No Zits! Ah,...to have the life!

I just got done reading Anne Bradshaw's Please, No Zits! And other stories for young LDS readers and it was delightful!

Her British humor mixed with her uncanny ability to get inside the minds of young people helped me take a sunny road trip as I journeyed through a few pot hole laden roads in life along with her characters.

Tackling subjects like finding purpose in life, dealing with self esteem, connecting with that something higher in each of us and making good decisions, Bradshaw has her readers from America and the US believing that when it comes to navigating certain roads, the world is indeed a very small place after all.

I especially liked her word guide in the back which helps the reader navigate British words for American things i.e lift versus elevator. And this is why....

My seven year old this past year came home especially pleased with himself because he was learning a third language (he'd been learning Spanish also) from his new friend Ian. The conversation went something like this;

Me - "Oh and what language are you now learning?"

Him - "English but not fake American English - real English like the speak in London where Ian is from."

Me - "Hummmm, and what are the differences between American English and real English?"

Him - "Well, instead of saying 'waw-tur', you say 'waw-tah' and instead of saying 'aw-ther' you say 'awe-thor'. And instead of watching a TV you watch a telly. It sounds much better huh, mom?"

Me - "Much, now run along so mommy can get her writing done. There's two cookies - oophs - I mean biscuits on a plate for you downstairs. I love you..."

So thanks to Anne Bradshaw, I now have an official guide I can reference so I can communicate with my child as he becomes trilingual.

But I digress.....

Bradshaw has a wonderful way of capturing the character's voice whether using internal or external dialogue and pulling the reader into the angst of youthful thought processes. And since it is a compilation of short stories, I was not overwhelmed by a taxing schedule that bit into my reading time. I just took it with me and read a story here and a story there as I waited for my teenage sons to run their errands while I leisurely waited in the car nibbling on shortbread and sipping on English Grey herbal tea.

And for me, that was quite enjoyable!

I would recommend this book to anyone of youthful mind or body who especially enjoys things with a British flair or wants to take a step towards becoming multilingual themselves!