Sunday, November 26, 2006

Raising Cain by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson

This book is all about protecting the emotional life of boys. The authors (two psychologists with backgrounds in education) contend that boys are raised to be “emotionally illiterate,” which means they are unable to ascribe words to their feelings and think it’s unacceptable for men to communicate about feelings, so they often end up violent and/or depressed. In all honesty, I had no idea how difficult it was for boys until I read this book. There were many insightful quotes. Here’s one: “The reason a boy fears dependence on a girl is that he fears her rejection and the pain and humiliation that go with it. A boy’s desire to be powerful isn’t as much about muscle as it is about heart and the fact that if you allow yourself to be dependent on someone . . . then you can be devastated by her as well.”

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

(Young Adult) This was a top-notch mystery that can be enjoyed by both adults and teenagers alike. I typically don’t get engaged by mysteries because I don’t pay enough attention to detail to make predictions about the crime, but in this novel I became so attached to the characters that I didn’t really care if I could solve the murder or not. This is the first in a series of books about Ingrid, a 13-year-old actress/soccer star who loves Sherlock Holmes novels and who solves mysteries in her small town (Echo Falls). When the community theater decides to put on a play based on Alice in Wonderland, Ingrid gets the lead role, a stranger comes into town, and a murder occurs. Abrahams unweaves the story with great style and humor, all culminating in an action-packed final scene. Favorite Quote: (This is when Ingrid gets hurt during a soccer game.) “She shifted her head – that hurt – and saw all the players kneeling, proper procedure when a player was down; the red-haired girl knelt close by, looking worried. Dad stood on the sidelines, ready to charge out and embarrass her at any moment.”