Denene MillnerRezensionen

Very disappointed this isn't a little girl version of the lyrics to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme. It's perfectly fine how it is, but I wish it went like this:

Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there,
I'll tell you how I became PRINCESS of a town called Bel Air.

I mean, don't you want that book?! I certainly do. I'd been looking forward to this and I feel a little cheated.

Instead of moving out of West Philadelphia, our Fresh Princess Destiny (nice name!) is moving to West Philadelphia. She is not ultra-confident like young Will Smith on TV. She's worried about not being as good at double Dutch as her new neighbors. But her sister and her dad (note: she doesn't live with her Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv) help her through. She discovers having fun with new friends is the freshest thing of all.

Overall this is a sweet picture book with only a very slight connection to Will Smith's TV show, despite his name being on the cover. I feel robbed, but I'm over it.

Engrossing family saga with a touch of magical realism, but I wanted more connection between the beginning and end.

A multi generation story of Black women and their struggle to assert themselves when society and family tradition prescribe a certain way to live. They live through their husbands and children rarely questioning how restrictive their lives. are Lo lo and Rae (Mother and adopted daughter) are truly good people but familial forces are at play that make their lives hurtful and challenging. A well written family saga.

The author's personal history (abandoned on the steps of an orphanage when she was a baby, the 'miracle' of being adopted into a loving family, although not knowing it wasn't her birth family until, aged twelve, she came across her adoption certificate whilst 'snooping') shape and drive this at times harrowing, but always intensely moving and thought-provoking story. As is the case for so many women who have been adopted, it wasn't until she became pregnant and was being asked questions about her familial health that she realised that, not knowing anything about her blood-family, these were questions she would never have the answers to. In her acknowledgments she shares that it was her subsequent 'meditations on miracles, adoption, motherhood, Blackness, Black womanhood, choices and blood' which led her to write this novel in order to explore these issues and to give a contextual voice to mothers who feel forced to abandon their babies.
Although it is, of course, impossible to actually walk the proverbial mile in another person's shoes, I found that the author's powerful, intensely evocative and frequently poetic prose quickly drew me into the inner lives of her empathically-portrayed three main female characters (birth mother Grace, adoptive mother Lolo and Rae, the daughter who is the link between them), enabling me to gain at least some insights into the challenges and dilemmas they faced in their lives. The storyline spans the tumultuous decades between the 1960s and the early twenty-first century, allowing reflection on both the huge cultural changes which have taken place, as well as the racial inequality which still exists. Rather depressingly, the themes explored were not unfamiliar (racism, bigotry, exploitation, patriarchy, misogyny, cycles of sexual and physical abuse, the influence of nature v nurture, to name just a few) but the visceral quality of the author's writing made it impossible to look away from the effects of these on the characters' lives, relationships and sense of identity, making this an at times deeply-disturbing story to read. However, to off-set this, it is also a story about the power of love and the importance of feeling secure in our identity.

I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you.

This book is well written, and a very good read. It's not an easy read, as Denene Millner captures intimately and in detail, the lives of her Characters. I felt their sadness, their loneliness, and their joy.
The book is told in three stories. While each story stands on its own, they are all connected; womanhood, motherhood and survival connect the three. Each woman tells her story, shares her past, her fears, her hopes, events that changed her path, and colored how she faced the world. Parts were sad and brutal, other parts resonated with me and probably will with many others.
Denene Millner is an excellent storyteller.

Honesty time.. the whole time I kept reading this book I kept hearing the Fresh Prince theme song in my head. So then I kept accidentally saying fresh prince instead of fresh princess.

This story was cute. It's about a young girl who's family moves to a different city. She's already happy at her home and she's very "fresh". She's confident and brave and isn't afraid to get back up if she falls. But moving to a new city is scary and she loses that fresh feeling. It's a slow process but with some exploration and confidence building she starts to come back to herself.

I love the thought that went into this story. Confidence isn't always an easy thing to build in yourself. It's even harder when you have to move to a new, strange place. I love how picture books usually have an underlying theme. This would be a great book to read to someone who is scared of change and needs to build themselves back up to where they originally were. Plus it's a princess book! What more can you ask?

The illustrations for this book were wonderful. Bright, vibrant and full of interesting things to look at.

While these books are targeted to children, they can be very informative and educational for adults as well. This one covers the life of CJ Walker, and I learned a bunch about her that I never knew, like that she wasn’t just an activist, but she was also a smart business woman at a time when it wasn’t fashionable for a black woman to be in business. Always informative and a quick read. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

amazing-women, Black-African American-history, businesswoman, feminist, biographical-novel, rebel-girls, woman-entrepreneur, women-in-history, women-of-color, millionaire, *****

Rebel Girls has a new series!
This time it's fictionalized biographies of women who have made a difference and written for a primarily elementary school audience. Madam C.J. Walker was born in a bad time for everyone in the US, especially Black folk and all women. By the time she died in 1919 she had turned a cottage industry into a major business serving the women with special needs hair and the Beauty Culture industry.
The illustrations by Salini Perera are beautiful, delightful, imaginative, and colorful.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Rebel Girls via NetGalley. Thank you!

I'm really impressed with this short biography -- doesn't shy away from some of the uglier parts of history (lynching), and celebrates Madam CJ Walker's bright, stubborn spirit. She was such a powerhouse, and never stopped fighting for her community. Very inspiring.

Fresh Princess

I Picked Up This Book Because: To read with my nieces.

Media Type: Digital
Source: Hoopla via PP Library
Dates Read: 7/25/21 - 7/25/21
Stars: 4 Stars

The Story:

Super cute and quick book about adjusting to a new home.neighborhood. Destiny is a fun character. She’s cute and imaginative. This was a great book for young readers.

The Random Thoughts:

Challenges:

Birth and Beyond Reading Challenge - Picture Books from A to Z - F

Written by author, blogger, and editor Denene Millner Fresh Princess is a book that encourages kids to proudly stand out and be themselves. When Destiny, nicknamed Fresh Princess by her family, moves to a new neighborhood she finds the new way of life very different. The school is bigger than she imagined and the school uniform is bland. However, she soon finds her own path with her signature creativity.
This story is loosely based on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air tv show that aired in the 1990s. Illustrations include a diverse classroom crowd and are brightly colored.

Denene Millner, author of the adult Hotlanta series, turns to children's books with this new story, inspired by actor Will Smith and his hit television show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Destiny, a young girl nicknamed the "Fresh Princess" by her family, must face her biggest challenge yet when her family moves to Philadelphia. Feeling shy and insecure at first, she initially refuses to join the local neighborhood children in their game of Double Dutch. Encouraged by her father and sister however, she soon gathers her courage, and finds that she fits right in...

I don't usually care for children's books that coattail ride on celebrity culture, so when I saw the little decal on the front cover of Fresh Princess declaring that it was inspired by Will Smith - "The Fresh Prince" - I approached with caution. The story was actually quite sweet however, and the artwork cute, in a cartoon-like way. I don't know that this really needed to be associated with a television show at all, as the story works quite well without that connection. I suppose for fans of the show, it adds some extra appeal, but for me it felt gratuitous. On the other hand, it was nice to see a "moving house" story featuring an African-American family. It is to readers looking for such a book, as well as to fans of Will Smith and his television show, that I would recommend this one.

(Note: Although Millner is not a celebrity herself, I have added this title to my 'celebrity authors' shelf, given its overt association with a celebrity)

The beginning of this is too over the top. What little I read is also very church oriented, which doesn't appeal to me.

The thing that made me most irritated in reading this is that the book is about 3 sisters. One of the character's names is Sister. So every few words is the word sister, sometimes the name and the relationship back to back.

No. Just no. I couldn't take it. I DNF'd this at 39 pages.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/opinion/sunday/children-literature-books-blac...

A little girl is nervous about singing her first solo in the church youth choir. Everyone gives her advice on how to be brave, but she is still nervous, and wishes her dad could be there, but he has to rest after working an extra shift at the bakery. She and her mother and brother get all spruced up, and her dad makes a surprise appearance just as she's about to begin her song.

Exuberant illustrations of the girl and her family at home, at the barber's, and at church animate the story, and the endpapers are patterned with pictures of relevant items - peppermints, strawberry shampoo, combs, a bow from the girl's new dress.

One clunky line ("Their words stung. So did my tears") doesn't mar this story, which can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter their race or religion.½

Mina is heading to NYC for an art camp. One of the snobby girls is ruthless and continuously tries to bring Mina down. Will her art make it to the top or will she the attitudes of others get her down?

It's a good read if you like romance which I don't. :/

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

Mina is spending the summer in New York City with her aunt while attending an art camp. Excited to be going to her first big camp, Mina's enthusiasm and love of art shine through.

When she gets to the camp, however, one of the snobby girls is jealous of her and tries to make her life as miserable as possible.

With a first-place prize on the line and her reputation as a great artist at stake, will Mina shine - or fall into the shadows?

This quick read is cheery and charming. Mina's enthusiasm is contagious; her friends are likable and funny. The plot is intriguing and holds the reader's interest. Those who like realistic fiction, friendship, and self-discovery stories will enjoy reading MISS YOU, MINA.

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Atlanta just wouldn't be anything without the Duke twins.

First there is Sydney, the twin who knows exactly what she wants in life, which is to get out of high school at the top of her class, go to an Ivy League college, and develop the perfect family. Sydney's hobbies include planning social events, making sure she has enough extracurricular activities, and hanging out with her wonderful boyfriend.

Then there is Lauren, who wants to become the biggest super-model ever, trying to grab the attention of those who can take her places. Her hobbies include reckless driving and getting in the hottest music video ever made.

Even though they are totally different from one another, they both share the same story. Their biological father was sent away to prison but their mother married soon after that, making the girls' lives go from rags to riches.

Their lives were pretty sane after adapting to their new lifestyles. Then they receive a phone call that their father is finally out of prison, and chaos breaks loose. Sydney, who still cares for her father, doesn't mind seeing him again, but Lauren regrets ever knowing him. Soon enough the girls' worlds are turned upside down as crimes are committed and their new family name is in trouble. Everyone they know has a secret, and the only ones they can turn to are each other.

Thrilling and very entertaining, HOTLANTA gives another perspective on how the lives of the wealthy have major flaws. The best part is, the story of the Duke twins isn't over yet, since the sequel, IF ONLY YOU KNEW, will be releasing in the fall!

This book is really good because it gives you a great description in the beginning of the type of lifestyle the two girls lived after their father is out of jail. When he finally does get released, there mother and step-father forbids them to even see or speak to him. When Sydney gets wrapped up in the wrong crowd and finds out that her step-father also has a connection with her boyfriend's group of friends, the last thing that they expected to happen, does.

a very good book.

I love stories where bestfriends end up falling in love, and this one did not disappoint.

Though parts of it may seem to drag early on, there's a bulid-up you won't expect that brings it all home. I like the way the chapters alternated between he and she, and the realness of the characters. I especially liked the creative freedom the authors had to write as if they were speaking directly to the reader in some parts. Despite the slow beginning, the book picks up dramatically, making it difficult to put down.

Love Don't Live Here Anymore was an interesting read that made you want to slap the piss out of Randy and Mikki, the main characters in this entertaining novel. Randy is a successful ad executive who opts to go to Paris to expand his professional horizons, leaving behind Mikki--his bitter wife who is as self-centered as they come. I thought that the ability to touch emotions and provoke heated discussions about the ins and outs of relationships, with your partner/spouse and friends were this novels strongest points.

There were loose ends that needed closure. Why didn't Mikhi or Randy ever really have a conversation with Marcus to understand his actions? What was Randy's relationship with Eliza after the bathroom deal? How realistic was it that all of the couple's family and friends felt that the marriage could or should be salvaged given the details of what happened.½

8864