22 June 2001 WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW by Sonya Sones, Simon & Schuster, October 2001

"...And just before we got to my house,

I thought I felt him

give my waist an almost squeeze.

Then the car rolled to a stop

and I climbed out

with my whole body buzzing.

I said good night,

headed up the front walk,

and when I heard the car pulling away,

I looked back over my shoulder

and saw Dylan look back over his shoulder

at me.

When our eyes connected,

this miracle smile lit up his face

and I practically had a religious experience.

Then I went upstairs to bed

and tried to fall asleep,

but I felt permanently wide awake.

And I kept on seeing that smile of his

and feeling that almost squeeze."

WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW is a beautiful and intimate story about a girl's journey through the maze toward first real love. The almost-fifteen year old Sophie Stein is so real that, as I read her thoughts, I would keep feeling bits of my own teenage awkwardness emerging from the depths of so many years ago. Within the story we find her friends, HER parents, HIS parents, and those cul de sacs in the maze that represent the boys who reject her or are rejected by her:

"...Just last spring

that drooly tongue was in

my mouth.

More than once.

I think I'm gonna be sick."

What happens when that initial infatuation loses its sparkle? Or when the parents become part of the picture? How are we influenced by our friends' perceptions OR by our expectations of our friends' perceptions? To the extent that this book strikes such a chord with me, I'm confident that it will give teen readers a lot to think about. Indeed, I have no doubt how well reading this book would have served me if I'd had it at that age.

"THREE HOURS BEFORE THE DANCE

Even though I wash it,

twice, with shampoo that's especially formulated

with essential fatty acids

derived from natural botanic oils

to replace valuable lipids

and restore the emollients necessary

for the hair to remain

soft, pliable and supple

with a healthy radient shine,

and even though I remove

the excess moisture from my hair

and evenly distribute a small amount

of instant reconstructor and detangler

to enhance strength and manageability,

and even though

I work it through to the ends,

leaving it on for three minutes

and then rinse thoroughly before adding

the revolutionary polymerized

electrolytic moisture potion

that actually repairs split ends

while providing flexible styling control

by infusing the roots with twenty-three

essential pro-vitamins,

and even though I massage it in

to make my hair feel instantly softer

and fuller with added shaping power,

and then rinse it again

with lukewarm water,

towel dry and apply the desired amount

of styling gel to the palm of my hand,

and then comb it through

and blow it dry,

it still looks pathetic."

Captivating, witty, tender, and sexy, WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW is a

magnificent and memorable read.

Richie Partington

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