My Teenage Werewolf will find a captive audience in mothers of daughters and daughters of mothers. It is the craftily-written story of Lauren Kessler’s quest to understand her mercurial daughter Lizzie as she comes up on her thirteenth birthday. At first Lauren sits down with all the best Amazon.com-ranked parenting books but soon finds that reading is not enough. She needs empirical evidence. She needs to experience Lizzie’s life. She needs to follow her—everywhere.

With Lizzie’s approval—which is often as shocking as what follows—Lauren sits in on her daughter’s classes, observes her in gym, watches her practice with the school band, attends track practice, even participates in a wrestling match, and ventures online into the world of teen chat rooms. What the experiment produces is not only an intimate scrutiny of a pre-teen but an open, honest process of introspection.

FRN had the opportunity to review this book for themselves and here’s what they had to say:

Ciara’s Ramblings and Whatnot: As a mom to a tween and a teen girl, it’s often a daily challenge with them. They’ve pushed my buttons, told me they hate me, say I’m embarrassing, talk back, and refuse to do what they’re told when it comes to doing things around the house. I start to think to myself, “Am I the only one who is having a tough time trying to understand their daughter(s)?” In the book, My Teenage Were-Wolf, author Lauren Kessler, shows me that I am not alone.

Maria’s Space: I want to run out and buy this book for all my girlfriend’s with daughters. It is not preachy. Is filled with humor and I loved reading Lizzie’s comments to her mom. Through their headbutting you can see a deep, deep love between mother and daughter and that was my favorite part of the book. As the mom of an already spirited 5 year old, I already know that I have to love her for the spirit in her and that I will undoubtedly have many, many moments where I feel like Lauren. However, the one thing I have that Lauren didn’t have is her book to help me tread through the waters of preteen angst. God help me!

Mom of 2 Dancers: Kessler writes in a very light and witty style while tackling a serious subject matter. If you have a daughter, this is a must read book.  It made me feel that I wasn’t alone.  I will be honest, things have been super tough with my 12 year old.  This book really helped me a lot.  The tween and teenage years are so hard on everyone, any help is much appreciated to all involved! Being a daughter myself, I also enjoyed the book from that end.  Honestly, I think most women will enjoy this book regardless of if you have your own daughter.  It is just a great read that really makes you look inside yourself.

Sweepstakes & Contest List Directory: After just reading the first chapter I knew that I had found someone who completely understood what I was going through as a parent with a teenage daughter.  A few times I reached for a tissue because I felt the same hurt Lauren had.  I think the book helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel if I learned to listen and accepted more from what my daughter was feeling during her awkward moments.  I recommend this book for any mother with a teenage daughter; it’ll help from the first page just knowing that you’re not alone.

You may purchase your copy of My Teenage Werewolf at Amazon.com for $17.13.

Did you know?

• Since 1980, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for children ages 2 – 5 and more than tripled for children ages 6 – 11.
• Between 1981 and 1997, free playtime among 6 to 8 year olds dropped 25% and homework more than doubled.
• Since 2005, the amount of time children and teens ages 8 -18 spend watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the internet increased from 1 hour, 15 minutes per day to more than 7 and a half hours per day. (That’s more than 53 hours a week and more than most adults spend on their full-time job!)
• An increased focus on standardized testing has resulted in the reduction or elimination of recess in about 40% of American elementary schools, and in some districts, schools are being built without playgrounds.

What’s a parent, health professional, or child to do?

• Marlene Byrne, an award-winning children’s author and advocate of unstructured playtime, has come to the rescue with PROJECT PLAY—a movement to get kids away from their televisions and into the backyard for exercise, creativity and old-fashioned fun.
• With more than 20 years of experience as an advertising agency owner, spokesperson, and writer, Byrne is using her creative talent to inspire today’s overscheduled, electronic-focused, and dangerously overweight generation of children to get active. Through children’s books, community activities, and school curriculum, Byrne is bringing back the nostalgic memories of her youth and teaching children backyard games like pick up baseball, kick the can, and ghost in the graveyard.

As the founder and author of Project Play, Byrne is not the first to call for more unstructured playtime among children. But while there are countless initiatives to increase children’s activity levels, few of them aim directly at the children.

Some of our FRN members had the opportunity to review Ghost in the Graveyard ($9.99). Here’s what they had to say:

Mama’s Money Savers: After reading this book, I want to go out and play Ghost in the Graveyard!  It is such a cute book with tons of great colorful pictures.  Since it is a chapter book it is geared towards kids around 9 years old, but I can see reading this to my boys in a few years.  The chapters are short and the font is big so it really is a quick read, even though it is 55 pages.  I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for inspiration for your kids to get out and play and read a book!  I am sure the other books in the series are just as fun and creative as this one!

Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews: I gave this book to my daughter to read and she flew through it.  She really enjoyed the story and wants to play the game included in the book.  She also wants to read the previous stories especially Treasure Hunt!

Simply Stacie: The kids and I immediately settled in to read the latest edition in the Project Play book series. My young children sat captivated as I read about Sam and his friends “spook-tacular” adventures on Halloween night. My children immediately wanted to start playing and it was so easy to explain how to play as the rules are included in the book. My husband and I and even the family dog joined the kids in our own version of “Ghost in the Graveyard”. I have to admit it was a blast and the kids have asked to play again and again.

Sweeps4Bloggers: The book includes very clear instructions for playing the game. It can be played with 3 or more players and can work well for a large group. Depending on the safety of your neighborhood and the ages of the participants, you can set up easy boundaries (a backyard or playground) or it can be a larger area. It can be played during the day, but nighttime gives it some added spooky fun. Or it can be modified a bit and played indoors.

Stop by Project Play for more information about this and other great books!

Children are very inquisitive.  And as a parent, I’m constantly looking for innovative ways to foster my own children’s learning, creativity, and curiosity.  National Geographic, one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world, offers an entire kid’s site and section featuring books and activities designed to inspire and educate children. Several of our reviewers had an opportunity to check out Weird But True.  Here is a bit more information about the book from the site:

Weird But True is based on the hugely popular magazine page of quirky, fun facts that many readers of National Geographic Kids magazine turn to first.  All of the facts in this handy book will amaze friends and family: Animals Superpowers, Chills and Thrills, Eat or Be Eaten, Mini and Mega, Wild and Crazy, and much, much more.  Wacky facts, fascinating information, and lively art combine in this easy-to-browse, casual reference book that is sure to give young readers hours of fun.

So what did our reviewers think?

All Because Two People Fell In Love:  All of the facts in this handy book just totally amaze my kids and they can’t wait to share these facts with friends and family! I appreciate the adjacent pages for each fact that presents a one-paragraph explanation of how that fact is possible or why it is so. I also like how these wacky facts, fascinating information, and lively art are combined into an easy-to-browse, reference book for my little ones.

An Island Life:  The best part is that this book shared the information with just a basic phrase. If my kids wanted to know more about the subject, they had to look it up themselves in the encyclopedia or internet. And believe me, their curiosity just had to know more.  All in all, we found this book to be interesting, educational and fun!

Army Mom’s Place:  I love how this book has been able to get my kiddos thinking! It’s a book that they all enjoy. Finding a book that is able to meet the interests of a wide age range is always great!

A Nut in a Nutshell:  I’m all about quirky. And this book is full of it!  You won’t be able to stop turning the pages to see what’s next!

Maria’s Space:  The book is small enough for little hands.  The pictures are full color.  The information is fun, educational, interesting and some of it is just plain weird. (Pun on the Title!).  There are 300 facts in this 206 page book and at the end you are wishing and praying for book 2 to come out soon.

Mommy Reviewed:  An amazing, amazing and FUN book for all ages! So far me, my husband, and my father-in-law have been through it and we all loved it. It’s made for fascinating dinner table conversation. I can’t wait to read this thought-provocative book with my kids when they’re a little older and better able to understand it.

Moody Mama Says:  This is such a fun book! My boys have requested that I read it to them over and over. Some of the facts are just plain funny!

Rockin’ Mama:  I think it is a fun, creative way to get children excited and interested in the subject matter.  It opens the door for discussion and expansion on topics brought up in the book. The pictures are colorful and kid-friendly.

The Angel Forever:  Both of the boys are fascinated with the photos within Weird But True. Yes, even my 2 year old will sit with the book for an extended time looking at all of the photos. JSL will chat away and call out all of the items that he recognizes. NHL, in first grade, will read the facts to me and then talk with me about what it says. Our conversations actually made me think about ways to use this book in the classroom. (I am always a teacher, even when on hiatus.) I could see the fun facts in this book being used as a prompt for classroom discussion and/or a writing exercise. In addition to this, the facts could easily create interest in a subject for kids to do more research on.

The Clan McLeod:  Some of the facts presented in National Geographic Kids: Weird But True, left me saying, “No way!” I got my hands on it before the girls and after seeing and hearing my reactions, they couldn’t wait to read it for themselves.  Weird But True is a small, softcover book with 208 pages of wacky facts that will get your kids giggling and gasping and having fun. It’s brightly colored pages and fantastic graphics really add to the value of the book.

The Mommy-Files: I really enjoyed this little book and loved the fun facts presented in it.  I also loved the pictures throughout it, as did my kids.  There are so many fun facts in here.  I think I may have enjoyed it more than my kids!

Weird But True retails for $6.95 and is available at the National Geographic Store.

Our reviewers received no compensation, other than a copy of the book to facilitate the above reviews.