The Year I Turned Sixteen written by Diane Schwemm

        Imagine a fictional book telling a story about four sisters. Not just about four sisters, each sister tells her own story when she turns sixteen years old.

         In the book, The Year I Turned Sixteen, written by Diane Schwemm, tells the story about four sisters. Maggie Walker, a single mother, raised her four daughters, Rose, Daisy, Laurel, and Lily, after her husband died in a boat accident. First, Rose, the oldest of the four who loves theatre and singing, told her story after she turned sixteen. Such as, falling in and out of love with boys and dealing the death of her father. Next, Daisy is the second sister, when she turned sixteen Rose grew older; Daisy was the athletic girl in the family. She too fell in love with boys, while she dealt with the death of her father, while her mother saw other men. Then, Laurel turned sixteen, her two older sisters moved out of the house. Laurel was the animal lover of the family; she begun work at a Wildlife Rescue Center. Laurel had to deal with some boy drama in her life along with living her impossible to get along with litter sister, Lily, after another death in the family.  Last but not least, Lily, the youngest sister in the family who was usually by herself at home most the time, was the creative writer in the family. Lily was the sister that had the most struggles, when she entered high school; all of the teachers that previously taught her sisters compared her to them. She also dealt with the changes and struggles in the family.  I totally can relate to Lily since I have an older sister.

         In concluding, The Year That I Turned Sixteen, written by Diane Schwemm contains of love stories, heartbreaks, and finding oneself. I believe any reader reading this book can relate to something in each of the sisters. I also believe that the reader would fall in love with each sister turning Sweet Sixteen. This book is one my favorites and I do hope you enjoy this book and much as I did.

Trivia Questions:

1) In what way did the Walker's next door neighbor, Hal, from the apartment complex become important in their lives?

2) Name one good and tragic moment that each of the girls faced when they turned sixteen.  

Schwemm, Diane. The Year I Turned Sixteen: Rose, Daisy, Laurel, Lily. New York: Simon Pulse, 2010. Print.

A Little Bit Wicked written by Kristin Chenoweth with Joni Rogers

Popular! I’m going to make you pop-u-lar!

       Maybe if you read this memoir titled A Little Bit Wicked, written by Kristin Chenoweth (with Joni Rogers) you just might be popular! Just not quite as popular as… Okay, Okay! Yes I know, I was about to write this whole book review as a parody to the song, Popular! From the Broadway musical, Wicked, you’ll forgive me...right?

     I Laura Shadden, promise that I won’t write the whole blog as a parody.

    So basically, Kristin Chenoweth writes her own memoir, A Little Bit Wicked, that covers her life story growing up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to acting in numerous musicals on Broadway, including Wicked as the original Glinda, and life being in some Hollywood movies and TV shows, along with having her own NBC sitcom TV show Kristin.

    For those who do not know Kristin Chenoweth at all, she is a soprano/opera singer who started her professional acting career on Broadway. Some of the Broadway musicals included The West Wing, Wicked, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Annie Get Your Gun, and Animal Crackers. Not only did Kristin Chenoweth act on Broadway, she also acted in movies; which included the remake movie of Annie, RV that starred the late Robin Williams, and Pink Panther that starred Steve Martin. Along with acting in movies, Kristin Chenoweth did do several guest appearances for TV shows, which included, Sesame Street, Frasier, The 700 Club, and The West Wing. In 2001, Kristin Chenoweth was going to have her own sitcom TV show on NBC called Kristin, Kristin Chenoweth did film several episodes for the NBC network where her character, Kristin Yancey, was an inspiring actor and singer; sadly NBC never aired the show since they didn’t like Kristin’s character because they thought Kristin Yancey was very fake. 

Besides talking about her life (almost) having her own TV sitcom, acting on Broadway and in Hollywood, Kristin Chenoweth describes about her life growing up as a Christian in a small town in Oklahoma. She attended OCU (Oklahoma City University) where she took singing lessons and graduated with a bachelor degree in Musical Theatre. After she got her bachelor’s degree, Kristin Chenoweth enrolled for grad school at OCU. While she attended grad school, Kristin competed in a lot of beauty pageants and won the titles of Miss State Capital and also Miss Oklahoma City University. During a semester, Kristin quit grad school so she could move to New York to act in her first Broadway show, Animal Crackers. Kristin eventually did finish grad school at OCU where she received her master’s degree in Opera Performance.

In concluding, if you have never seen a Kristin Chenoweth concert (like I have once), I promise you she is one funny person. Yes, she is less than 5 feet tall but I am telling you, she has a huge sense of humor. She has a phenomenal job putting humor into her memoir, A Little Bit Wicked, so if you do or do not know Kristin Chenoweth, then I suggest you read this book because it is hilarious and it’s good to have a good laugh once in a while.

Trivia Questions: 

1) What is Kristin Chenoweth's real name and why did she change it?

2) Is Kristin Chenoweth adopted?

3) While taking singing lessons during her first semester at OCU, from what part of Kristin's body did her singing teacher tell her to sing from? 

Chenoweth, Kristin, and Joni Rodgers. A Little Bit Wicked: (Life, Love, And Faith In Stages). New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010. Print.

Just for the record: I am NOT the writer/creator of the song Popular! for the Broadway Musical Wicked and I never did write a parody to the song Popular!