From Publishers WeeklyKessler, the author of five narrative nonfiction books, explores the mother/daughter relationship at a particularly vulnerable pointthe cusp of her daughter's entry into adolescence. At 12, Lizzie is often at odds with her author mom, who describes her chilly relationship with her own mother. Not wanting to repeat a distant and dissatisfying relationship with her offspring, Kessler decides to dive into her daughter's world. She embeds herself in middle school, following Lizzie from class to class, probing her peer relationships, online pastimes and cyberfriends, athletic and summer camp life. She also immerses herself in current literature on the mother/daughter relationship and interviews a number of experts, including a female shaman/teen educator and a mental health counselor who plays on a roller derby team. While Lizzie goes along with her mother's role as a cultural anthropologist, she is often prone to hostility and random acts of meanness. But as Kessler digs deeper and begins to recognize her daughter's need for power over her own life and choices, this mother/daughter relationship ripens with compassion and mutual understanding. The author (also the mother of two boys) downplays the conflicts between mothers and teen males, convinced that the steps to the mother/daughter tango are far more complicated. Mothers of girls in particular will be alternately amused, horrified, and entertained as they view the turmoil and triumphs of adolescence from Kessler's insightful perspective. (Aug.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "With grace and skill...Kessler writes with true fascination and appreciation for what her daughter is experiencing... With every description of epinephrine or serotonin, it is clear that she, too, is learning, keeping the passages accessible rather than didactic...Reading about Ms. Kessler's struggle and gradual catharsis will bring a sense of peace to the mothers of teen girls in realizing they are not alone. And for those of us who have been werewolves ourselves, reading about her journey will inspire new appreciation for those who put up with the snarling." -Emily Fuggetta, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Straight from the trenches, a mom's tale of weathering her daughter's transformation from sweetheart to snark mouth." -People "Having the final word in an argument doesn't count for much when you're trying to help your daughter negotiate the bumps and blind curves in the road through adolescence...Lauren Kessler captures these debates and dilemmas with pitch- perfect humor and rue...[and] dives into a mountain of research and interviews with experts to understand how social structures, peer pressure, shifting societal norms and biological imperatives all affect teen behavior...My Teenage Werewolf is painfully funny, occasionally shocking, tender, maddening and wry. Ultimately, it's reassuring." -Barbara Lloyd McMichael, Seattle Times "Poignant...Enlightening...[Kessler] embeds herself in a world and writes about it as objectively as possible, Margaret Mead-style." -Jamie Passaro, Eugene Register-Guard "When best-selling nonfiction author Lauren Kessler turns upon her own household with the sharp eye and reporting skills of an embedded journalist, the life of an American teenager-of her American teenage daughter-becomes a window onto childhood, adulthood, and all the markers in-between. A child's precarious climb from immaturity to maturity, with the strong hand of a mother for balance, is illuminated here by a young woman who has given her mother access, and by the mother who has handled that access with respect, empathy, humor, and boundless love." -Melissa Fay Greene, author of Praying for Sheetrock and There Is No Me Without You "The astute, intrepid Lauren Kessler dives into the deep end of teenage culture in this witty, entertaining, and ultimately wise tale of surviving her feisty daughter's middle school years. Her book belongs on the nightstand of every parent, and everyone who thinks she may one day become a parent (they're not adorable babies forever, folks!)." -Karen Karbo, author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel and Motherhood Made a Man Out of Me "Those of us who long identified as 'daughters' are suddenly on the other side of the divide: We are the mothers. Of teenage girls. Who are perpetually annoyed by us. What's more, their present dredges up our own past. Yet therein lies the opportunity for a better future-better relationships not only to our girls but to our own mothers and even to ourselves. I can think of no better guide through that process than Lauren Kessler, who reports from the front lines with wit, grit, insight-and truly impressive sangfroid." -Peggy Orenstein, author of Waiting for Daisy and Flux "...a hilarious and insightful read that's sure to resonate with any mom." -Ladies' Home Journal "Readers who live with Lizzies of their own will enjoy this glimpse into the adolescent brain, which is 'not yet open for the business of wise and measured living.'" -More "To find out what's up with teenage girls, Lauren Kessler goes where no mother has gone before -- like the girls' locker room in middle school. If you're battered by a daughter who's 10 times smarter and 100 times cooler than you are, this book could save your sanity. It turns out that that teen monster is still your little girl -- just don't let her know that you know it!" -Barbara Ehrenreich, bestselling author of Bright-Sided, This Land Is Your Land, and Nickel and Dimed "Few relationships are deeper, more fraught, and, when they go right, more blissful than the relationship between a mother and a daughter. But how do we traverse this sometimes rocky terrain? Intelligent, open-hearted and witty, Lauren Kessler's MY TEENAGE WEREWOLF supplies a map for mothers of teenage daughters everywhere." -Peg Tyre, bestselling author of The Trouble With BoysAbout the AuthorLauren Kessler's articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; and The Nation. She lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and three brilliant and faultless children. where can i read books online for free quora My Teenage Werewolf: A Mother, a Daughter, a Journey Through the Thicket of Adolescence
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Tween Were-wolfs: Aren't they all?By M. MaxwellPu-ber-ty. Ad-o-les-cence. The terms strike fear in the hearts of parents everywhere, and make those of us without kids groan. Who wants to be around a moody, at-times mercurial, poorly mannered, ill-clad (by adult standards) kid, who speaks a language we don't understand and has more energy at midnight than a solar battery in the Mohave Desert? None of us, really. Yet they are all around us - in malls, libraries, fast food joints, movie houses, sports venues, others' homes, on sidewalks, and at home if you chose to spawn or adopt one. Is there any possibility we can co-exist peacefully and actually enjoy one-another?Lauren Kessler shares the roadmap to co-existing happily with tweens and teens in her latest literary non-fiction book, "My Teenage Werewolf: A Mother, a Daughter, a Journey Through the Thicket of Adolescence." Candidly, Lauren shares the trials and tribulations she experiences with her daughter Lizzie over an 18 month period, beginning when Lizzie is 12 and abruptly turns into an alternately door-slamming, back-talking girl with a snotty attitude (someone few would like), and a gregarious girl trying to help the underdogs at school, endearing herself to other adults, and excelling at her favorite sports - wrestling and discus.In Kessler's trademark journalist-anthropologist style, she embeds herself in Lizzie's life - going with her to middle-school, sports practices, summer camp, and on other outings; she reads the best of what she can find on teen development; she seeks out other parents for their thoughts; and she confers with coaches, teachers, doctors and psychologists to find out how to make the best of these hormonally fueled years -- in order to keep her relationship with Lizzie on track -- to prevent it from being totaled.According to Kessler, one of the most important things she learned about adolescents is that they are brainless. Well, not exactly brainless - jumble-brained would be a better description. Studying neuroscience, Kessler learns "The prefrontal cortex, or frontal lobes is the seat of moral reasoning, rational decision making, emotional control, and impulse restraint. This is the "cop" part of the brain that, if functioning well, would stop a person from talking back, lashing out, slamming doors--doing something stupid or impulsive (or both) that will later be regretted." The problem is, "...new research suggests that the frontal lobes are the last part of the brain to reach maturity." In fact young people may not have discriminating brains until they are in their early twenties! This revelation, early on in the book, was one of the first of big ah-ha moments I had while reading. Without fully-developed brains, how can adults ever expect to communicate with, much less control, the tweens and teens in their midst? In her quest for answers Lauren forges on, learning that not only are the frontal lobes under construction but so are the myelin sheaths surrounding nerve cells in the brain -- there function is to ". . . help keep the brain's electrical signals on clear pathways, that decrease interference and static, that speed along the signals, especially the ones that connect quick reactions to contextual thought." Not only are the mechanical and electrical systems of the tweens' and teens' brains not fully installed, their chemistry is all out of whack. Lauren explains how fluctuating norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and estrogen levels also contribute to unpredictable behavior. These revelations lend understanding, if not forgiveness, to unacceptable-in-most-contexts tween and teen behavior, and help formulate appropriate responses (often no response at all being the best alternative).Armed with information about teen development, Kessler, sometimes through trial and error, finds ways to connect with and enjoy Lizzy - to survive and thrive - to appreciate the tween experience, and to develop a deeper and richer relationship with her daughter that carries on today. After reading Kessler's stellar work, I no longer see all teenagers as were-wolfs, but as exciting creations, bursting forth in the world - young people we can be proud of, nurture and enjoy as they become leaders of tomorrow. I promise, if you read the book you too will have a greater appreciation of the tweens and teens among us, their struggles and potential.Lauren Kessler is a Professor in the Journalism Department at the University of Oregon in Eugene. You can contact her through her websites: [...]2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. What a great read!By MacbethI do not have a daughter, but felt like I needed to call my mother and apologize for everything I put her through twenty years ago. The author details her efforts to understand and combat the fleeting and ever changing emotions of her teenage daughter. The book is enlightening, sad, funny and hard to put down. I will recommend this book to all of my friends with children or complicated relationships with their mothers. Everyone!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy CustomerLove this woman! My favorite author!!!!