Vacations Books

Reviewed by Erin Keith (age 17) for Reader Views (5/07)

This book is full of inspiration. Its main character, Maddie Hickman, is just a regular teenager who faces many of the same problems we all go through or at least know about. From alcoholics to drug users and those with tormenting pasts, there are a lot of bad things in our lives. However, with the bad comes some good and this novel demonstrates both aspects.

Maddie goes to a camp for the summer that is filled with fun and good memories. She goes there to get away from the bad things that happened in her life over the last year. She promises to herself that at camp she will relax and live in the moment. After a tough breakup and her sister's struggle with alcohol, she begins to enjoy her life. But when she gets to camp and finds that she is the splitting image of the new CIT's dead girlfriend, and she meets a camper who suffers from Tourette syndrome with a family that is more dysfunctional than her own. Her summer is torn apart with drama and tragic moments, but in the end she learns to accept it in order to move on.

This book would be a good read for those who are going through tough times and I would recommend "My Summer Vacation" to those who want to learn how to pull through and be strong.

My Summer Vacation (iUniverse, ISBN: 0-595-39430-2, $11.95), Hannah's Goodman's second novel starring Maddie Hickman, builds on the fabulous character established in Goodman's award-winning début young adult-novel, My Sister's Wedding (iUniverse, ISBN: 0-595-31265-9, $10.95). Goodman is mistress of teenage preoccupations, angst and relentless fumbling toward self-knowledge. In My Summer Vacation, Maddie returns to her beloved summer camp, still reeling from the end of a bad relationship and her sister's alcoholic meltdown. She finds comfort in her old friends and more than comfort in a new love. But even good things must come to an end and Maddie finds herself once again cast adrift at the end of the novel. Stronger, wiser, maybe, but still looking for a port in the storm of her life. Here's hoping we hear more from Maddie soon!!

What can I say about this book? I didn't want to put it down. I related to the subject matter and setting through my own experience as a kid who went to camp for many summers. The book also surprised me in many ways. Just as soon as you thought you knew what was going to happen...boom...so unpredictable. I also very much enjoyed the e-mail/letter inserts. It provided an additional peek into the characters lives. I can't wait for the next one!!!!

Maddie Hickman, now sixteen, continues her adventures at a summer camp of the creative arts. Translation: after My Sister's Wedding, Maddie returns to the artsy-fartsy summer camp for nerds, where she is a Counselor in Training for the first time this year. She is struggling to get over a relationship that has ended rather badly, and she is hell-bent on ignoring any new, cute boys she might meet at camp. She just wants to enjoy her first year as a CIT among her clique composed of other CITs. Of course none of these teenagers is yet ready to display his or her expected complement of good behaviors. The guys fight over the girls, the girls start their own catfights over boys, and everybody is mad at everybody else at least once! Boiling underneath the surface of all these hormonal emotions are a cluster of unfortunate circumstances involving alcoholism and other addictive personality traits. The kids at camp are not the addicts. These are the traits of certain parents, siblings, and love interests. The kids are the enablers.

Hannah R. Goodman has composed a good, short, entertaining novel based on a variety of somewhat depressing subjects. The focus of the story concerns the explanation of how these young characters had become enablers of the destructive behavior patterns of people close to them. The teens learn how to cope with a reality different than what they had always perceived to be the truth. They learn how to enter this new reality with their eyes wide open in the future, leaving behind their debilitating roles as enablers. Maddie learns about Tourette's Syndrome, as well as drug addictions outside the alcohol arena, and she faces the things she cannot change.

The author's second novel has brought Maddie Hickman through another stage of her young life. There are lessons for teenagers and adults in this book written for both age brackets. Don't be put off by its somber elements because My Summer Vacation is a fun book to read. The tone is always relatively light and appropriate for both teens and their parents. The only thing keeping it from earning five stars is a few too many typos for its brief length. This is an especially good novel for a teenager who has lost a cherished person in her life to death, affliction, or a destructive behavior pattern.

Years ago, in a Children's Lit class, I gave a presentation on kid's books that dealt with the theme of death, from picture books through YA. I wish I'd had this book then. My Summer Vacation is a "must read" for parents, teachers, librarians, grief counselors, and anyone else who may have to make recommendations or help a kid work through a devastating loss. That point aside, it's a great read. Ms. Goodman's descriptive writing brings scenes to life, and her adroit character development makes us care for and/or identify with Maddie, her friends, and their situations. The secondary themes, such as that of teen drama over boyfriend/girlfriend issues, and the interesting handling of a boy with Tourette's Syndrome, make this book eminently accessible to teens, and adults who recall those years. There's humor here, too, rounding out a multi-faceted story that can proudly follow Goodman's first Maddie installment, My Sister's Wedding.

this book was extremely helpful in giving me ideas when i took over our church nursery. just to be clear, it is not a book for ideas on actual classroom material, although there is a section on creating a parent newsletter to incorporate your parents into what the kids are learning. so many forms & brochures you are allowed to copy, and ideas for what should be in your nursery concerning toys, workers, supplies, etc. the section on encouraging your nursery workers waas extremely helpful as well. i highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for some fresh ideas in addition to how to pull them off. even if you don't wind up using any of the ideas, reading the book the entire way through will give you, if nothing else, a new perspective and something to think about.

Este libro es excelente no solo para aquellos que quieran comenzar un Nursery en su Iglesia, sino para aquellos que como nosotros teniamos un Nursery pero sin ningun tipo de guia. Te permite organizar el Nursery, decorarlo e incluye carta para padres y maestros. Y lo mejor tiene una guia de temas de dos años para aquellos que piensan que a los niños no se le puede enseñar de Jesus. Me encantó!!!

I have recently taken on the position of nursery coordinator in a church which has let this area of ministry "run itself" for a number of years. We needed to esablish a new set of nursery policies and procedures.

This book provides useful advice for organizing (or re-organizing) your church nursery, including tips on recruiting nursery caregivers, health and safety considerations, room equipment and supplies, and programs for the kids.

It includes many reproducible forms and notices which could be used directly from the book, or adapted for your church's needs.

Additional items are available for purchase, including a poster set, CDs, cassettes, picture cards, and activities.

This book has ideas and suggestions for a nursery that cares for babies 0-24 months. Some options for preschoolers is provided, but it is not nearly as extensive for that age group.

Great for church nursery directors--full of helpful hints, clip art and newsletter pages to copy.

As the newly appointed director of the nursery department at my church, I was interested in updating our nursery policies and procedures as well as improving how parents perceive our facilities and program. This book was very helpful to me in developing new procedures that would be up-to-date (i.e. taking into account HIV possibilities when diaper changing, etc.)

One problem with the book is that it leads you to believe that it contains 24 months worth of nursery curriculum. However, upon closer inspection you discover that the curriculum requires you to have other Gospel Light curriculum materials that must be purchased separately such as a music CD, visual aids, and a flip chart book.

Overall, the book is still a good purchase for any nursery director looking to update their church nursery.

Not a bad book, I just wasn't gripped by it. Sophie, upset that she can't have her summer in France leaps at the opportunity to spend it in New York--but she expects the super posh New York city. What she gets is a messy 'artist' with two lunatic children that she has to watch. She sort of learns a lesson by the end, but it took her a long time....and I wasn't that interested in the other characters.

The book Sophie Pitt-Turnbull Discovers America is a good read. The name might not look appealing, but don't judge a book by its cover:-) I found the first couple chapters dull, but as I got into it, it got really intersting.
When Sophie meets the Salamancas, adventure erupts! She sleeps on, not a matress, but a matress made from DIRTY clothes. And to her surprise, they live in Brooklyn, not Manhattan, and Sophie also discovers that she'll be babysitting Tampa and Gallup. Worse of all, the house is FILLED with clutter! Sophie is just about to explode! But then she meets Barbee and Bachman. Can they save her summer? Read Sophie Pitt-Turnbull Discovers America to find out!
I hope you found my review helpful!

Sophie S.

Dyan Sheldon's charming coming to America tale is one that kids of all ages will enjoy. As a Brooklyn resident (though not the part Sophie visits), I was extra amused by her grandiose visions of New York and dismay at her surroundings. Sheldon makes Sophie naïve but likeable because her heart's in the right place, and her proper British reserve keeps her from being the brat that an American teenager would likely be if faced with the same situation. As much as I love some of the glitzier YA novels set in New York, this one is way more realistic and charming. Witnessing Sophie discovering Brooklyn, and truly widening her eyes and her world, was a total delight and I hope to read more about her. The Salamancas' wackiness and colorful cast of characters make this a hilarious read that should win over teens and adults on both sides of the pond. And if you've ever visited New York as a tourist (or if you live here), you'll delight in all the hype Sophie hears about it, as well as her reality.

Meet Sophie Pitt-Turnbull. She's a proper British teen who has a strong sense of identity. "I've always been happy with who I am. Not in a stuck-up, I'm-the-best-thing-that's happened-since-the-invention-of-the-lightbulb sort of way. More in a God's-done-a-lot-worse-than-Sophie-Pitt-Turnbull sort of way. I reckoned that I'd improve with age (like wine or cheese), but I never expected to change."

Not in her wildest dreams would Sophie Pitt-Turnbull know what she was getting herself into when she begged and pleaded with her parents to let her go on summer vacation --- or holiday, as the British say. Her family had canceled their usual summer trip to France and Sophie couldn't stand the thought of spending all summer watching Jocelyn Scolfield, a friend who Sophie was on the outs with, and Daniel, Sophie's ex-boyfriend who was now dating Jocelyn. Sophie prayed to get out of England.

And then, a miracle! Sophie's mother had an old friend, Jacqueline Salamanca, from art school. Sophie's mother rang Jacqueline every year to wish her a happy birthday. This year, Jacqueline was complaining how her daughter, Cherry, desperately wanted to go to Europe. It was the perfect idea! They could swap daughters for the summer, so that each girl could get a chance to go overseas.

Sophie was thrilled. She'd seen lots of movies about America --- especially New York City where the Salamancas lived. She couldn't wait to go shopping on Fifth Avenue and hit the art galleries in SoHo.

But then she arrives and things are very different from how she had imagined. The Salamancas were not proper, like Sophie's family. In fact, they were the exact opposite. Mrs. Salamanca insists on being called Jake rather than Mrs. Salamanca or Auntie. Her two kids, Gallup and Tampa, even call her Jake. Gallup is obsessed with animals --- their house is filled with strange creatures including a pet pig named Bart. Sophie has to share a room with Tampa who talks in her sleep. Sophie's luggage gets lost and she has no choice but to wear the weird clunky black clothes that Cherry (whose real name is Cherokee) has left behind. And the most shocking of all is that the Salamancas do not live in New York City. They reside in Brooklyn in a falling down, cluttered house that is not remotely close to the SoHo loft that Sophie had envisioned.

Sophie expects that her summer will be even worse than being in England. Will she be able to put up with the wacky lifestyle of these Brooklynites? Can she put aside her culture shock and actually have a good time?

Dyan Sheldon is the author of many books for young readers including CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, MY PERFECT LIFE, and PLANET JANET. She does a good job of creating strong female characters and hurdling them through various entertaining obstacles.

SOPHIE PITT-TURNBULL DISCOVERS AMERICA is a fun read for Brooklynites, Londoners, and everyone else too! It's infused with humor and quirky characters that make for an enjoyable read. A helpful British slang glossary is found at the back of the book to help translate some of Sophie's phrases. Even though the British speak the same language as Americans, there are many things that are different. Can our girl Sophie Pitt-Turnbull who "never expected to change" adjust to American life? Read and find out!

--- Reviewed by Kristi Olson

I am an adult who loves reading teen books.

This one is good. The story of a young british girl who goes to New York for the summer. She gets the surprise of her life when she gets there.

While this book is not a hard hitting one (no drugs, sex, etc.) it is written with lots of humour and explores what happens when we have pre-conceived ideas of a person just by looking at their surroundings.

Sophie ends up learning some valuable lessons which, thanks to the authors, wonderful writing never makes us feel as though we have to preached to.

This book is a nice entry into the teen books. Buy it.

Beautifully illustrated and fun! The whole family enjoys the artwork and the story! Good addition to family library!

The last in th set.. what is summer doing? She is on vaction and not getting her work done. Luckily she has two wonderful parents... Mother Earth and Father time.
We love these books. A must for every home.

Heather mama of 5

This is a great book! The illustrations are great and the story is wonderfully written. We read this book every evening at bedtime. And when Fall comes we will be reading the Autumn book of the series.

This completes our set in the seasons series. Wild Child was our first experience with Plourd's books-- and by far, the best one. None of the other books seem to match up. Thus said, children and adults alike will still delight in the sing song phrasing and orginal artwork. The stories are favorites with my kids.

I was both thrilled and sad to see this fourth Couch/Plourde creation show up at my local book store. This is another lovely testiment to the wonders of nature and the importance of family. "Summer's Vacation" also hints at the responsibilities of our youth and their very apparent influence in their world. If I could, I would wish for more seasons so as not to see this beautiful collaborative team complete their circle.

It arrived in decent shape and with fair promptness. A better description of the emphasis of the book would have aided selection.

If you like to travel and are challenged physically, this book is well worth adding to your library. Each of the 101 vacation chapters is full of information that is otherwise hard to find. Any one such item is worth the price of the book. That said, only about 3 pages are devoted to each vacation, so don't expect it to be complete. It's a great start to begin further research or a great resource to add knowledge about a place (or a place nearby) that you're already planning to go to. The book is organized by activity rather than geographically and the table of contents uses chapter titles that often don't tell you the geographic location of the vacation. I found it helpful to write the locations in the table of contents for later reference.

As a person struggling with PPMS (primary progressive multiple sclerosis), I was depressed by what I thought was the reality that I would not be able to travel. Not so! This book makes visiting all the places I've wanted to see doable. Thanks Candy Harrington for this book and your enabling outlook on travel.

101 ACCESSIBLE VACATIONS BY CANDY B. HARRINGTON is a practical and innovative travel guidebook for the physically challenged traveler. Candy is well known in the field of accessible travel and is the editor of Emerging Horizons Magazine. She discusses the previously held theory that all disabled travelers should go to Disney World for vacations because it is know for being well planned for the handicapped tourist. But not everyone likes theme parks, so there must be many alternatives, of which most travel agents are unaware. In this book she tells of many, many different choices for ideal holidays for anyone who has difficulty traveling. She details holidays of every kind in places in many states and in several international destinations. This is a wonderful book for any handicapped traveler and for all travel agents.

Very well written and entertaining. Good summer reading by the pool or under a parasol by the sea.

I loved this book from the moment I picked it up. This is a very genuine book, telling the tale of love through a boy's perspective. It's so descriptive, you feel like you're there with Alex (the main character), through every wave and "being safe" talk.

I think After Summer is a great book. For me I couldn't put this book down because I was always wondering what was going to happen with not only Alex and Fortuna but with his University offer. I love that the adults in this story would always refer back to being "safe".This book is a great example of waiting to be accepted and being accepted by the only person who seems to understands you. I like that Fortuna's family was so different then Alex's but not to much that it would mess up their relationship. This book has a great blend of romance and comedy. I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for something new.

Upon reading the opening sentences of the book After Summer by Nick Earls, a reader is pulled into the world of a typical teenager. The book follows the events of Alex Delaney, during summer he is waiting to see if he was accepted into university or not. Alex is spending yet another summer in his family's beach house on the Australian coast near his hometown of Brisbane. After Summer is an enjoyable book to read not only because of how easy it is to follow, but also because the reader can relate to Alex. No matter what age the reader happens to be, he or she will be able to know how Alex is feeling when he explains his embarrassing moments or how nervous he is around "the girl".
"The girl" is who Alex meets during his summer of waiting and she is the one who makes the waiting bearable. Alex first sees her during his everyday routine of getting up, going to the beach, and buying a newspaper. He happens to catch a glimpse of her further down the beach, and from the first glance, he is interested in her. Luckily for Alex, who usually doesn't have much luck in this area, he is able to strike up a conversation with her which leads to breakfast and eventually, a relationship. Alex is drawn to the ease of her life, and the laid back attitude that goes with her family. Soon, Alex finds himself not being so preoccupied with his university results and has a decision to make concerning "the girl". Nick Earls pulls this plot together neatly with his humorous and unique style of writing.
As one reads the book, it is very easy to hear Alex's voice through Earls' easy-going tone and his use of language. Another reason this book is such an enjoyable and easy read is that there aren't any hidden meanings or themes that the reader has to think about during the reading. It is the simple story of a young boy who is about to start his adult life in university and his discovery of love in relationships. The reader can easily connect with Alex and can feel his emotions jumping off the pages. After Summer is a great choice for teenagers more so than adults due to the humor and experiences. Nick Earls does an excellent job of portraying teenage emotions and experiences through Alex Delaney and his summer of waiting.

Great insight on places,I had considered for retirement.
Many places I had not thought of, seem appealing.

Easy read with a lot of good information about various retirement areas. The best information has to do with taxes and health care. I do question why some of the people who already live in one of the 100 best places to retire are highlighted as moving to another one of the best 100 places to retire. It does make one think.

Gave me some good ideas about attractive places to live as well as those that are affordable.

This is a good book giving lots of information. The stats I liked and are very useful. The narrative could have been better in that the interviews with the people for the most part seem to be with people who have lots of available cash. Not exactly your average retiree. I know this from those who were interviewed in this book who retired to my area (Arizona). Only the upper crust can afford to live and do what these people who were interviewed could do. Take the interviews with a grain of salt. I live here and I can't afford to retire here.

A fairly average novel as far as BSCs go.Mary ANne and Dawn are mothers-helpers again and there's lots of boys and flirting.You know.

When I was 13 and I saw a preview for this book in the Scholastic book order, I was so excited since I had enjoyed part 1 of Sea City in #8 Boy Crazy Stacey. I went out and bought it just in time for summer vacation and took it with me to read when I went with my family to the Oregon Coast. It was very appropriate reading material for that environment. It was so good, and I enjoyed it except that I feel like there was too much 'romance' in it. And that seemed to make it dull. But it was still good, although I preffered Sea City part 1 in Book #8.

This was a very enjoyable. It involves a lot of romance and is also very heartbreaking. If this was a movie siskel and Egbert would give it two thumbs. It deserves five stars.

It's Sea City part 2 when Mary Anne and stacey go back to sea City. Vannesa Pike has a crush on the ice cream parlor man only to mention that the ice cream man has a crush on Mallory pike. Mary anne has also a crush on alex. Will a summer romance come between Mary Anne and Logan? Will Vannesa's heart be broken by the ice cream man? there's a reason for all of this.
NOTE: THERE ARE TOO MANY BOYS IN SEA CITY!

I enjoyed this book but found it a little too rustic; kind of over-the-top for the average rustic aficionado. The same styles were repeated over and over with little variation.

This is by far the best cabin/camp book I own! Pages and pages of gorgous camps and cabins with wonderful decorating. I own many rustic decorating books and this is tops!! All Ralph Kylloes books are great but this one is the best! The pictures of inside all the beautiful camps and cabins is a true feast for the eye! I look at this book at least once a week and never tire of the homes and always put the book down with more ideas on how to make my home more rustic and adirondack/camp like. I can't imagine if you are a person that is into camp decorating that you would ever be disatisfied-it is truely the best of its kind!!

Beautiful coffee table book. The pictures are large and there are many of them. The focus of the book was on the Adirondack style mostly and birch Adirondack style furniture.

This book is a banquet for the eyes. The reader feasts upon the visuals and is drawn into the rooms, the homes, and one can almost smell the wood.

The author knows his subject and shares it well. I keep my copy on the coffee table in the living room as a wonderful accent to the room.

It reads well and I am intrigued as to who the owners might be of the wonderful houses, homes, structures. Privacy is very important, but that is my only "complaint" with the book. I would like to know who the owners are. It would seem more personal.

The book is wonderful.

An excellent book if you have never been on a cruise, once you have gone it is kind of useless.

This was a very simple, easy to read book (All the "Dummies" books are very easy read books), If you are looking for a vacation try, "World Ventures, Wayne Nugent, Mike Azcue, Dan Stammen, Robert Oblon, Wes Melcher, Marc Accetta."

This is a good tool for first-time cruisers . . . and great info if you're going to the Caribbean. My cruise was to Canada (Atlantic side), so there wasn't a lot about the tours for Canada.

Otherwise, good info.

For those interested in taking a cruise this book serves as a very thorough guide. It discusses pretty much all of the available cruises. It talks about planning your cruise and what experiences are available on board - spas, shows, activities and, of course, lots of food. It also covers the excursions available at the different ports of call and where each cruise line goes to, with an emphasis on the Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean.

The only reason I am deducting a star is that the writers give only rave reviews for every cruise line. It seemed like they were often just advertising for the cruise companies rather than offering objective opinions that would be useful for its readers. This made it hard to figure out which cruise lines were best because the writers made each one sound so wonderful. So readers seeking to narrow their options might want to go online to the websites where people offer reviews on their cruising experiences rather than rely on this book.

But for all the nuts and bolts information on planning a cruise, what places you can cruise to and what activites are available, both at sea and on shore, this book is an excellent choice.