Review: How Do You Tuck In a Superhero?

I was really excited to receive this book as we have two little superheros in our home.  Always trying to understand a little better the male mind, I couldn’t wait to dive in. 

How Do You Tuck In a Superhero?: And Other Delightful Mysteries of Raising Boys is a collect of stories written by a mom of five boys.  Rachel Balducci is a delightful writer and has an amazing way with words.  I only wish I had her gift!  The book contains approx. 100 mini-stories of life around the Balducci home.  She proves that with boys there is never a dull moment.

This is NOT a parenting book.  Going into it, I didn’t realize this and kept waiting for some meat.  Then I realized that “self-help” was not the goal.  This is key.  In reality, this book is just stories of life with boys.  The crazy, unthinkable, scary things that boys do and say.  If you have a house of boys, you will relate.   This book is set up more like a gift or coffee-table book – you know those books that you receive like Chicken Soup for the Soul.  Something to pick up from time to time when you need just the right thing.

Momma C Thoughts:  As much as I hate it, I couldn’t get into this book.  I didn’t laugh at the stories or chuckle at raising boys.  I really wanted to.  But it didn’t come.  Here are a few reasons why, I believe I had this reaction.  With three kiddos five and under, I am tired.  (Can you relate?)  Reading some of these stories was like reliving them.  Some of the things boys do, I would rather forget!  Also, as Moms we tell stories about our kids that are really funny to us and our immediate family but other people just don’t get into them like we do.  Lastly, boys are boys.  They truly are Wild At Heart.  With that said, unless you like to read stories about other families, I can not recommend this book to most moms. 

Contradictory of my last comment, there are a few moms who might find this book helpful.   You will learn through reading the Balducci stories that raising boys is different than raising girls.  Boys think different, are motivated differently, and reason things out differently.  For those Moms who haven’t been around boys, this book will be comforting as you realize that your our son isn’t crazy. 

Rachel Balducci has a popular website called Testosterhome.  I would suggest reading some of her stories on her blog and then go from there before deciding to purchase this book.  I want to reiterate again, this book is very well written.  I have a lot of respect for Balducci as she is extremely talented.  This is just not a type of book that I am interested in in this stage of life. 

Thank you to Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for giving me the opportunity to review this book.