Vacation Reading

After months of planning, it's finally here. This evening, my teen daughter and I are "leaving on a jet plane." We will spend four days in London, helping a good friend celebrate her bat mitzvah. There's a whirlwind of events planned: dinner, services, a fancy-schmancy party, brunch, and a VIP tour of Parliament (our young friend's uncle is an MP). Then, we're taking the Eurostar to Paris, where we have absolutely nothing planned — but where we expect to have a très magnifique time!


Since I don't know how much wifi access (or writing opportunity) I'll have while we're away, I may not get a chance to update Lovin' the Alien as often as I do at home. So, I've decided to suggest some alternative reading ...

If you're the parent of a tween or teen and haven't had a chance to read Anthony Wolf's book yet, drop everything and go get it right now! Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? (how wonderful is that title, by the way) is an often humorous and utterly insightful guide to the aliens among us.


I originally heard about this book from a psychologist who spoke at a Parents Center meeting at my daughter's school. I read it in one evening and insisted that my husband read it. He then lent it to another father, whose teenage daughter happened to see it.


"Where did you get that?" she demanded. "It's a horrible book!" Now, that's an endorsement if I ever heard one. There must be some pretty valuable information inside if it can strike fear and/or loathing in the heart of its subjects.

Another worthwhile read is Lions and Tigers and Teens by Myrna Beth Haskell. Taken from her popular, syndicated column, this collection of essays is coupled with comments from her readers, real-life moms and dads. It's a good mix of humor, advice, and observation.


The book was sent my way by a dear family friend who happens to be the publisher. Imagine my surprise when I turned to the very first chapter: "Dealing with Aliens ..." 


And here I thought I was the only mom with an extraterrestrial under my roof.


Happy reading!