Raisin' Brains: Surviving My Smart Family [Paperback]

Karen L.J. Isaacson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2002

Author Karen Isaacson will have readers laughing out loud with her Erma Bombeck-like stories on life with an eclectic but endearing gifted and creative family!

The quirky cast of characters includes: the daughter who thinks she's related to an imaginary family of rabbits; the son who recites entire scenes (not just lines) from movies; the sister who makes pretty designs with the ovals of a bubble sheet during a test instead of answering the questions; and the grandmother who fixes tuna fish and jellybean sandwiches for lunch!

Reading these unbelieveable (but true!) stories will not only help you appreciate your own family, but also give you an informal introduction to the world of giftedness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"!!!!Exceptional" -- Today's Books

"A good read for parents who need revitalization from the demands of raising gifted children." -- Duke Gifted Letter

"Hats off to you, Ms. Isaacson, for sharing your stories and your wisdom...this book scores a perfect 10." -- Davidson Institute for Talent Development, December, 2002

"Raisin' Brains is delightful and highly recommended reading." -- Midwest Book Review, Fall, 2002

"You'll bust a gut laughing about this Montana Mom's adventures with her five, yes, count 'em, five gifted kids." -- Minnesota Outlook, Jan/March, 2003, Reviewed by Wendy Skinner

"all proud parents will enjoy reading this funny book." -- Fearless Reviews, November, 2002

"an entertaining and enlightening work...reasonably priced...I highly recommend it." -- Feedback Magazine, South Carolina Psychological Association

"entertaining and enlightening...helpful and reassuring...with...special issues of the G/T child...I highly recommend it." -- South Carolina Psychological Association

"it is the touching and hilarious humor in "Raisin' Brains" that makes the book such a good parent recommendation." -- Arkansans for Gifted and Talented Education Newsletter, Spring, 2004

Winner of the ForeWord Magazine Gold Book of the Year Award! -- ForeWord Magazine

About the Author

Karen Isaacson has had several humor articles published. She is a writer and an artist, but most of her time is spent being a mom. She has been involved with parent/teacher support groups for gifted and talented children and has served as a coach for creative problem-solving teams. Karen lives in Montana with her husband, Len, and their five children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Great Potential Press (October 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910707545
• ISBN-13: 978-0910707541
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #777,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New test for giftedness!, December 12, 2002

By 

"momexisitant" (Glenburn, Me United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raisin' Brains: Surviving My Smart Family (Paperback)

Thanks to Karen Isaacson, we won't need standardized tests to see if children, or their entire families, belong in a gifted program. All we have to do is have them read this book, and wait. If, within minutes, the parent is on the floor hysterically laughing, "I'm not the only one! I'm not the only one!".. her kid gets in the program. As I read this thoroughly enjoyable book I kept wondering how she managed to hide the surveillance equipment she must have installed in my house while MY kids were growing up. Her relaxed, delightful point of view is a gem in this over stressed,what-if-my-kid-isn't-president, panic stricken world of education and parenting. Run, don't walk, to buy this book. Even before you wipe the two pounds of peanut butter off the carpet the kids used in their anti-friction experiment.Especially before you find out which kid did it this time.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!, November 8, 2002

By 

Mom of two kiddos (Scottsdale, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raisin' Brains: Surviving My Smart Family (Paperback)

This book was not only hilarious, but gave me a greater appreciation for my own smart yet nutty family. The authors descriptive words puts you right into her world of gifted characters and lets you laugh right along with her.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Read!, November 13, 2002

By 

Frances Johnson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raisin' Brains: Surviving My Smart Family (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. Once you pick it up, you'll find it difficult to put down. This book is helpful and humorous at the same time. It raises the awareness of the dilemas that gifted children (and their parents) often face in school and at home, in an engaging way. Ms. Isaacson has the uncanny ability to make any parent reflect on the uniqueness of their own children. Reading this book gave me a greater appreciation for my own children. Parents and teachers alike, would benefit from reading this laugh-out-loud book.