Book Review: The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle

The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle 
(Penguin Group)

Smack dab in the middle of the worst years of her life: Middle School, Allison a 7th grader has to deal with figuring it ALL out. Between friendships, crushes, and the all consuming pursuit to be popular, she is deeply entrenched in a preteen's complicated world! With that said, while I was reading, I thought back to my days of teaching 7th grade and even further back to my days of actually experiencing that horrid era of existence. It is an excruciating time of self discovery and unwarranted input from peers. This book captures this pain and confusion very well and is entertaining to boot.

NOW FOR THE BAD PART: The book is inappropriate for a girl of middle school age. Some of the language, sexual innuendo, and subject matter will add fuel to the already hormone-induced curiosity fire raging in tweens. Furthermore, some of the language, while common with that age set, shouldn't be promoted as acceptable. The delicate balance is what was so awesome about Clueless. The language could have been way more vulgar to portray popular nineties parlance, but Amy Heckerling avoided vulgarity while capturing the vernacular authentically. Any time a book aimed toward ages 10 and up (the suggested age on the book) uses the term "ménage à troi," you know you've got to shelve the book until the reader is 14, if then.  Well written? Yes! Entertaining? Yes!  Too mature for the suggested reader? Definitely!

If she had just framed The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life as being recalled by a high schooler, summed up with a successful update at the end (e.g., Allison and Meagan are going to the same college in the fall or Rachel wasn't prom queen, Mika was), teenagers 14 and up would more readily go for the middle school plot. It's a fun read, but just too mature for the intended audience.

Moral of the story: Parents, you may just have to read/skim books before you allow your kids to read them. Just because it's at a book fair or in the library doesn't mean that it is acceptable for all children. 

Education Tidbits: Save Time And Money With Dual Enrollment Programs

With soaring education costs, it is good to know that there are ways to save money.  Dual enrollment programs around the country afford mostly high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take college courses that count toward graduation and as college credit. “Hitting two birds with one stone” if I’ve ever heard of it!  Most programs around the country are at no cost to the families, and still others have a waiver for low income students.  In some states, the cost is paid by the parents.  Yet, if looked upon objectively no matter where the cost burden lies, families will still save money and time to boot.  

Since students are working toward completing general studies during their senior year, they enter college as a sophomore.  That is one less year that families would have to pay full tuition of a 4-year institution. Programs like the one in Virginia put students on track toward earning a General Education Certificate by the end of their high school senior year. Upon graduating from high school with their General Education Certificate, students are able to transition to community college as sophomores. Earning an associate’s degree from a community college positions the students for eligibility for Guaranteed Admission at Virginia colleges and universities.

Programs such as dual enrollment, ensure that students will complete their college education early or on time, which strengthens the workforce and in turn the economy.  Check your state department of education website for more information about your state’s local programs.