My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life
By Dawn Friedman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Kids will relate to tale of "embarrassing" parents.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
The narrator of this simple book is pretty tired of all the parenting she's getting. She's had it up to here with her solicitous mother and loving father and she's imagining how to get them off her back, with surprising results.
Is It Any Good?
This is a cute book, but not much more than that. Most kids will empathize with some aspect of the narrator's plight but others might think she's overreacting. Still, even if kids don't quite get her over-the-top objection to getting mom-kisses in front of friends, they'll surely know what it's like to be denied their junk food of choice. Definitely good for a giggle.
The illustrations are simple but sweet, and grown-ups might catch themselves feeling somehow nostalgic since Mom is dressed more like Donna Reed than any moms wandering supermarket aisles these days.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their own house rules and whether or not kids feel like they're fair. Are the narrator's parents really trying to ruin her life? What's actually going on when they insist on early bedtimes and show up at school with an extra pair of shorts?
Book Details
- Author: Kate Feiffer
- Illustrator: Diane Goode
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: March 24, 2009
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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