My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life [Hardcover]

Kate Feiffer (Author), Diane Goode (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 24, 2009 | Age Level: 4 and up

Everyone has only nice things to say about my mom.

Everyone likes her.

She looks nice.

She bakes great cookies and makes me feel better when I have a bad day.

But would a really nice mom do embarrassing things like kiss me in public and tell loud jokes that no one thinks are funny? Well, my mom does those terrible things and worse - that's why I am sure that I have the most embarrassing mom in the world and that my mom is trying to ruin my life...

Or is she?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—After stating that her mother "looks like a nice mom" who takes people where they need to go and makes boo-boos stop hurting, Emma goes on to list the ways her parents are trying to ruin her life. She imagines them both thrown in jail for their crimes of kissing her in front of her friends, worrying too much, and making her clean her room and do her homework. But thinking about a parent-free life only serves to remind her how much she really does need her mom and dad, and in the end she says, "I love you!" Done in bright pinks and greens, the expressive cartoon illustrations bring a lot of personality and humor to the plot, but frustrated kids and their struggling parents will find this saccharine story a bit too naive.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Feiffer and Goode, the team behind President Pennybaker (2008), have created another fable about independence. With all the pretween angst she can muster, our heroine wonders, “If my mom is such a nice mom, why is she trying to ruin my life?” She talks too loud, brings shorts for her to change into at school, and kisses her face—in public! She gets no relief from her father either, who wants her to do homework and go to bed on time. So the girl devises a plan to run away and have her parents thrown in jail. While the text is skewed to the little girl’s perspective, Goode’s trademark retro illustrations capture the good intentions of Mom and Dad, and the hurt and loss they feel when separated from their daughter. Young readers will enjoy the fantasy of freedom and want to read this without help from their own embarrassing parents. In the end, they will come to the conclusion that even though their parents might be trying to ruin their lives, that’s all a part of being loved. Grades 1-3. --Courtney Jones

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (March 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416941002
• ISBN-13: 978-1416941002
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book!, May 8, 2011

By 

Lisa (Salem, OR United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life (Hardcover)

This book is marketed for young children, but I bought it for my teenage girls and have shared it in my middle school classroom. All can relate to the fun text!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, December 1, 2010

By 

CSMR - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life (Hardcover)

I checked this out of the library and loved it so much I had to order one for my home. This book is so cute and funny. I even read it to my daughter's kindergarten class and they loved it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fun book from Kate Feiffer, May 5, 2010

By 

Christopher M. Mara "Parent of a willful child" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life (Hardcover)

I have read all of Kate Feiffer's books and they always have a wonderful humor to them. This one is no exception. What child hasn't been mad at their parent(s) for denying them what is obviously a legitimate desire? All the parents of strong-willed children should share this book!