The Versatile Blogger Award!

Thanks to Hodges Herald and Being Elementary in Middle School for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award!

Guidelines for the award:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you (and follow their blog)
2. Link back to the person who nominated you
3. Include the award image in your post
4. Give 7 random facts about yourself
5. Nominate other bloggers for the award
6. When nominating, include a link to their blog
7. Let other bloggers know they’ve been nominated
Seven Random Facts About Me:
  1. Before I found audiobooks, I used to read and drive.
  2. I collect children….I have six adult god-children.
  3. I performed at the Apollo Theatre with my college girl group
  4. My favorite book is Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.  I used to practice the chest exercises daily….now I wish I hadn’t.
  5. I spent 1 year in Italy when my dad was in the military (I don’t remember it because I was 2…)
  6. I knocked out my four front teeth by falling down the steps in my cousins’ college dorm – it’s the same college that I went to.
  7. I am addicted to Smurf’s Village.
And here are the nominees:

No Boyz Allowed Book Review

No Boyz Allowed by Ni-Ni Simone

This book is written from the point of view of Gem, a teenage girl who has been in the foster system due to her crack-addicted mother’s inability to take care of her and her little brother.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Summary:

True story: I’m Gem, G-E-M, like a precious jewel, and my life has been nothing like my name. I’ve been on my own since I was nine and now I’m sixteen. But so what. I’m good, and so is my little brother. So why the state won’t let us do our own thing is beyond me. Instead, we’ve been forced to live with a foster family who wants to love us, but I’m not beat—I’m just trying to do me.

To make matters worse, I’ve been checking for this guy, Ny’eem. But my new clique has an unbreakable rule—no boyz allowed to come between our friendship—which is forcing me to keep my relationship with Ny’eem a secret. Though not for long. . .because in high school secrets are always exposed, scandals always rewrite the rules, and friendships are never what they seem. . . .

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My middle school girls love Ni-Ni Simone!  I found her books last year and grabbed all that I could find.  I now have none left…..I was robbed!  These books are pretty realistic (well except for the fact that a sixteen year old wears True Religion jeans and 4 inch heels), and the drama is waaaaay familiar to my girls.  Ni-Ni’s characters are so vivid and full of life, I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire novel.  I love the McKnight family (Toi, Seven, and Man-Man) and I gain pleasure in being able to reminisce about high school loves and life.

My favorite quote:  Right after the main character breaks up with her boyfriend because she found out he was cheating on her (supposedly)….

“Ny’eem softly turned my face toward his and said, “Keep it gutter with me in my face. Now say it since you loved me yesterday and hate me today. Look me in my eyes and tell me that.” ….and in case you were wondering, yes, I know it is so ghetto, but I have always had a penchant for bad boys (since I didn’t marry one – I love teaching them 🙂 )

The only thing I didn’t quite like was the fact that the book insinuates you should always trust your guy over your kinda sorta maybe friends….and that boys never lie…

All in all, Ni-Ni Simone is still my all time favorite young adult urban author.  I know you’ll love her!  My girls (and some guys)  definitely do! 🙂