Enchanting Review: Med Head

MED HEAD

JAMES PATTERSON & HAL FRIEDMAN

YA Non-fiction

Little, Brown

ISBN# 9780316076173

302 pages

$8.99

Paperback available now

5 Enchantments

Corey Friedman is an ordinary teenager with issues that take all his strength and courage to overcome. This is an account of his thirteen year journey dealing with OCD, anxiety, and Tourette’s symptom.

Wow. Reading Corey’s story amazes me. What he went through as a child with the daily ridicule of his peers and then the pure hell of a life time of different drugs, totally is awe inspiring. My own son deals with sensory issues and I’ve dealt with a school system that wasn’t supportive. I can’t even imagine what Corey’s parents went through. What is really inspiring is Corey’s voice. His descriptions of the meds that caused serious issues are so real. I felt for him when this one so-called expert in the field of Tourette’s, ends up just viewing Corey as a test subject even when the one drug she prescribes to him causes him to want to end his life.

Corey also shows the reader what it’s like to basically be a guinea pig to a wide assortment of meds. His OCD and Tourette’s were very extreme. One way Corey dealt with the pain was self-medicating with alcohol. But this book doesn’t just dwell on the negative. It shows Corey’s successes and triumphs. My favorite part is when Corey shows this one school founder that he will make it out in the real world. And he does with determination and persistence.

The story is haunting and Corey’s personal journey through years of medical turmoil will stay with you. At the conclusion are notes from Corey’s parents, personal photos, and also info on OCD and Tourette’s.

James Patterson is the author of Maximum Ride novels, Witch & Wizard, and a number of other books. He lives in Florida.

Hal Friedman has published five works of fiction. He lives with his wife, Sophia, at the edge of a forest in northern New Jersey.

Kim Baccellia

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

November 2010

Enchanting Review: Sir John Hargrave's Mischief Maker's Manual

SIR JOHN HARGRAVE’S MISCHIEF MAKER’S MANUAL
SIR JOHN HARGRAVE
YA Nonfiction
Grosset & Dunlap
ISBN# 978-0-448-44982-1
272 pages
$15.99 US ($17.50 CAN)
Hardbound - Available June 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

This nonfiction guide for mischief Makers is an excellent step by step quick guide to playing pranks in a safe and non-vandalizing way. Many of the pranks are classic pranks that have been played before, but this book de-mystifies the methods and the materials used. A few new twists are introduced on some old pranks and a history is given for some pranks like the whoopee cushion. Some of the pranks can be performed alone, but others will require the reader to find a partner or team who can be trusted to help with the prank and not leak information.

The first section of the book introduces the basics of how to prank, how to stay out of trouble and some very basic pranks. The book progresses from simple pranks to more complex pranks that require more preparation and planning to pull off. One of the more important concepts introduced in the book is staying safe and making sure that nobody is likely to be injured.

My favorite pranks in the book are the tuna cookies and the smoke bombs made from old ping-pong balls. These seem fairly simple to bring off and use items I can easily lay my hands on. I like the layout of the book, progressing from simple to more complicated pranks. The diagrams are very easy to understand and make it simple to prepare materials for pranks like the smoke bombs or the spewing soda trick. I will definitely follow the author’s advice and hide this book so that my ‘victims’ won’t suspect me as the prankster. The reversible cover is great for hiding the book when reading in a public place.

The author, Sir John Hargrave is well known as the editor of ZUG, the first humor website, http://www.mischiefmakersmanual.com/ where you can find additional pranks, software and sound files listed in the book and other information about pranks and the author.


Kathy Johnson
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
July 2009

Enchanting Review: Ghosts of War (The True Story of a 19 yr old GI)

GHOSTS OF WAR (THE TRUE STORY OF A 19-YEAR-OLD GI)
RYAN SMITHSON
YA Biography/non-fiction
HarperCollins
ISBN #978-0-06-166468-7
310 pages
$16.99
Hardcover--Available now

Rating: 5 enchantments

Ryan Smithson is a hero. Not the kind of hero that you read about in the news, but the kind of hero that matters. He was sixteen when the planes hit the Twin Towers. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, the events of September 11, 2001 would have a profound and life changing effect on him. He decided to serve in the Army Reserves after graduation. This book is the story of his year of service in Iraq.

The reader follows Ryan as he starts his training as an eager teenager. During basic training he describes being broken down by his sergeants, and then built back up as a soldier. This transformation is juxtaposed with stories from his year of service.

The author notes indicate that the book actually grew out of a writing assignment for a college class that Ryan took upon his return. The instructor asked the class to write about something that they have seen destroyed. The resulting vignette was one of the most moving passages I have ever read. Titled “The House that Achmed Built,” it starts with a dangerous mission. Ryan and his team must deliver supplies into a town that is plagued by insurgents. During the mission, the convoy is ambushed. Ryan talks about how his training takes over, and because of it, he and his team survive. Throughout the chapter, Ryan juxtaposes his version of a children’s nursery rhyme. I couldn’t help but think how appropriate a nursery rhyme was, since so many of the soldiers were still so young themselves, not to mention the ages of the insurgents.

I had the privilege of reading this book over the 4th of July. I realized that even though I have always appreciated the sacrifices made by those who serve, I can never truly understand it the way Ryan Smithson does. This book should be read by any teen who is considering service, and by anyone who has a loved one in the armed forces. The stories he tells are funny, scary, thrilling, sad and exciting. The reader never knows which emotion Mr. Smithson is going to play on next. This was a deeply moving book, and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Smithson in the future.

Mr. Smithson currently lives in upstate New York with his wife.

Lisa Runion
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Enchanting Review: The Dictionary of High School B.S.

THE DICTIONARY OF HIGH SCHOOL B.S.
LOIS BECKWITH
YA Non-Fiction
Zest Books
ISBN # 978-0979017391
120 pages
$10.95
Paperback--Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

High school can be a crazy time with not only the resident Queen Bees but other so-called rules that involve where to sit at lunch without coming across as a total geek. Add to that the irritating people, tough classes, and on-going drama, in short, the whole B.S.

In this uncensored dictionary, you’ll find all the talk that has to do with High School life. From definitions of what a hot or an evil teacher are to where most kids go on-line to hang out( which is not to be confused with the code word meaning making out with either boyfriend or girlfriend in bedroom when no parents are at home.)

Some of these terms will make you laugh—like the illustrations of a nerd. Others will make you cringe—like the slang definition of ‘gay’ which unfortunately is still being used not only in High School but outside. And others, if you’ve been out of High School for awhile, will bring back memories, both good and bad.

I really enjoyed reading this dictionary. Once again another Zest Books hit! I ended up taking it to my son’s school and had some of the parents read it. More than a few broke out in smiles and laughter. The illustrations are classic and hilarious.

I’d recommend this book not only to teens in High School but to parents who sometimes are clueless on what’s cool now.

Lois Beckwith is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. Check out more on Zest books at www.zestbooks.net


Kim
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
November ‘08