their SAT prep course. I don’t think I would have made it without them!

They give your student an assessment, which tells them and you at what level your child is progressing, and provides useful information in helping them plan a program specifically for your student. Students receive individual attention, which can often be the key to helping some students grasp a subject. We all know classrooms are overcrowded these days and most teachers (no matter how good they are) simply don’t have the time to give students individual attention.

They offer tutoring for every grade K-12, as well as SAT/ACT prep and preparation for statewide tests. They give help in reading, math, writing and study skills-basics which every student needs to succeed. Sylvan has centers in most cities and in smaller towns as well. And they now offer online tutoring for those who don’t have a center near their homes.

It’s not inexpensive. Employing certified teachers for tutoring children usually isn’t. Their website lists current costs as ranging from $38 to $52 an hour, depending on your student’s individualized program. However, they guarantee that your student will improve at least one grade level in math and reading after 36 hours of instruction. How many other tutors offer a guarantee? They also provide monthly payment plans and loan options.

Sylvan is for serious problems. If your student has one-or needs help with those upcoming state tests, or with preparing for the SAT/ACT, try them out.

Sylvan Learning Centers, Sylvan, tutoring, homework, study, teens, teenagers, parenting, parents

Does your teenager have an interest in writing? Have them check out the website Teen Ink. This is a website, book series, and print magazine all written by teens, for teens.

This site has great features like interviews (the current one is with Alicia Keys), contests (current contest is an interview contest with the winner getting an interview with either Steven Spielberg or Martin Sheen), plus the opportunity for teenagers to submit their writings, artwork and photos to be published in the magazine, on the website or in the books.

Their daily features include the following:

*Fiction
*Non-fiction
*Poem
*Review
*Art
*Photo

In addition, they have resourceful links to things like college, summer jobs and teacher information. It’s a wonderful place for parents, teachers and teens to find out what other teens are thinking, saying and writing. So, check out the site and tell me what you think.

Teen Ink, Alicia Keys, Steven Spielberg, Martin Sheen teens, teenagers, teen writing, student writing, college, summer jobs, teen magazines

The History Place is a great website for history in all areas. It covers wars, social events, and people (among other things) in depth. Two great features are “Photo of the Week” which has photos of the famous, infamous and everyday in history, and “Speech of the Week” which covers a speech made by a historical figure.

Another great feature is “This Month in History” which covers, month by month and day by day, what happened on each date in history. One of the most entertaining sections is reviews of movies dealing with history, from classics to more recent offerings such as “The Good Shepherd” and “Flags of Our Fathers”. Among all it’s informational offerings, there is also a helpful guide on how to write a better history paper.

For me, personally, history was always one of my favorite subjects in school, and I still love reading history. Have your teen give this site a try for help with history classes, or just read some of the offerings yourself for entertainment!

teens, teenagers, parents, parenting, school, homework, history, The History Place, The Good Shepherd, Flags of Our Fathers

Teenreads, a great reading site for teens that I’ve talked about on this site before has listed its choices for best teen books for 2006. Following are brief synopses of three of their choices. For a complete list, visit their website at www.teenreads.com. Find some books you think your teenage might enjoy-or recommend they visit the website themselves. There are great book suggestions and other activities there!

“The Boy In the Striped Pajamas”
by John Boyne

Berlin, 1942. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move to a new house far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different from his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

:The Book Thief”
by Markus Zusak

Set during World War II in Germany, young Liesel Meminger, who lives outside of Munich, scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist — books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

“Cathy’s Book: If Found Call 650-266-8233″
by Sean Stewart & Jordan Weisman

Things weren’t so peachy in Cathy’s life before Victor broke up with her. Her father died unexpectedly, she’s failing school and her best friend is mad at her. But when Cathy decides to investigate Victor’s reasons for ending their relationship, things suddenly go from bad to worse as her findings produce more questions than answers.

Through Cathy’s unique and irresistible voice — and lots of proof in the form of letters, photographs, date book entries, telephone numbers readers can call, websites they can access, as well as secrets only a careful reader will be able to decipher — readers will enter a strange and fascinating world where things often aren’t how they appear.

teens, teenagers, teen books, teen reading, The Boy In the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, Cathy’s Book: If Found Call 650-266-8233, Sean Stewart, Jordan Weisman, parents, parenting