Don't Think Twice
by Ruth Pennebaker
from Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Both Sides Now (Readers Circle)
by Ruth Pennebaker
from Laurel Leaf
Fifteen-year-old Liza is the antithesis of the stereotypical teenager. Buttoned-down and straight-laced, Liza thinks carefully before she speaks, jogs regularly, and doesn't waste her valuable time on tantrums or tears. "If you don't plan, you'll get taken by surprise, and I don't want that to happen to me. I want to plan for everything so that I can have a good, successful life." But the one thing that Liza could never have planned on was her mother Rebecca getting breast cancer. With her mom's diagnosis, Liza is abruptly launched into a world without rules or meaning. Her characteristic sense of responsibility shot, Liza flunks driver's ed, forgets to fact check an important school newspaper article, and gets drunk for the first time. Suddenly, she begins to understand how her mother must feel, having to take life as it comes, and not being able to control every outcome. "Maybe I never understood anything.... Everything I knew--about Mom and Dad, about myself... has been wrong. It makes me feel stupid for the first time in my life. I'm not as smart as I thought I was. That's clear."
Young-adult author Ruth Pennebaker has penned her best book to date. Writing in a way that is wholly accessible to teens, her characterization of Liza is complex and solid. Though this is mainly Liza's story, a smattering of paragraphs are written in Rebecca's voice, giving the novel an added bittersweet quality--especially when the reader discovers that Pennebaker herself is a cancer survivor. Both Sides Now is a commendable addition to a small group of titles recently published about mothers, daughters, and cancer that includes Joan Abelove's Saying It Out Loud and Karin Cook's What Girls Learn. (Ages 12 to 18) --Jennifer Hubert
Liza thinks she and her mother, Rebecca, are as different as a mother and daughter can be. Liza, a successful high school junior, works hard at keeping her life under control while maintaining a positive outlook.
Rebecca, who gave up writing after her book was rejected, recently completed grueling treatment for breast cancer. When tests reveal that more painful treatments are needed, it seems to Liza that Rebecca has given up.
As the control of Liza’s once predictable life unravels, she sees her mother’s courage and strength in a whole new light. Perhaps they can share the pain of the unknown together.
Conditions of Love (Laurel-Leaf Books)
by Ruth Pennebaker
from Laurel Leaf
Sarah Morgan's world is spinning out of control . . . and it couldn't have happened at a more confusing time. While coming to grips with the truth about the recently deceased father that she idolized, Sarah must also contend with beginning her freshman year at a high-profile Dallas high school where if you see an old, beat-up car, it probably belongs to one of the teachers. While navigating halls overrun with phonies and cheerleaders, Sarah's quest to make peace with the old and grow with the new extends even to her relationship with her best friend. Now the two are forced to understand that with the future comes new and strange feelings, and with them, change. As a result of these often hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenching moments, Sarah learns that there are many different conditions of love.
Stork Realities: What No One Ever Tells You About Pregnancy
Texas Family Time Capsule
by Ruth Pennebaker
from Republic of Texas
Join this offbeat and funny writer for her views on America,Texas, and one particular household.
DonÂ’t think twice / Ruth Pennebaker
Parents A Toddler's Guide
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