Raisin' Brains: Surviving My Smart Family
Winner of the 2003 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Competition!\ \ \ Winner of a Mom's Choice Awards -- 2008 Gold Recipient!\
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Winner of the 2003 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Competition! Minnesota Outlook - Skinner, Wendy You'll bust a gut laughing as you read about this Montana Mom's adventures with her five, yes, count 'em five gifted kids.
Preface\ \ We live in a society built on peer pressure--sometimes good, sometimes not so good. But the pressure to fit in and to belong and to be normal can be as overwhelming as a big city is to a small-town hick like me. Sometimes, when people try too hard to fit into a mold, they get lost in a world that doesn't belong to them. In writing this book, I wanted to reach out to those who grew up feeling different, maybe even a little weird.\ \ Some of you probably had really strange parents, and you were afraid they'd show up at school one day and frighten away your hard-earned friends. Some of you probably have really strange kids and wonder if that's okay and if they're going to survive; and then you wonder if maybe you really were abducted by aliens during your pregnancy and later gave birth to their offspring, even though your offspring appear to be human, at least on the surface.\ \ Some of you are probably strange at heart, but keep it well hidden. You know who you are. You're the ones who turn the radio on and shake your bootie in front of the mirror in the privacy of your own home, but would die a thousand deaths before you'd tap your toes in public. Then there are those of you who are just you. You might be strange without even realizing it.\ \ Perhaps I'm wrong, but my theory is that most people, no matter how normal they may appear to be, have been affected by strange and unique people at some point in their lives. And so when I play the game of "People Concentration," there may be few perfect matches, but there are always enough similarities to keep the game interesting. It is my hope that those common experiences will be a connection as readers see bitsand pieces of themselves or their friends and families in this book, and that they will laugh with relief to know there are others out there like them. \ \ Another reason I wrote this book was that I hoped to give the readers some insight as to what the term "gifted" really means. It's an often-misunderstood term. I mean, sure, technically it implies that a person displays exceptional potential in a given area. But what does it mean in real, everyday life? The short answer to that question is a sinister laugh, "Buwahahaha!" The long answer is at least partially attempted in this book.
DedicationPrefaceAcknowledgmentsFamily TreeChapter 1: Are You My Mother?Chapter 2: What Do You Mean, He's Reading?Chapter 3: School Days, School DaysChapter 4: Just So I WinChapter 5: For the Love of MummiesChapter 6: Hocus, FocusChapter 7: It's Only a TestChapter 8: Can You Repeat the Question?Chapter 9: I Already Know HowChapter 10: I Gotta Be MeChapter 11: Brain FoodChapter 12: Two for the ShowChapter 13: Great ExpectationsChapter 14: Weird Can Be BeautifulAbout the Author
\ Arkansans for Gifted and Talented Education NewsletterIt is the touching and hilarious humor in Raisin' Brains that makes the book such a good parent recommendation.\ —Spring, 2004\ \ \ \ \ Duke Gifted LetterA good read for parents who need revitalization from the demands of raising gifted children.\ —Spring 2003\ \ \ Midwest Book ReviewRaisin' Brains is delightful and highly recommended reading.\ \ \ \ \ Robert Heckelentertaining and enlightening work...reasonably priced...I highly recommend it.\ —Robert Heckel, Feedback Magazine The South Carolina Psychological Association\ \ \ \ \ Skinner, WendyYou'll bust a gut laughing as you read about this Montana Mom's adventures with her five, yes, count 'em five gifted kids. \ — Minnesota Outlook\ \
