Tag: growing up

New Pregnancy and Parenting Books

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Everyone has their own opinions on pregnancy and parenting. While the Library is by no means an expert, we do have the resources to help you on your pregnancy and parenthood journey. We have gathered a list of new nonfiction books published in 2024 and 2025to help parents and parents-to-be! As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. This is not a complete list of the new pregnancy and parenting books in our collection! If you are looking for others, please let us know. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

The Bonus Family Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Co-Parenting and Creating Stronger Families by Jann Blackstone

Imagine you’re in a heated argument. Your kids have decided that they don’t want to go back to your ex’s home, and your ex isn’t having it. Meanwhile, your new partner is squirming uncomfortably in the other room. What do you do? How do you stop the madness and come together to find the best solution for everyone?

The Bonus Family Handbook introduces readers to a completely new approach to co-parenting and blending families. Until now, parents have been told that once there’s been a break-up, they become autonomous, single parents, and can make decisions for their children on their own. But that’s not true. That’s not real life. That “old school” break-up attitude offers no direction for co-parenting. The Bonus Family Handbook changes all that. It helps even the most contentious parents learn how to work together in the name of their children, teaching them how to apply practical co-parenting techniques so that they will be able to form a supportive, loving family.

The Bonus Family Handbook also recognizes the importance of incorporating new partners into the mix—of bringing in Bonus Moms and Bonus Dads—and empowering them to make decisions for the safety and well-being of the children. With its emphasis on positive, collaborative co-parenting, this book is an essential resource for today’s integrated families. – Bloomsbury Publishing

BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity by Ruth Whippman

Combining painfully honest memoir, cultural analysis, and reporting, BoyMom is a humorous and heartbreaking deep dive into the complexities of raising boys in our fraught political moment.

“Rapist, school-shooter, incel, man-child, interrupter, mansplainer, boob-starer, birthday forgetter, frat boy, dude-bro, homophobe, self-important stoner, emotional-labor abstainer, non-wiper of kitchen counters. Trying to raise good sons suddenly felt like a hopeless task.”

As the culture wars rage, and masculinity has been politicized from all sides, feminist writer and mother of three boys Ruth Whippman finds herself conflicted and scared. While the right pushes a dangerous vision of fantasy manhood, her feminist peers often dismiss boys as little more than entitled predators-in-waiting. Meanwhile her home life feels like a daily confrontation with the triumph of nature over nurture.

With young men in the grip of a loneliness epidemic and dying by suicide at a rate of nearly four times their female peers, Whippman asks: How do we raise our sons to have a healthy sense of self without turning them into privileged assholes? How can we find a feminism that holds boys to a higher standard but still treats them with empathy? And what do we do when our boys won’t cooperate with our plans?

Whippman digs into the impossibly contradictory pressures boys now face; and the harmful blind spots of male socialization that are leaving boys isolated, emotionally repressed, and adrift. Feminist gonzo-style, she spends months interviewing incels, reports on a conference for boys accused of sexual assault; crashes at a residential therapy center for young men in Utah, talks to a wide range of psychologists and other experts, and gets boys of all backgrounds to open up about sex, consent, porn, body image, mental health, cancel culture, screens, friendship and loneliness. Along the way, she finds her simple certainties about male privilege seriously challenged.

With wit, honesty, and a refusal to settle for easy answers, BoyMom charts a new path to give boys a healthier, more expansive, and fulfilling story about their own lives. – Harmony

Growing Up: A Guide to Puberty and Adolescence for Teenagers and Parents by Robert M. L. Winston

The teenage years can be awkward – bodies change, and sweat, smells, and spots become part of life.

Growing Up has a supportive but straightforward approach that gives you the knowledge ahead of time.

Why do boys’ voices break? How do hormones work? From managing spots to mending a broken heart, this book has the answers and advice for parents and kids on discussing potentially embarrassing topics. Inside this book, you’ll find: -An overview of the main areas of growing up, including mental and physical health, social media, relationships, exams and money-Clear, step-by-step explanations to support parents and children in tackling important issues such as puberty, gender, self-expression, digital life and so much more-Simple and colourful graphics to make these subjects seem a little less scary As well as the biological facts of puberty, this book is bursting with tips on how to navigate the emotional and social challenges of growing up – from relationships and confidence to cyberbullying and alcohol.

It gives you the tools to understand and tackle challenging subjects, including discrimination, drugs, and difficult life events, and practical, straightforward guidance on mental health issues such as anxiety and low self-esteem. Growing Up has also been updated so it contains content on contemporary topics such as post-pandemic mental health, eco-anxiety, online hate, and the impact of influencers. – DK

Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern Etiquette for Families, Revised and Updated Edition by Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece

Princess Marie-Chantal’s must-have parenting resource for the modern age, now fully revised and updated

Manners Begin at Breakfast addresses rules of etiquette, including table manners, social media, fashion dos and don’ts, and party conversation. Covering children from infants to teens, it is an essential guide for all parents keen to raise polite, well-rounded children, equipped to thrive in society and develop into confident, successful adults.

This updated edition captivates and enlightens, adding new insights on parenting in a post-pandemic world. By popular demand, each chapter is now peppered with delightful anecdotes and personal stories from Marie-Chantal’s experience putting her own advice into practice.

Adorned with charming, specially commissioned illustrations and a fresh, updated introduction by leading pediatrician Dr. Perri Klass, Manners Begin at Breakfast is the quintessential guide to propriety for the modern family.

The founder of a successful children’s clothing line, author of an influential parenting blog, and mother of five children, Marie-Chantal of Greece is constantly asked how she manages to do it all. So many of these queries–about proper etiquette for children in our fast-paced, technology-centered world–led her to recognize the need for a modern handbook on children’s manners. – Vendome Press

My Child is Trans, Now What?: A Joy-Centered Approach to Support by Ben V Greene

As a full-time public speaker specializing in spreading awareness and understanding of the transgender community, what I hear the most from parents and loved ones is the phrase “I’m sorry.” They’re sorry for using the wrong word, sorry for asking an offensive question, sorry for not knowing this already, sorry for asking a question at all. Far too often, people who have good hearts and minimal access to information are so afraid to make a mistake they don’t even try.

In My Child is Trans, Now What? A Joy-Centered Approach to Support, I break the mold by offering a judgement-free guide to people across generations, from millennial parents to members of older generations who may not have had previous positive exposure to the trans community. I focus on providing two key resources in this book: information and emotional support. He explains what to expect, what systems exist to support trans youth, and what loved ones can do to help.

Using a combination of personal stories and experiences, definitions, and additional resources, My Child is Trans, Now What? is an essential guide for anyone looking to help trans youth thrive. – Ben Greene

Parent Yourself First: Raise Confident, Compassionate Kids by Becoming the Parent You Wish You’d Had by Bryana Kappadakunnel

A fresh, no-nonsense parenting guide that shows you how to become a great parent (even if you didn’t have one yourself).

Many of us didn’t have a perfect childhood. But it’s never too late (or too early!) to transform into the parent you were always meant to be—grounded, present, intentional, compassionate, and confident. In Parent Yourself First, licensed marriage and family therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel argues that the secret to successful parenting is to UN-learn the wounded patterns you grew up with and create new ways to connect with your child. Parenting from a place of connection may feel unlike anything you experienced as a child or what you thought parenting was meant to be. But the results can be remarkable—and transformative.

As the founder of the popular Conscious Mommy community on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, Kappadakunnel explains that your upbringing is probably impacting your parenting style in ways you don’t even fully recognize, from how you manage your own emotions to how you connect with your kids in their vulnerable moments. In Parent Yourself First, she shares powerful stories from the families she’s counseled and practical tools for managing common parenting woes like tantrums and defiance. Her promise: You can break free of past patterns that no longer serve you and liberate your soul from old traumas and wounds.

Everyone has baggage. But it’s your responsibility to make sure your baggage doesn’t become your child’s problem. Healing yourself allows you to truly connect with your child; understand their needs; and guide them to live the happy, authentic life that they deserve. – G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Why Won’t You Sleep?! A Game-Changing Approach for Exhausted Parents of Nonstop, Super Alert, Big Feeling Kids by Macall Gordon and Kim West

Have you tried everything to get your child to sleep and nothing has worked? You are not alone.

Researcher and sleep coach Macall Gordon and the Sleep Lady Kim West offer a tried-and-true approach to shifting sleep behavior that actually works . . . even when nothing else has.

A tsunami of modern sleep training methods promise “easy” and “quick” results and for many parents and children, these methods work as intended. However, there is a large, exhausted group of parents whose children have sleep problems that are not responsive to those crying-based methods.

These children tend to be more reactive, persistent, and perceptive than their peers. And when it comes to sleep, little ones with this kind of temperament put up a much, much bigger fight. They need a different approach. That’s where Why Won’t You Sleep? comes in.

Based on extensive research and proven methods used with thousands of families just like yours, this guide gives you strategies tailored to your child’s unique temperament. Readers will learn:

  • Why popular sleep training techniques don’t work for some children
  • The strengths and challenges of your child’s temperament traits
  • Simple changes to your child’s routine and environment that set you up for success
  • How to create a plan for your child, using the time-tested approach that doesn’t require leaving anyone alone to cry
  • Tips, tricks, and workarounds for bedtime shenanigans, night wakings, co-sleeping, and more
  • How to confidently push past plateaus and setbacks

Along the way, Gordon and West provide much-needed encouragement, validation, and insights to bolster parents’ self-confidence and resilience. Why Won’t You Sleep?! gives you concrete answers to why sleep has been more challenging for these kiddos—and offers parents a much-needed dose of “I’ve got this!” – BenBella Books

Adulthood is a Myth: A “Sarah’s Scribbles” Collection by Sarah Andersen

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adulthood is a mythSarah Anderson has long been one of my favorite webcomic artists to follow, so when I found out she was putting out a graphic novel called Adulthood is a Myth: A “Sarah’s Scribbles” Collection, I knew this would be something I needed to read. You may not be 100% familiar with Sarah’s Scribbles, but I bet you have probably been shown some of her comics online, whether it be through Facebook, Twitter, a Buzzfeed post, or even on the news. Her black-and-white sketches have become a sort of rallying cry for young adults, as Andersen is able to take everyday situations that can conjure up anxiety, awkwardness, and dread in current adult life and add a completely honest, yet funny, take on them.

Sarah’s Scribbles covers everything from body hair, talking to guys, being a giant introvert, how your body looks, relationships, being self-conscious, and SO MUCH MORE. I constantly found comics that I related to all throughout this book and also on her website where she posts current comics every few days. She has this way of drawing and communicating her comics that immediately make them incredibly relatable, endearing, and immensely hilarious all at the same time. Andersen covers current topics in her comics, while also being sure to cover scenes of everyday life that we all know too well: the frustration of the wifi going down even when it’s a perfectly nice day out and we could go outside or even read a book TO the sheer bliss of being able to tell your past self that things will get better TO the immense stress we all sometimes feel and yet keep covered from everyone in our lives. This graphic novel is relatable for people of all ages and I encourage you to read it for yourself.

The Seven Good Years: A Memoir by Etgar Keret

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the seven good yearsEtgar Keret is an Israeli writer who has had his work translated into thirty-seven languages. He is a lecturer at a university and a short story writer. Keret has also appeared in many newspaper publications and reviews and contributes on This American Life. I was first introduced to Keret through his short stories and the work that he has done on two films, Jellyfish and Wristcutters: A Love Story.

The Seven Good Years: A Memoir chronicles in a year-to-year story the seven years between the birth of Etgar’s son and the death of his father. Each section is broken up into a different year and while Etgar does manage to incorporate flashbacks to help readers realize how he became the person he is today, how he met the people important to him, and how his relationships with his family have grown and changed, the majority of the story is on pivotal moments that happened within those seven years of grandpa, dad, and son relationships.

Lev, Etgar’s son, was born in the middle of a terrorist attack. When they finally get to the hospital, there are no doctors in the maternity ward because there are so many trauma people needing help. The journalist who goes to interview Etgar makes this attack seem commonplace and Etgar soon references Tel Aviv. Readers are thrust into a Keret’s world, a world where he travels the world doing book talks, meets with different people, and does readings from his previous works. The flashbacks provided me with much needed background to understand the reluctance and focus on family behavior through certain circumstances. Although Lev and Etgar experienced their childhood at different time periods, the overarching base emotions prove to be the same. I found this book by Keret to be an engaging and emotional read, one that while being marketed as a memoir, also read to me as a story about more than just his family life. Sure, on the surface the family dynamics are there, but I found myself digging deeper into the book to really flesh out the happenings that molded Etgar and his family to behave the way they do.

I found this book to be an introduction to a culture and an area of the world that I basically grew up knowing little to nothing about. This memoir could have been exceptionally heavy and depressing, in fact at points it is, but Keret was able to show readers that while sad moments are present, there are always ways to find good moments as well.

The Way, Way Back

- Ann Leave a comment

waywaybackThere comes a point in most people’s lives when they begin to realize that they’re finally an adult.  For me that moment came the first time I re-watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and I realized that I sympathized more with the adults and Ferris’ sister than Ferris.  Since that day, I’ve noticed a trend in my entertainment sympathies.  I watched Easy A and my favorite characters were Olive’s parents (hilariously played by Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci). I’ve been re-watching The Cosby Show, and my affinity has swayed from Theo to Clair.

So when I watched The Way, Way Back, I was expecting the same.  Written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash*, the writers of the Oscar winning The Descendants screenplay, this is a smart, funny movie about the pain of growing up and the fear of becoming the wrong kind of adult.  Liam James is remarkably and heartbreakingly convincing as Duncan, a 14-year-old spending the summer with his mom, Pam (Toni Collette) at her boyfriend Trent’s beach house.  Trent, played by a surprisingly unlikable Steve Carrell, is the aforementioned wrong kind of adult.  He is obsessed with the “supposed to” in life, caring more about things and image than people.  When Duncan finds a job at the local water park, he begins to meet people that have chosen a different path toward adulthood (and have reached it in varying degrees).

There are a lot of reasons to recommend this movie.  The supporting cast — Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, AnnaSophia Robb, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, and the scene stealing Allison Janney — is fantastic, and the movie is hilarious.  But I loved the movie because of how much I cared about Duncan.  Teens are often portrayed as arrogant and reckless or completely socially inept nerds, but most kids live somewhere in the middle.  James’ performance and Faxon and Rash’s writing helped give me a chance to root for the teen again, which is almost like reclaiming my youth.

I’d recommend this movie for fans of Little Miss Sunshine, Crazy Stupid Love, or Adventureland.

*The Dean from Community has an Oscar!

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

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One of the most buzzed-about books of the summer, The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker raises the question:  what would happen if the Earth’s rotation suddenly began to slow down?  Narrated by 11-year-old Julia, the novel explores not only the ramifications of this global disaster but also how it affects the already tumultuous time between childhood and adolescence.

I read this book several weeks ago and held off on blogging about it because, frankly, I was disappointed.  But I realize now that perhaps I just went into it with the wrong expectations.  As a reader who adores sci-fi and fantasy literature, I felt that the earth’s slowing rotation and its effects were extremely underdeveloped.  I wanted more information about why it happened, good descriptive passages about the effects it had on life all over the planet, and to feel the sense of danger and dread that should have been felt with this sort of catostrophic event.  But that’s not really the focus of this book, and if you go into it prepared to practically ignore the science of it all, it becomes a better story.

The Age of Miracles is really a coming-of-age story about Julia, who just so happens to live in a time when the earth’s rotation is slowing.  It’s a novel about growing up and the changes that come along with it no matter what kind of crisis is happening in the outside world: friends still grow apart, bodies still change, your parents still don’t understand you.  The passages focusing on Julia’s feelings and her relationships are beautifully written.  Walker quickly draws the reader into Julia’s story and makes you care about her; you’ll want to jump right into the book and punch the bully who picks on her at the bus stop right in front of the boy she likes.  Overall I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a nicely written coming-of-age story in a unique setting, but aren’t too concerned about sci-fi elements.

Childhood Classics Revisited

- Ann 2 Comments

I just finished reading a five book series that totals over 5,000 pages, so I decided it was time to take on something a little lighter.  There are a few books from my childhood that even as an adult I find myself going back to often.  The Giver by Lois Lowry is still a book that I mark among my favorites.  If you’ve never read it, it’s a story about a boy named Jonas who lives in a futuristic society where everything is under strict control in order to promote “Sameness”.  Your jobs and spouses are chosen for you, people don’t really have emotions, and they no one can even see colors.  Even though it’s a great book to read as a kid, I love it more reading it as an adult because I can see the deeper meaning behind the story.  I also recently re-read a book that I haven’t touched since I was too young to remember, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle.  In this sci-fi/fantasy novel, Meg’s scientist father goes missing, and as she enlists a cast of unique characters in order to find him, she discovers that his work will take her to places she never imagined.

A few days ago I realized that, shockingly enough, I never got around to reading Katherine Paterson’s Newbery winning novel Bridge to Terabithia when I was a kid.  It’s about a boy and girl in the fifth grade who are sort of outsiders, but they form a close friendship through their creation of a mythical land called Terabithia.  It was a really quick read, but it’s powerful and packs an emotional punch in the end.  Fans of the Narnia series will enjoy the made-up land of Terabithia, while fans of more realistic fiction will enjoy the friendship between Jesse and Leslie and seeing how much Jesse grows as a person because of Leslie.  There’s a good chance that I’ll be revisiting this one in the future.

Do you have any books from your childhood that you revisit often?  Or any children’s classics that you regret never reading?

Friday Night Lights on DVD – Final Season

- Ann Leave a comment

People! Why haven’t you been watching this show? It is one of the best shows on television – ever. And now this ratings-challenged, critically acclaimed show is gone (episodes originally aired on Direct TV; now showing on NBC, the final season is nearly over) Fortunately, the library has the DVDs – learn from the error of your ways and watch Friday Night Lights now.

Let me make this clear right from the start – Friday Night Lights is not about football. OK, sure, there are several scenes with shots of  football games, and life in Dillon, Texas seems to revolve around the local high school football teams and the lead character is a football coach. The truth is, this show is about people – how they live, how they fall into and out of love, how they care for other people, how they try to be the best they can with what resources they have. For the younger people, it’s about how you think high school is the be-all and end-all of your life, only to realize it’s barely the beginning and you have some decisions to make that will affect the rest of your life. For the older people, it’s about how those decisions have shaped you and how you’ve learned to live – or not live – with those decisions. It’s poignant and funny and sad and beautiful – kind of like real life.

Brilliant acting (especially Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton), innovative photography, compelling story lines and characters that you can love and understand (even if you think they’re making dumb decisions), Friday Night Lights is both classic and modern, showing us who we are and what we are capable of. The fifth and final season does not disappoint and includes a bittersweet reunion of many of the characters from previous years. Also included in the DVD is a heartfelt retrospective of the series – there won’t be a dry eye in the house after watching this.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

- Ann Leave a comment

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby starts off with the first of many top five lists.  Rob Fleming, the owner of a vintage record shop in London, has just been dumped by his longtime girlfriend Laura and is assuring himself that it will be okay because he’s been through at least five breakups in the past that were more earth-shattering than this one.  This leads to a sort of odyssey as Rob decides to track down these five women and figure out what exactly went wrong and what the meaning of it all is.  Along the way he finds a new friend (and maybe a bit more) in a sexy American singer, deals with his financially-struggling business, and generally spends a lot of time joking around with his friends in the record shop.

Hornby is great at writing about people who are passionate about music.  I’ve read two of his other books, About A Boy and Juliet Naked, and in each you can really feel how much music means to the characters, and it makes you care a little more about music as well.  There is a lot of witty banter between the guys in the record shop, and Rob has a very sarcastic sense of humor, so it’s definitely good for a laugh even if it has a lot of serious moments as well.  I found myself becoming very frustrated with Rob while reading this book because as he meets each ex-girlfriend to figure out why they broke up, it becomes increasingly appalling that he just doesn’t get it.  Nevertheless, you’ll be rooting for something to go right for him in the end.  Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, and I’m planning to take home the movie starring John Cusack tonight!

I Know I Am, But What Are You? by Samantha Bee

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Every night before bed, I try to catch the newest episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  So I was surprised and excited when I saw that one of my favorite Daily Show correspondents, Samantha Bee, had just come out with a book of humorous essays about her life.   In her new book I Know I Am, But What Are You?, Bee covers everything from her upbringing by her Wiccan mother to teaching her friends about the birds and the bees using her Barbie dolls to trying to come up with the perfect gift for her husband and failing miserably.  I was reading this book on a road trip to Chicago and found myself laughing out loud and sharing  passages with my sister and husband, who couldn’t help but laugh out loud themselves, particularly at the passage where she described her son wanting to put the family cat in his mouth in order “to be kept safe forever in a protective human boy suit.”

Though she stays out of the realm of political humor that she is famous for on The Daily Show, Bee has no problem finding hilarious situations in her own life to write about.  One of my favorites is her story of how she met her husband, fellow Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones:  they were both in a traveling stage production of the childrens cartoon Sailor Moon, complete with anime-style outfits and a lot of very displeased children in the audience.  You don’t have to be a fan of The Daily Show to enjoy this book; you just have to be looking for a good laugh.

I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

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As soon as I discovered that the first chapter of Sloane Crosley’s I Was Told There’d Be Cake was about her collection of plastic ponies, all gifted to her by past boyfriends, I knew I was in for a random and hilarious read.  The book is a collection of humorous essays about Crosley’s life, including everything including her quest to find out the true meaning behind her name, starring as Mary in the camp Christmas play despite the fact that she’s Jewish, and her brief stint as a vegan.

Crosley’s essays are witty and relatable.  I know that as a child of the ’90s, I appreciated her chapter-long ode to the computer game Oregon Trail.  Because really, didn’t we all watch our oxen die as we tried to ford the river?  Though some of the essays didn’t seem to go anywhere and forced me to do a bit of skimming, for the most part the book is very entertaining.  One of my favorites was the story of her first real grown-up job in publishing and the suddenly evil boss she had to deal with.  Her solution?  Decorate a giant sugar cookie in the image of the boss’ face and give it to her.  If you’re looking for a good laugh, Sloane Crosley’s book is for you.