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Trauma Queen, Review and Giveaway

April 20, 2011 by Jennifer

One of the absolute joys that I experienced in judging the middle grade fiction round I nominees for the Cybils was discovering many books that are perfect for that older middle school reader (like my daughter, Amanda, an avid 12-year-old reader). Barbara Dee’s This is Me From Now On was one of the stand-outs (linked to my review of it and other awesome novels for tween girls).

When I had the opportunity to review her new novel, Trauma Queen, I knew it was something that Amanda and I would enjoy.

This book centers around a mother-daughter relationship, or rather the lack of a relationship, since the daughter in question is in middle school and lives in a perpetual state of embarrassment of her mother. Her reasons are many, but mostly stem from her mother’s wacky job as a performance artist. In fact, one of her performances not only cost Marigold a relationship with her best friend, but resulted in them leaving town.

Marigold changes school right at the end of the year, giving her an outsider’s view of all the middle school drama. There are cute boys, mean girls, and loners — all the usual suspects — but I loved that they are not portrayed in a completely stereotypcial way.

This funny and sweet novel is a great book for moms and daughters to read together. Both Marigold’s (“She named me after a flower that most people think is a weed!”) and Becca’s (“You know I hate being called Mrs. Bailey”) stories are told fairly, which will help mothers and daughters empathize with each other.

I am pleased to be able to offer a copy to one of you (U.S. and Canadian addresses are eligible). Please leave a comment if you’d like to win, and we’ll announce the winner in our giveaway post on Wednesday, May 4.
This giveaway is closed.

Also, please check out author Barbara Dee’s guest post on “The Perfect Mom” (in literature), published here in our On Reading column.

  • The winner of The Fourth Stall, another fabulous just-right novel for older middle grade readers, is #15 Chris Curuchet
  • The winner of the 5-Star memoir The Wilder Life is #8 Barbara H.

Jennifer Donovan has never wrapped herself in plastic wrap as Becca Bailey did, but she still embarrasses her tween daughter. She tries not to blog about such matters at Snapshot.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook or YouTube.

Filed Under: 12 and up, Jennifer

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Beside Still Waters, Review and Giveaway »

Comments

  1. Janet says

    April 20, 2011 at 6:43 am

    Sounds like a great book. Thank you for this opportunity.

  2. Karen Gonyea says

    April 20, 2011 at 10:56 am

    Another great prize – count me in please 🙂

    • Jennifer says

      May 3, 2011 at 8:28 pm

      Karen–

      You won this book! Congrats. Please reply to the email notification with your shipping info.

  3. Joy says

    April 20, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    My daughter would love this book. She is 9, and loves to read! Thanks.

  4. Ellie says

    April 20, 2011 at 6:36 pm

    This sounds like exactly what my young reader’s group would love to read!!!!!! I’ll be requesting it from our library for sure! Thank you for the review!

  5. Barbara Dee says

    April 20, 2011 at 7:01 pm

    Thanks, Jennifer, for such a lovely review! I’m so glad you found the book fair to both the mom and the daughter. That’s something I was really focused on as I was writing–but it was tricky because the book is from the daughter’s point of view! If your readers share it with their daughters, I’d love to hear how it goes!

  6. Linda Kish says

    April 20, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    I would love to read this book.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

  7. Natalia K says

    April 20, 2011 at 11:48 pm

    Would like to win!

  8. Beth C says

    April 22, 2011 at 5:09 pm

    My granddaughter would love this.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

  9. Sue says

    April 23, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Looks cute!! Thanks for sharing.

  10. Glykia says

    April 23, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    I think I know some trauma queens! Would love to see if I do!

  11. Miranda Ward says

    April 23, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    This looks like a great book

    [email protected]

  12. Linda Peters says

    April 23, 2011 at 8:34 pm

    would love to read this, thanks

  13. Megan says

    April 23, 2011 at 9:13 pm

    I’d love to win this for my middle school library
    mearley1979 at gmail dot com

  14. Jacquelyn Cannon says

    April 23, 2011 at 10:29 pm

    Sounds like a really great book. I daughter would love it!

  15. Shannon Baas says

    April 23, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    I would like this.

  16. Debra Hall says

    April 24, 2011 at 12:32 am

    grandaughter would love this book

  17. Debra Hall says

    April 24, 2011 at 12:32 am

    new facebook fan

  18. EMMA L HORTON says

    April 24, 2011 at 8:43 am

    YES…I WOULD LIKE TO WIN THIS BOOK

  19. angie says

    April 24, 2011 at 6:49 pm

    I would love this.

  20. McKim says

    April 25, 2011 at 10:42 am

    This would be a great book for my daughter.
    kimkmc at yahoo.com

  21. riTa says

    April 25, 2011 at 11:58 am

    I enjoyed the review and Perfect Mom post, so, yes, count me in.

  22. Desmond says

    April 25, 2011 at 4:42 pm

    Count me in!

  23. Kim says

    April 25, 2011 at 8:00 pm

    Count me in! I’d love to read it and pass it along to my middle school library!

  24. debbie says

    April 27, 2011 at 8:00 am

    I would love to read it, it sounds really good.
    [email protected]

  25. Barb says

    April 27, 2011 at 3:42 pm

    My daughter is not quite a Tween yet. But soon.

  26. Miranda Ward says

    April 28, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    This looks like a great book!

    [email protected]

  27. jolene says

    May 1, 2011 at 9:57 am

    id like to win!

  28. Melissa D says

    May 2, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    I’m always on the lookout for a new book and this one sounds great! Thanks!

  29. Tracy says

    May 3, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Sounds like a brilliantly funny book, just in time for mothers day LOL

  30. AEKZ2 says

    May 3, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    Sounds like a fun read.

    [email protected]

  31. Ed Nemmers says

    May 3, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    Yes, I would love to win!

  32. Kerrie Mayans says

    May 4, 2011 at 12:53 am

    This sounds like a fun read for summer.

    [email protected]

  33. Deborah Wellenstein says

    May 4, 2011 at 6:31 am

    I would like to win-thanks!

  34. Debbie Kennedy says

    May 4, 2011 at 7:16 am

    I need some books for summer reading at camp – would love to add this one to my “to read” list
    thanks

  35. Diane Baum says

    May 4, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    I subscribed via e-mail and it looks and sounds like an adorable read

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