Love Me Tender (by Audrey Couloumbis)

Elvira is stuck in a crazy family. Her dad dresses up like Elvis for singing gigs, her mother just announced she's pregnant again, and her 8-year-old sister is a pain in the rear. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, her dad takes off for an Elvis competition in Vegas and her mother receives an urgent call from her family -- a family she hasn't spoken to in years. Elvira's trying to keep it together while wondering what else could go wrong, or maybe what else could go right?

In LOVE ME TENDER author Audrey Couloumbis navigates the highs and lows of family life with witty banter and all the tenderness the title suggests. There are several types of relationships explored throughout the book: mother/daughter, sisterly, and spousal. The author uses the characters to portray the type of honesty that occurs when there are tough times in a family and everyone is tired of being polite.

Even though the novel is a great exploration of family, tweens may not be interested in a book so focused on feelings -- it even finishes like a romance novel: tidy and too abrupt. And strangely, one of the major sources of angst in the story ends with a few kind words and a sigh. Still, parents will enjoy the positive messages of unity and forgiveness and kids will identify with the emotions and inner conflict of 13-year-old Elvira.

Author: Audrey Couloumbis
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: April 22, 2008
Number of pages: 224
Hardcover price: $16.99
Read Aloud: 9
Read Alone: 9