2013 Hub Reading Challenge discussion

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Goofy moms are not generally a strong draw for teen readers, but Bernadette Fox is much more than goofy. Her take-no-crap from other moms attitude is more aligned with the way adolescents view phony adult interactions. Bernadette's family of three (includes rich Microsoft exec husband Elgin and precocious 15 year-old Bee) is loving and supportive. Bee, the true adolescent of the family, becomes a detective after her mother disappears, creating an excellent vantage point for teen readers.

I'm not sure that I would have liked this book when I was a teen. It took a while to get into Bee's perspective in this book, and so much of it is just emails and reports, etc., instead of a traditional narrative. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure it will be popular with the teens at my library.

I think teens with work obsessed parests will relate to this book. I thought it was a perceptive read on mother-daughter relationships. Anyone who has any experience with the school mom crowd will love this book.