What do you think?
Rate this book
Trauma Queen
Every tween girl knows what it's like to have a mom who can be a little embarrasing at times. But for Marigold, it goes way beyond embarrassing. Marigold's single mom is a performance artist, meaning she stages dramatic, wacky performances to express her personal beliefs. Things like wrapping herself in saran wrap for a piece on plastic surgery, or inviting people over in the middle of the night to videotape her sleeping. In fact, Marigold's mom's performances caused such a ruckus in their last town that the two of them, along with Marigold's little sister, have just had to move. Now Marigold's starting a new school, missing her best friend like crazy, and trying to fit in all over again in the shadow of a mom who's famous for all the wrong reasons. As if that's not bad enough, Marigold's mom takes on a new job--teaching drama at Marigold's school! Now all the kids know instantly just how weird her mom is, and Marigold's worried she'll never be able to have a friendship that can survive her mother.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2011
9 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 13, 2017
The theme of my book is don't think something of someone without actually seeing what their can actually do. Marigold thinks that her mom embarrass her by doing her performances. When Marigold's mom signs up to do at after school club Marigold gets worried her mom is going to make a fool out of her self but really everyone in the school is talking about how great she is. She still doesn't like how her mom is the club tea her but one day her mom said she is quitting the job. Marigold says no you can stay. In the end marigold realizes that her mom likes to do that kind of thing so Marigold let her do it she opened the club backup.
April 10, 2011
For Marigold, her mom, a performance artist, is the most embarrassing thing in her life. From pouring oil on herself to wrapping herself in plastic, it seems to Marigold that everything her mom does is to torment her. After all it was because of her mom that they were forced to shift again; it is also because of her mom that her friendship with her best friend is in peril. As if these are not enough reasons for Marigold to be embarrassed of her mom, now her mom plans to start an Improv afterschool club in Marigold’s school. Mortified at the idea, Marigold tries her best to convince her mother to listen to her for once. But maybe, what she really needs is to understand her mother first......
Trauma Queen is a hilarious and realistic (maybe a little bit dramatic) take on mother-daughter relationship.Till the first chapter to last, Trauma Queen kept me engaged with its entertaining narrative. In many cases I could relate to Marigold’s anger and embarrassment at her mother. Though sometimes I felt Marigold was being selfish and too judgmental of her mother, I could not help but feel that I too would have reacted the same way if I was placed in her situation. I have always felt that a mother-daughter relationship is one of the most complicated relationships. Especially when the daughter reaches her adolescence, the number of fights and misunderstandings between them increase; yet when we need sympathy and comfort, our moms are the first ones we rush to. This complicated relationship is depicted in a sweet and simple manner in the book that makes Trauma Queen a book difficult not to like. Beneath all its light humor, Trauma Queen teaches us that no fight can be solved till we are ready to listen to the other person’s point. Another message that it gives out is to judge people not by what others think of them but what you personally think of them.
Almost all the characters have a quirky side to them - Marigold’s is her ‘Thing’ which is a sort of a haywire quilt made by her out of random scraps of clothes and her friend Layla’s is her pointy toed, ‘get-out-of-my-face’ boot which she seems to wear everyday to the school. Marigold’s mom’s daring and bizarre acts add to the craziness.
Even the secondary characters are colorful and fun. It is for their eccentricities that I like most of the characters of the book.
Trauma Queen is a crazy, cute and insightful book with lovable characters and a heartwarming story.
Overall:
An adorable and entertaining read exploring the complicated dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship
Recommended?
Yes, to all those who like an entertaining yet thought-provoking tween read
Trauma Queen is a hilarious and realistic (maybe a little bit dramatic) take on mother-daughter relationship.Till the first chapter to last, Trauma Queen kept me engaged with its entertaining narrative. In many cases I could relate to Marigold’s anger and embarrassment at her mother. Though sometimes I felt Marigold was being selfish and too judgmental of her mother, I could not help but feel that I too would have reacted the same way if I was placed in her situation. I have always felt that a mother-daughter relationship is one of the most complicated relationships. Especially when the daughter reaches her adolescence, the number of fights and misunderstandings between them increase; yet when we need sympathy and comfort, our moms are the first ones we rush to. This complicated relationship is depicted in a sweet and simple manner in the book that makes Trauma Queen a book difficult not to like. Beneath all its light humor, Trauma Queen teaches us that no fight can be solved till we are ready to listen to the other person’s point. Another message that it gives out is to judge people not by what others think of them but what you personally think of them.
Almost all the characters have a quirky side to them - Marigold’s is her ‘Thing’ which is a sort of a haywire quilt made by her out of random scraps of clothes and her friend Layla’s is her pointy toed, ‘get-out-of-my-face’ boot which she seems to wear everyday to the school. Marigold’s mom’s daring and bizarre acts add to the craziness.
Even the secondary characters are colorful and fun. It is for their eccentricities that I like most of the characters of the book.
Trauma Queen is a crazy, cute and insightful book with lovable characters and a heartwarming story.
Overall:
An adorable and entertaining read exploring the complicated dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship
Recommended?
Yes, to all those who like an entertaining yet thought-provoking tween read
July 10, 2011
Trauma Queen is a great read and everything a reader wants a book to be. It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s got great characters who feel real, and a catchy little plot that pulls the reader right along to the end. It’s not perhaps as weighty as War and Peace, but who the heck wants to unwind at the end of a long day with War and Peace? Please don’t misunderstand me. I do not mean to imply that Trauma Queen is shallow. Only that it’s not self-important like too many other books whose titles I won’t mention. Barbara Dee is primarily interested in showing the reader a good time first, and working in a theme and sneaking in a message or two only once the reader’s basic needs have been met.
You regular Esteemed Readers know how much I love a great opening and the opening of Trauma Queen is nothing short of genuis:
I am standing outside homeroom in yellow flannel monkey pajamas.
Everyone else is dressed normally: jeans, track pants, sweaters, whatever.
Apparently because today, Monday, February 23, is not Pajama Day at Crampton Middle School. Also apparently I am the only one who is celebrating Pajama Day, because I am the only one whose mother told her it was Pajama Day. After using the New Student Information Packet to line a dog crate for this one-eared beagle she’s babysitting.
I’ve gone on at length about great openings in the past, so I’ll try to avoid that here. Still, note how Dee introduces conflict and character right off the bat, grabbing the reader at once. It’s true, no one’s been poisoned and must find the anecdote before the end of the story and it’s an opening that won’t hook everyone. Show this opening to an average twelve-year-old boy and there’s a good chance he’s going to set the book down and play L.A. Noire (I’m so excited), but a book called Trauma Queen is probably not going to be picked up by too many average twelve-year-old boys in the first place.
Barbara Dee knows her reader and from the start she grabs that reader and yanks her in. ‘I’ is seventh grader Marigold, whose name we learn in the next sentence. But her name is not important in the first few lines. What’s important is that she is an awkward adolescent in a social situation going poorly that we can all relate to. As much of the conflict in Trauma Queen derives from being an awkward adolescent, this is as good a place to start as any.
But the master stroke comes when Marigold reveals, most humorously, that it is her mother’s fault she is dressed in pajamas on a non-pajama day. Bam! Check and mate. By the fourth sentence Dee has introduced us to the main conflict of the novel, to the battle between embarrassing, thoughtless mother and know-it-all seventh grader that is to be the meat of our feast. Right away, the reader can decide whether stories about teenage daughters and their mothers is of interest or not and we know, not the whole story (the book is more than four sentences for a reason), but what we can expect from the book that follows. I’d be hard pressed to find another opening as good as this one.
It’s true that the conflict started here is very general and very broad, which is what makes it so universal, but the story is in the specific details that set this mother/daughter conflict novel apart from others. Otherwise, we could just pop in Freaky Friday and there would be no need to further explore this particular story territory. Here is the way in which Marigold’s mother is introduced:
When I get home that afternoon, Mom is in the living room. She’s in her yoga pants, upside down, surrounded by marbles.
For her this is normal.
Mom is an odd bird indeed. She’s a performance artist and if ever there is an occupation a teenager, boy or girl, would not want their mother to have its performance artist. Having a parent who is an artist, with all the flakey sensibilities that seem to go along with it (I look forward to one day humiliating my own children), is bad enough, but having a performance artist for a parent takes the cake. If Mom is a writer, she’s bound to be odd, but at least she does most of it in private. If Mom is an actress, at least there’s a script and a director behind her.
But if Mom is a performance artist, it’s just her. One of Mom’s acts consist of wearing a wet suit and pouring cooking oil all over herself, even drinking some of it. This is her impression of the United States guzzling oil and fair enough. It’s a clever gag and even thought provoking; if you’re simply a member of the audience. It’s quite a different matter if it’s your mother on stage doing this and all of your classmates are watching. Teenagers find their parents embarrassing enough without them covering themselves in oil in public.
And so it goes. Trauma Queen opens on pajama day in the present, but then flashes back to when Mom made an enemy of Marigold’s best friend’s mother by doing an “interpretation” of her on stage. Best friend Emma’s mother does not take it well and forbids Emma from associating with Marigold. Marigold’s mother is ruining her life! From here the conflict only escalates and you can practically hear an editor whispering “raise the stakes” when Mom becomes the new theater instructor at Marigold’s brand new school. Marigold’s life is over!
I see we are nearly out of review and I have more passages I want to share! How does this keep happening every week? The main craft point I want to make this week is in regard to Dee’s masterful characterization. There is not a flat or uninteresting character in Trauma Queen. Mom is every bit as interesting and compelling as Marigold. Dee shows us Marigold’s perspective, of course, and we will feel that Mom maybe needs to take it down a notch. But Dee also manages to show us Mom’s perspective. We respect her right as an artist and we understand her motivations for the wacky havoc she wreaks. Both Marigold and her mother are flawed and unique and worth reading about.
Further, Dee contrasts their family dynamic with some of the other mothers, most notably Emma’s mother. Emma’s mother is everything Marigold’s is not. She’s a responsible over achiever and pillar of the community and yet, she’s as tightly wound as an insane murderer in a Stephen King story. Here is my favorite description from the book that for me says it all about Emma’s mother:
At first Emma’s mom stood there in the kitchenette looking stunned. Everything about her was so straight and perfect—her shoulder-length blond hair, her white teeth, the tiny cables on her turquoise sweater—but she had this twitchy look on her face like, Okay, Trisha, don’t panic, you can handle this.
In her own neurotic way, Emma’s Mom is ruining Emma's life just as much as Marigold’s mother is ruining Marigold's, and more amusingly, Marigold’s grandmother is still attempting to ruin her mother’s life. The result is a tale that reminds us that human relationships are imperfect, but essential. Trauma Queen is a very funny, very well written tale that will provoke thought after delivering a enjoyable story. Two thumbs way up!
Don’t forget to come back on Thursday when Barbara Dee will be here and again on Saturday when Holly Root will be dropping by to see us. I will miss you during my time away, Esteemed Reader, but be assured it’s so that one day, just maybe, I can name my own book as the Book of the Week (and yes, I am that smug). Now I leave you with some more of my favorite passages from Trauma Queen:
Her olive-colored skin—the skin we all three have, Mom, Kennedy, and me—looked weirdly pale, as if I were looking at her through tracing paper.
I could feel my eyebrows getting sweaty. “It wasn’t a public meltdown, you guys. It’s just what my mom does.”
I suddenly realized how wrong that sounded. Like: My mom wasn’t just crazy on that one special occasion. She’s ALWAYS crazy. “She’s a performance artist,” I added quickly. “She was just doing one of her characters.”
“…Because you know, precious daughters, when it all comes down to it, life is really just one big improve act.”
That sounds like a line she’s practiced. Which is kind of ironic, actually.
To read an interview with author Barbara Dee or to read interviews with other authors and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
You regular Esteemed Readers know how much I love a great opening and the opening of Trauma Queen is nothing short of genuis:
I am standing outside homeroom in yellow flannel monkey pajamas.
Everyone else is dressed normally: jeans, track pants, sweaters, whatever.
Apparently because today, Monday, February 23, is not Pajama Day at Crampton Middle School. Also apparently I am the only one who is celebrating Pajama Day, because I am the only one whose mother told her it was Pajama Day. After using the New Student Information Packet to line a dog crate for this one-eared beagle she’s babysitting.
I’ve gone on at length about great openings in the past, so I’ll try to avoid that here. Still, note how Dee introduces conflict and character right off the bat, grabbing the reader at once. It’s true, no one’s been poisoned and must find the anecdote before the end of the story and it’s an opening that won’t hook everyone. Show this opening to an average twelve-year-old boy and there’s a good chance he’s going to set the book down and play L.A. Noire (I’m so excited), but a book called Trauma Queen is probably not going to be picked up by too many average twelve-year-old boys in the first place.
Barbara Dee knows her reader and from the start she grabs that reader and yanks her in. ‘I’ is seventh grader Marigold, whose name we learn in the next sentence. But her name is not important in the first few lines. What’s important is that she is an awkward adolescent in a social situation going poorly that we can all relate to. As much of the conflict in Trauma Queen derives from being an awkward adolescent, this is as good a place to start as any.
But the master stroke comes when Marigold reveals, most humorously, that it is her mother’s fault she is dressed in pajamas on a non-pajama day. Bam! Check and mate. By the fourth sentence Dee has introduced us to the main conflict of the novel, to the battle between embarrassing, thoughtless mother and know-it-all seventh grader that is to be the meat of our feast. Right away, the reader can decide whether stories about teenage daughters and their mothers is of interest or not and we know, not the whole story (the book is more than four sentences for a reason), but what we can expect from the book that follows. I’d be hard pressed to find another opening as good as this one.
It’s true that the conflict started here is very general and very broad, which is what makes it so universal, but the story is in the specific details that set this mother/daughter conflict novel apart from others. Otherwise, we could just pop in Freaky Friday and there would be no need to further explore this particular story territory. Here is the way in which Marigold’s mother is introduced:
When I get home that afternoon, Mom is in the living room. She’s in her yoga pants, upside down, surrounded by marbles.
For her this is normal.
Mom is an odd bird indeed. She’s a performance artist and if ever there is an occupation a teenager, boy or girl, would not want their mother to have its performance artist. Having a parent who is an artist, with all the flakey sensibilities that seem to go along with it (I look forward to one day humiliating my own children), is bad enough, but having a performance artist for a parent takes the cake. If Mom is a writer, she’s bound to be odd, but at least she does most of it in private. If Mom is an actress, at least there’s a script and a director behind her.
But if Mom is a performance artist, it’s just her. One of Mom’s acts consist of wearing a wet suit and pouring cooking oil all over herself, even drinking some of it. This is her impression of the United States guzzling oil and fair enough. It’s a clever gag and even thought provoking; if you’re simply a member of the audience. It’s quite a different matter if it’s your mother on stage doing this and all of your classmates are watching. Teenagers find their parents embarrassing enough without them covering themselves in oil in public.
And so it goes. Trauma Queen opens on pajama day in the present, but then flashes back to when Mom made an enemy of Marigold’s best friend’s mother by doing an “interpretation” of her on stage. Best friend Emma’s mother does not take it well and forbids Emma from associating with Marigold. Marigold’s mother is ruining her life! From here the conflict only escalates and you can practically hear an editor whispering “raise the stakes” when Mom becomes the new theater instructor at Marigold’s brand new school. Marigold’s life is over!
I see we are nearly out of review and I have more passages I want to share! How does this keep happening every week? The main craft point I want to make this week is in regard to Dee’s masterful characterization. There is not a flat or uninteresting character in Trauma Queen. Mom is every bit as interesting and compelling as Marigold. Dee shows us Marigold’s perspective, of course, and we will feel that Mom maybe needs to take it down a notch. But Dee also manages to show us Mom’s perspective. We respect her right as an artist and we understand her motivations for the wacky havoc she wreaks. Both Marigold and her mother are flawed and unique and worth reading about.
Further, Dee contrasts their family dynamic with some of the other mothers, most notably Emma’s mother. Emma’s mother is everything Marigold’s is not. She’s a responsible over achiever and pillar of the community and yet, she’s as tightly wound as an insane murderer in a Stephen King story. Here is my favorite description from the book that for me says it all about Emma’s mother:
At first Emma’s mom stood there in the kitchenette looking stunned. Everything about her was so straight and perfect—her shoulder-length blond hair, her white teeth, the tiny cables on her turquoise sweater—but she had this twitchy look on her face like, Okay, Trisha, don’t panic, you can handle this.
In her own neurotic way, Emma’s Mom is ruining Emma's life just as much as Marigold’s mother is ruining Marigold's, and more amusingly, Marigold’s grandmother is still attempting to ruin her mother’s life. The result is a tale that reminds us that human relationships are imperfect, but essential. Trauma Queen is a very funny, very well written tale that will provoke thought after delivering a enjoyable story. Two thumbs way up!
Don’t forget to come back on Thursday when Barbara Dee will be here and again on Saturday when Holly Root will be dropping by to see us. I will miss you during my time away, Esteemed Reader, but be assured it’s so that one day, just maybe, I can name my own book as the Book of the Week (and yes, I am that smug). Now I leave you with some more of my favorite passages from Trauma Queen:
Her olive-colored skin—the skin we all three have, Mom, Kennedy, and me—looked weirdly pale, as if I were looking at her through tracing paper.
I could feel my eyebrows getting sweaty. “It wasn’t a public meltdown, you guys. It’s just what my mom does.”
I suddenly realized how wrong that sounded. Like: My mom wasn’t just crazy on that one special occasion. She’s ALWAYS crazy. “She’s a performance artist,” I added quickly. “She was just doing one of her characters.”
“…Because you know, precious daughters, when it all comes down to it, life is really just one big improve act.”
That sounds like a line she’s practiced. Which is kind of ironic, actually.
To read an interview with author Barbara Dee or to read interviews with other authors and literary agents, log onto my blog at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
Read
January 12, 2022Every tween girl knows what it's like to have a mom who can be a little embarrasing at times. But for Marigold, it goes way beyond embarrassing. Marigold's single mom is a performance artist, meaning she stages dramatic, wacky performances to express her personal beliefs. Things like wrapping herself in saran wrap for a piece on plastic surgery, or inviting people over in the middle of the night to videotape her sleeping. In fact, Marigold's mom's performances caused such a ruckus in their last town that the two of them, along with Marigold's little sister, have just had to move. Now Marigold's starting a new school, missing her best friend like crazy, and trying to fit in all over again in the shadow of a mom who's famous for all the wrong reasons. As if that's not bad enough, Marigold's mom takes on a new job--teaching drama at Marigold's school! Now all the kids know instantly just how weird her mom is, and Marigold's worried she'll never be able to have a friendship that can survive her mother.
January 4, 2023
Wonderful book. Barbara just really captures the truth of what it is to be in seventh grade caught between childhood and high school with insight, love and empathy. Everything she writes is plausible, happening somewhere and real. I read her books in one sitting. That good.
May 12, 2017
I loved this because it was not the perfect mother-daughter relationship but more of that "bonkers" mom that is just the star of this book and this made me laugh so hard.
January 3, 2021
I enjoyed this book, though at times I felt that the storyline was a bit "scattered"--then again, it probably was what the main character's life felt like,, so that worked. It ended well.
April 12, 2021
Definitely more YA than upper elementary - but could appeal to a few older elementary readers.
Mom is an embarrassment and fitting in at school is hard.
Mom is an embarrassment and fitting in at school is hard.
November 26, 2025
This was great! I loved every chance I got to read this story and recommend it to everyone who wants to read it.
April 18, 2011
Marigold's mom is the star of the show. Which show? Well, that's another thing entirely. Her stage is anywhere and everywhere, however and whenever the thought strikes her. Sometimes it's a spur of the moment event, but more often it's planned and absolutely crazy. At least in the opinion of her daughter Marigold, who is just now at that stage in life where everyone takes notice of all those little quirky things that used to just be funny. So, needless to say, a personal performance with her best friends mom, a resulting move, a Wikipedia page and now her mom teaching at her school is just not the kind of attention Marigold is hoping for. What's a tween to do with a mom who's constantly stealing the show? And not in a good way either.
First of all, I have to say I absolutely adore Barbara Dee and her writing. Because I read a decent amount of middle grade fiction I've seen my fair share of characters who are either too young or too old for their age. Barbara has a knack for knowing exactly how it is during those awkward, ever-changing years as a tween and even better than that, she knows how to put that know-how on paper. Never once while reading her books have I thought the character was too much of anything, each is perfectly balanced and exactly what you'd expect from a tween. It's superb! I highly recommend every one of her books, but I think so far, Trauma Queen has been my favorite.
So, what exactly about Trauma Queen did I like so much? Obviously the characters were huge for me, but Marigold in particular was wonderful. As an adult I've forgotten that feeling of always being right, not that I don't still get like that from time to time, but as a tween it's definitely more focused. It's that feeling that your parents are out to destroy your every chance at "normal" and that they just don't understand that you know what's best, not them. I definitely remember that, but it was great to see how Barbara addressed it through Marigold and her relationship with her mother. Marigold constantly feels her mother is "out to get her" with every performance and interaction she makes outside of their home. Granted her mom doesn't have the best track record, but even once her mother seeks to rectify the situation it's still incredibly difficult for Marigold to accept her. I won't give away the ending, but it was wonderful to watch Marigold grow and learn in this way; definitely brought back some tough memories of my own.
In addition to the cast of amazing characters, I also loved the underlying theme of individuality that ran throughout the book. It's evident Marigold's mom is extremely focused on expressing yourself in whatever way you feel fits you, but she doesn't always understand her quiet daughter. Marigold is quite the opposite of her mother, very even keel and not particularly flamboyant. She also is still at the age in life when you haven't decided who you are or what you want to be. What am I saying? I still haven't figured that out with complete certainty. But for Marigold, she's still trying to figure out if there's even an extra-circular activity she loves. As the story continues she struggles to separate herself from her mother and be her own person. I loved how even though her mom and her didn't always see eye to eye, it was her mother that still encouraged her to try new things and be happy where ever she is (even if her methods were a bit odd at times).
Trauma Queen is one of those reads that will appeal to readers across the board. You don't need to be ten years old or have a tween in your home to appreciate Barbara Dee's writing. Almost everyone will be able to relate to those feelings illustrated through Marigold as she fights to strike out on her own, even if your own mother was not quite so outlandish. Take a walk in Marigold's shoes and remember what it was like to feel like your parents are out to get your social standing with your peers. For tween readers this story will be of great comfort, have them laughing through each chapter and possibly even learning to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to their own parents. Another favorite of mine from the fabulous author Barbara Dee.
First of all, I have to say I absolutely adore Barbara Dee and her writing. Because I read a decent amount of middle grade fiction I've seen my fair share of characters who are either too young or too old for their age. Barbara has a knack for knowing exactly how it is during those awkward, ever-changing years as a tween and even better than that, she knows how to put that know-how on paper. Never once while reading her books have I thought the character was too much of anything, each is perfectly balanced and exactly what you'd expect from a tween. It's superb! I highly recommend every one of her books, but I think so far, Trauma Queen has been my favorite.
So, what exactly about Trauma Queen did I like so much? Obviously the characters were huge for me, but Marigold in particular was wonderful. As an adult I've forgotten that feeling of always being right, not that I don't still get like that from time to time, but as a tween it's definitely more focused. It's that feeling that your parents are out to destroy your every chance at "normal" and that they just don't understand that you know what's best, not them. I definitely remember that, but it was great to see how Barbara addressed it through Marigold and her relationship with her mother. Marigold constantly feels her mother is "out to get her" with every performance and interaction she makes outside of their home. Granted her mom doesn't have the best track record, but even once her mother seeks to rectify the situation it's still incredibly difficult for Marigold to accept her. I won't give away the ending, but it was wonderful to watch Marigold grow and learn in this way; definitely brought back some tough memories of my own.
In addition to the cast of amazing characters, I also loved the underlying theme of individuality that ran throughout the book. It's evident Marigold's mom is extremely focused on expressing yourself in whatever way you feel fits you, but she doesn't always understand her quiet daughter. Marigold is quite the opposite of her mother, very even keel and not particularly flamboyant. She also is still at the age in life when you haven't decided who you are or what you want to be. What am I saying? I still haven't figured that out with complete certainty. But for Marigold, she's still trying to figure out if there's even an extra-circular activity she loves. As the story continues she struggles to separate herself from her mother and be her own person. I loved how even though her mom and her didn't always see eye to eye, it was her mother that still encouraged her to try new things and be happy where ever she is (even if her methods were a bit odd at times).
Trauma Queen is one of those reads that will appeal to readers across the board. You don't need to be ten years old or have a tween in your home to appreciate Barbara Dee's writing. Almost everyone will be able to relate to those feelings illustrated through Marigold as she fights to strike out on her own, even if your own mother was not quite so outlandish. Take a walk in Marigold's shoes and remember what it was like to feel like your parents are out to get your social standing with your peers. For tween readers this story will be of great comfort, have them laughing through each chapter and possibly even learning to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to their own parents. Another favorite of mine from the fabulous author Barbara Dee.
April 29, 2011
With an easy flowing writing style, this book falls into the "quick read" category perfect for a weekend reminder of what being a family truly means. I saw a lot of my own mother in Ms. Bailey, ironically enough...especially in the opening scenes with Marigold's wardrobe malfunction (her mother thought it was Spirit Week making it Pajama Day and whoops....it wasn't...). Her mother rushes to her rescue, just not quite the way Mari would have liked. You can see that her mother sincerely loves her but in all the embarrassment of the moment her eyes are blinded to her efforts. I think that happens a lot as we are growing up to each and every one of us. We love our parents but we never truly appreciate them for all that they do until time passes and we can see those old situations in a new light. Grant it, they never truly shed their embarrassing undertones, but they do help us gain a new insight into the love shared within a family.
Aside from the mother daughter aspect of the story that takes most of the center stage, there was much more to be pondered. On the fun side, I loved the theater aspects woven into the story. You really got a feel of what life as a performance artist would be like...as well as learned a few fascinating techinques to try on your own time. On a more serious note, I really appreciated the way that her friend Emma was portrayed. Her feelings were really hurt by what happened and the fading away for a time was realistic to what might have occurred in real life should the same situation be encountered. Often times things of this nature are glossed over for the stories sake but here it was used as a lesson to be learned from and built upon. Also, the family structure wasn't all good nor all bad. There was a real history of that initial spark and its being extinguished over time as well as fireworks (not always the good kind) upon future meetings. Again, it reflected real life and makes it that much more accessible to readers as it showed love in its many forms.
In the end, it was a heart felt story about growing up and seeing your family for all its worth not just what you want it to be. Acceptance of all our supposed flaws for better or worse, and understanding that our parents more often than not are simply doing the best that they can. It's not like we were born with an instruction manual you know, though I'm certain they'd love it if we were. Some are better prepared than others, but it doesn't mean that the "free spirit" can't be the parent of your dreams. Love goes a long way in healing those unintentional wounds caused by merely trying to get things right...as does a little understanding.
Recommended read for young readers through adults. It touches on issues of growing up and family from a realistic point of view without an inclusion of controversial topics or language. Happy reading....
Aside from the mother daughter aspect of the story that takes most of the center stage, there was much more to be pondered. On the fun side, I loved the theater aspects woven into the story. You really got a feel of what life as a performance artist would be like...as well as learned a few fascinating techinques to try on your own time. On a more serious note, I really appreciated the way that her friend Emma was portrayed. Her feelings were really hurt by what happened and the fading away for a time was realistic to what might have occurred in real life should the same situation be encountered. Often times things of this nature are glossed over for the stories sake but here it was used as a lesson to be learned from and built upon. Also, the family structure wasn't all good nor all bad. There was a real history of that initial spark and its being extinguished over time as well as fireworks (not always the good kind) upon future meetings. Again, it reflected real life and makes it that much more accessible to readers as it showed love in its many forms.
In the end, it was a heart felt story about growing up and seeing your family for all its worth not just what you want it to be. Acceptance of all our supposed flaws for better or worse, and understanding that our parents more often than not are simply doing the best that they can. It's not like we were born with an instruction manual you know, though I'm certain they'd love it if we were. Some are better prepared than others, but it doesn't mean that the "free spirit" can't be the parent of your dreams. Love goes a long way in healing those unintentional wounds caused by merely trying to get things right...as does a little understanding.
Recommended read for young readers through adults. It touches on issues of growing up and family from a realistic point of view without an inclusion of controversial topics or language. Happy reading....
September 2, 2011
About the Book: Marigold has spent her whole life being embarassed by her mother. Sure, kids are always embarassed by their parents, but for Marigold, it's different. Her mother is a performance artist, which means she's always doing crazy things in public and on stage-embarassing things like wrapping herself in saran wrap. In fact, the last performance caused such a problem that Marigold is starting over at a new school yet again. She's trying to maintain her friendship with her BFF from her last school and make friends at her new one, but her mom isn't making it easy. Even worse, she's signed up to teach an improv class at Marigold's school! Now Marigold has to keep her mom away from her new friends and try to save herself from any more trauma.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Barbara Dee knows how to write for tweens. She has the middle grade mindset down perfectly! Marigold is easily embarassed by her mom-what tween couldn't relate? But take that times ten and you have Marigold's embarassment. Sure, we see that some of the stuff her mom does isn't bad and she's actually quite good at teaching improv, but Marigold refuses to see that. Like most tweens, she needs to discover for herself that her mom is fun instead of hearing it from her friends.
The story took a bit to get going since the first part of the book spends a lot of time giving us backstory on what made Marigold have to move again. The author does a great job balancing this backstory with what's currently happening. So while the story may take a bit to get to Marigold's mom teaching at school, it's never boring. It's also a quick read and one I'm sure tweens will devour.
I also love that Ms. Dee has a knack for writing fun, eccentric characters. Tweens are often so self concious about everything and it's great to see characters who have fun and make tweens think twice about caring what everyone around them thinks, what's popular, and what's fun.
There's a bit of a romance between Marigold and a boy at school and Marigold has to deal with a mean girl who thinks she runs everything. I love the way that Marigold learns to stand up for herself and I hope she gets other tweens to do the same. I was cheering for her!
Trauma Queen is a cute tween novel with some deeper issues. It would be a great mother daughter bookclub read, since a lot of the story is based on Marigold's relationship with her mom. If you need a good tween novel, check out Barbara Dee!
Book Pairings: This is Me From Now On by Barbara Dee, Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Barbara Dee knows how to write for tweens. She has the middle grade mindset down perfectly! Marigold is easily embarassed by her mom-what tween couldn't relate? But take that times ten and you have Marigold's embarassment. Sure, we see that some of the stuff her mom does isn't bad and she's actually quite good at teaching improv, but Marigold refuses to see that. Like most tweens, she needs to discover for herself that her mom is fun instead of hearing it from her friends.
The story took a bit to get going since the first part of the book spends a lot of time giving us backstory on what made Marigold have to move again. The author does a great job balancing this backstory with what's currently happening. So while the story may take a bit to get to Marigold's mom teaching at school, it's never boring. It's also a quick read and one I'm sure tweens will devour.
I also love that Ms. Dee has a knack for writing fun, eccentric characters. Tweens are often so self concious about everything and it's great to see characters who have fun and make tweens think twice about caring what everyone around them thinks, what's popular, and what's fun.
There's a bit of a romance between Marigold and a boy at school and Marigold has to deal with a mean girl who thinks she runs everything. I love the way that Marigold learns to stand up for herself and I hope she gets other tweens to do the same. I was cheering for her!
Trauma Queen is a cute tween novel with some deeper issues. It would be a great mother daughter bookclub read, since a lot of the story is based on Marigold's relationship with her mom. If you need a good tween novel, check out Barbara Dee!
Book Pairings: This is Me From Now On by Barbara Dee, Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
June 22, 2011
For more info and reviews please visit my Book Review Blog here -
A Life Bound By Books
Middle grade title – Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee was a cute story about a tween girl growing up extremely embarrassed by her mother – shocking right? Being embarrassed by your parents is something most everyone can relate to; even as we get older they can still manage to find a way to make us cringe. If you ask me, I think it’s in their DNA. For Marigold she doesn’t think she’ll ever have a normal teen life. Her mom is a performance artist and does things such as wrapping herself in saran wrap for a piece on plastic surgery.
Marigold is more than hurt when her moms dramatic performances hit close to home and affect her relationship with her best friend. It’s so bad that her mother moves them away.
Being a teen girl is rough and Marigold goes through a lot in a short period of time. Moving away from her best friend, starting a new school while trying to keep everyone from finding out about her moms art, just to name a few things.
Marigold has lessons to learn at both home and from the new friends she makes. Dee was able to express and portray the feelings and issues of being a teen pretty spot on. It was easy to see through Mari’s eyes, while dealing with the crazy things life threw at her.
Her grandmother was just as a grandmother should be. She listened, was supportive, explained things in ways Mari’s mother couldn’t and talked about the past to give Mari a better understanding of just who her mother was. Mari’s little sister had her own wacky side – she liked to “Prairie Speak”. Yes, you read that correctly. I had to smile each time her little sister talked. It’s just something you weren’t expecting but became endeared to.
Dee made Marigold likeable and easy to relate to as we were a fly on the wall to Mari as she grew and changed from the first page to the last. If you ask me, the ending was perfect. I haven’t read many middle grade books, but this one was a quick read that flew by, with great characters, an entertaining and sometimes off the wall story.
Middle grade title – Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee was a cute story about a tween girl growing up extremely embarrassed by her mother – shocking right? Being embarrassed by your parents is something most everyone can relate to; even as we get older they can still manage to find a way to make us cringe. If you ask me, I think it’s in their DNA. For Marigold she doesn’t think she’ll ever have a normal teen life. Her mom is a performance artist and does things such as wrapping herself in saran wrap for a piece on plastic surgery.
Marigold is more than hurt when her moms dramatic performances hit close to home and affect her relationship with her best friend. It’s so bad that her mother moves them away.
Being a teen girl is rough and Marigold goes through a lot in a short period of time. Moving away from her best friend, starting a new school while trying to keep everyone from finding out about her moms art, just to name a few things.
Marigold has lessons to learn at both home and from the new friends she makes. Dee was able to express and portray the feelings and issues of being a teen pretty spot on. It was easy to see through Mari’s eyes, while dealing with the crazy things life threw at her.
Her grandmother was just as a grandmother should be. She listened, was supportive, explained things in ways Mari’s mother couldn’t and talked about the past to give Mari a better understanding of just who her mother was. Mari’s little sister had her own wacky side – she liked to “Prairie Speak”. Yes, you read that correctly. I had to smile each time her little sister talked. It’s just something you weren’t expecting but became endeared to.
Dee made Marigold likeable and easy to relate to as we were a fly on the wall to Mari as she grew and changed from the first page to the last. If you ask me, the ending was perfect. I haven’t read many middle grade books, but this one was a quick read that flew by, with great characters, an entertaining and sometimes off the wall story.
April 28, 2015
Having read and loved This Is Me From Now On I jumped at the chance to review Trauma Queen. Infused with the same humour and charm, Trauma Queen is an absolute joy to read.
The story begins with Marigold's first day at her new school and on her mother's instruction she turns up in her pajamas. Unfortunately Pajama Day was a month earlier! Whoops! Marigold's mother is a performance artist and rather quirky - she seems to constantly embarrass and cause problems for Marigold, so when she gets a job at her new school , Marigold is rather alarmed. Will there be chaos or will Marigold start to see her mother in a different light?
I love how Barbara Dee manages to combine humour with real issues, and create believable characters who I enjoy spending time with. Marigold is really likeable and fun. You can understand why she finds her mother embarrassing, but at the same time you can see something in her mother that she doesn't see yet. I really liked her mother - I though her heart was always in the right place even if the way she went about things (sometimes) made them worse! And I loved her Gran. There is a scene between her and Marigold that is particularly poignant and gives great insight into Marigold's mother.
I also loved her friends, especially Layla and Ethan. I would have liked to have gotten to know both even more and am hoping for a sequel to Trauma Queen - I'm not ready to leave these characters just yet!
A great story about friendship and families, and realising that your parents are people too. Thoroughly enjoyable!
The story begins with Marigold's first day at her new school and on her mother's instruction she turns up in her pajamas. Unfortunately Pajama Day was a month earlier! Whoops! Marigold's mother is a performance artist and rather quirky - she seems to constantly embarrass and cause problems for Marigold, so when she gets a job at her new school , Marigold is rather alarmed. Will there be chaos or will Marigold start to see her mother in a different light?
I love how Barbara Dee manages to combine humour with real issues, and create believable characters who I enjoy spending time with. Marigold is really likeable and fun. You can understand why she finds her mother embarrassing, but at the same time you can see something in her mother that she doesn't see yet. I really liked her mother - I though her heart was always in the right place even if the way she went about things (sometimes) made them worse! And I loved her Gran. There is a scene between her and Marigold that is particularly poignant and gives great insight into Marigold's mother.
I also loved her friends, especially Layla and Ethan. I would have liked to have gotten to know both even more and am hoping for a sequel to Trauma Queen - I'm not ready to leave these characters just yet!
A great story about friendship and families, and realising that your parents are people too. Thoroughly enjoyable!
May 3, 2011
Marigold feels she has more reason to be embarrassed of her mother than most teenaged girls. Her mom, Becca, is a performance artist who gets attention for doing what a lot of people consider weird. She’s also not shy about saying what she thinks about someone—and when she uses her performance art to parody Marigold’s best friend’s mom…well things don’t work out so well for Mari.
Now that the Baileys have moved to a new town, Mari hopes she can keep her mom out of the limelight and start living a normal life. Then Becca offers to teach an after-school improv group of Mari’s classmates, and she’s back to worrying about losing everything she’s built up again.
Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee is a funny and thoughtful look at what happens when the daughter is the responsible one in her family and she feels the need to mother her own mother. Becca is a free spirit, who doesn’t consider consequences before she acts. In response, Mari is super-organized and personally conservative. They each need to find a way to acknowledge and respect each other’s strengths without dismissing the things they don’t particularly like about each other.
There are so many issues for mother-daughter book clubs to explore when they read Trauma Queen, including getting along with family members even when your personalities are very different, respecting someone else’s choices although you disagree with them, ways moms embarrass their daughters, and more. I highly recommend it for groups with girls aged 9 to 12.
Now that the Baileys have moved to a new town, Mari hopes she can keep her mom out of the limelight and start living a normal life. Then Becca offers to teach an after-school improv group of Mari’s classmates, and she’s back to worrying about losing everything she’s built up again.
Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee is a funny and thoughtful look at what happens when the daughter is the responsible one in her family and she feels the need to mother her own mother. Becca is a free spirit, who doesn’t consider consequences before she acts. In response, Mari is super-organized and personally conservative. They each need to find a way to acknowledge and respect each other’s strengths without dismissing the things they don’t particularly like about each other.
There are so many issues for mother-daughter book clubs to explore when they read Trauma Queen, including getting along with family members even when your personalities are very different, respecting someone else’s choices although you disagree with them, ways moms embarrass their daughters, and more. I highly recommend it for groups with girls aged 9 to 12.
Read
January 23, 2012t without spoilers...Marigold Bailey is sick of being the daughter of a performance artist. Her mom's "art" presentations have even driven a wedge between Marigold and her best friend Emma. Can Marigold ever forgive her mom for ruining her life--and is her mom even the person who needs forgiveness in the first place?
Of literary merit...From nail polish, to textile art, to vegetarian foods, Trauma Queen is a richly textured middle grade novel inhabited by unique, yet very relatable characters. Marigold's prairie-days worshipping younger sister Kennedy and "good/bad girl" classmate Layla were particularly well-draw.
Finally, just gotta say...I especially enjoyed the description of the improv games and the way various characters related to their onstage work. Coming from an arts background myself, these moments rang with authenticity for me. A delightful middle grade novel that I read in one sitting!
Of literary merit...From nail polish, to textile art, to vegetarian foods, Trauma Queen is a richly textured middle grade novel inhabited by unique, yet very relatable characters. Marigold's prairie-days worshipping younger sister Kennedy and "good/bad girl" classmate Layla were particularly well-draw.
Finally, just gotta say...I especially enjoyed the description of the improv games and the way various characters related to their onstage work. Coming from an arts background myself, these moments rang with authenticity for me. A delightful middle grade novel that I read in one sitting!
November 8, 2012
Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com
Attending three schools in four years isn't easy, so try adding a performance artist mother into the mix. For Marigold, this nightmare is her reality as she begins 7th grade at Samuel J. Crompton Middle School.
Her new school seems to be filled with one disaster after another, like wearing pj's to school on the very first day. Things go from bad to worse when her mother decides to teach an improv class at her school.
Can Marigold and her friendships survive her mother? Find out in TRAUMA QUEEN!
Barbara Dee presents readers with a fun and fluffy novel that proves how true the statement "you can't pick your family" is. Using likeable characters and mortifying, embarrassing circumstances, this novel will resonate with middle school girls and their mothers alike.
Attending three schools in four years isn't easy, so try adding a performance artist mother into the mix. For Marigold, this nightmare is her reality as she begins 7th grade at Samuel J. Crompton Middle School.
Her new school seems to be filled with one disaster after another, like wearing pj's to school on the very first day. Things go from bad to worse when her mother decides to teach an improv class at her school.
Can Marigold and her friendships survive her mother? Find out in TRAUMA QUEEN!
Barbara Dee presents readers with a fun and fluffy novel that proves how true the statement "you can't pick your family" is. Using likeable characters and mortifying, embarrassing circumstances, this novel will resonate with middle school girls and their mothers alike.
April 15, 2011
Oh Mari we so would have been BFFs. I loved everything about this book from the fabulous Barbara Dee. This book showed me that I made the perfect decision in adding more Middle Grade to my reading schedule. Trauma Queen was everything I knew it would be, smart, funny and completely a blast to read.
Marigold is completely mortified by her mother’s job as a performance artist. It was easy to sink into Mari’s mind and her precarious situation. She has to survive a new school without her bestie and even though her mom promised no more antics she completely reneges on her promise and starts a drama club just as Mari was starting to feel good about fitting in.
Grandma is amazing and little sister with her Prairie speak fascination is just completely adorbs.
I love Dee’s easy writing style and her conclusion to this novel. I wouldn’t change a thing!
Marigold is completely mortified by her mother’s job as a performance artist. It was easy to sink into Mari’s mind and her precarious situation. She has to survive a new school without her bestie and even though her mom promised no more antics she completely reneges on her promise and starts a drama club just as Mari was starting to feel good about fitting in.
Grandma is amazing and little sister with her Prairie speak fascination is just completely adorbs.
I love Dee’s easy writing style and her conclusion to this novel. I wouldn’t change a thing!
February 1, 2012
What I love about middle-grade novels (among other things) is the inclusion of parents as so many seem to be missing in the YA section. Dee did a wonderful job with the mother-daughter relationship in this book, making it hilarious and heartfelt. I seriously giggled a lot while reading Marigold's story, especially regarding her mom's performances. I just loved it.
Dee really captures the voice of a 13 year old, which made the story even more compelling. Marigold is a fun narrator and I loved spending time in her world with her family and friends.
Overall, a very funny read and a realistic mother-daughter relationship (performance art aside). Definitely recommended.
Dee really captures the voice of a 13 year old, which made the story even more compelling. Marigold is a fun narrator and I loved spending time in her world with her family and friends.
Overall, a very funny read and a realistic mother-daughter relationship (performance art aside). Definitely recommended.
July 30, 2011
Trauma Queen is a warm and funny read for any girl who has ever been embarrassed by her mom, and it taps accurately into the psyche of the thirteen-year-old girl. Marigold is a normal middle schooler, whose biggest priority is her social life, and her mother Becca is a free-spirited artist who believes firmly in her right to express herself creatively. While they generally have a good relationship, mother and daughter...(see full review here: http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php...)
July 1, 2011
I liked this book. It was about a thirteen year old girl Merigold and the relationship with her and her mom. Her mom is a performance artist who does some pretty embarrasing things. Then she starts working at merigold school. But, as much as Merigold hates it her friends seem to think her mom is awesome. In the beginning they had to move away because of something her mom did. In the end there is a happy ending. Merigold makes up with her mom and reunites with her bestfriend.
November 29, 2012
This book is about a girl named Marigold, but her friends call her Mari. Her mom is a performance artist, who embarrasses her ALL the time. Like one time her mom made up a skit called Nutrisha to show Mari's best friends mom that she can be a good parent. The skit was about eating vegetables and being healthy and fit. However, her skit ended in disaster... This book is full of some VERY funny moments that I'm sure you will enjoy. This book should be read by 5th-6th graders.
Read
March 7, 2013This is a tale of thirteen-year-old Marigold Bailey and her mother Becca(not to mention Marigold's eight-year-old sister Kennedy). Becca is a performance artist and her last performance forced the family to move out of Aldentown. The bad side about the move was that Marigold's BFF Emma was now miles away. Then Becca signs up as a drama teacher at Marigold's school, so all her daughter can hope for is that her mom would not do any embarrassing thing in front of her schoolmates.
June 28, 2011
A cute book ... simple plot, but the characters were fun. Marigold did annoy me occasionally (as an adult reading I'm sure juvies reading wouldn't be annoyed), but I think understanding of her mother will come with age. The romance wasn't as developed, but since it wasn't as main of a conflict I was more ok with that.
March 31, 2012
A light read with plenty of mother/daughter issues to discuss. How much should a mother have to give up of herself for her kids? How can a girl survive middle school when her mom is a performance artist? How will this clash be resolved?
January 25, 2016
Marigold is such a great character. She is not totally sure of herself, but she knows enough to stand up for herself and her friends. She really cares about people and is very creative. This was a great story about a teen girl and her mom coming to understand each other much better.
Read
January 22, 2011Loved this tale of family dynamics and embarrassment. Seventh grader Marigold suffers from a mom who is a performance artist. Mortification, heart, and hilarity ensue.
July 5, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this one! It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
August 2, 2011
LUVED how it shows the problems in a mother daughter relationship, but everything ends up well!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews