Class Mom

This is a strong showing from new author, Laurie Gelman. I could not stop laughing. If you are looking for a good, hilarious time than you need no apply or look any further than Class Mom. Jen is my hero. Who knew that Class Mom held the distinguished title of "Nazi". Hail Hitler! Oh my bad, it might have been the title of "Pope". An easy mistake; especially when Jen is talking about "pressing some flesh, kissing babies, and world peace".

I don't have any children other than the four legged variety. Yet, after reading this book I am considering volunteering at one of my local schools to be "class mom". The best parts about this book were the emails that Jen sent out to the parents instructing them on all of Jen's rules. Heaven forbid show more you did not respond fast enough, you would be assigned a task that could include bringing something to a school function, the last time slot on Friday for parent/teacher conference, or as a chaperone on a field trip.

Although, Jen was not the only star in this book. There is Garth, the personal trainer, Don the sexy fox, Peetsa (pronounced Pizza), Asami, rival class mom, Ms. Ward, Max's teacher, and Sasha Lewicki, the mysterious. Laurie Gelman scores an perfect A+ with Class Mom! show less

Essentially chick lit/ beach read, but nevertheless very funny and unique. Most parents of kindergartners are in their twenties and thirties, but Jen Dixon a former INXS groupie with two girls in college, is about to break that mold. Her son Max is entering kindergarten and the duty of class mom falls on her shoulders. She sends out her emails with wit and sarcasm in order to whip up volunteers for events, foods, and crafts. Told through emails and narrative, this book reads quickly and is laugh out loud funny at points. Great for moms breaking the molds or anyone who loves chicklit with lots of good laughs.

I won this book from Early Reviewers on librarything.com, and I am so glad I did. What a relief it was to read a book that made me laugh, chuckle or smile on every page, a book I hated to put down because it was such a pleasure to read.
As this short novel explores the kindergarten year in the life of Maximilian Dixon through his mom’s hilarious portrayal of the class mom, the personalities and relationships she encounters are examined and exposed with all of the human frailties “that flesh is heir to”. Jen Dixon is the class mom extraordinaire, although at first that is not a universal opinion. The reader will witness the interaction of all of the Dixons, with their friends, fellow kindergarten parents, kindergarten children and show more their teacher. Life’s little pleasures will pop out of the story in expected and unexpected places. If nothing else, the book surely proves that we are all young inside our heads, no matter how old we are on the outside, and we all have our little secrets and dreams. It will prove that our lives shine no brighter than when we are happy and taking life in stride.
Jen Dixon is lucky and she knows it. She is enjoying the dessert of her life, as she describes her youngest child, five year old Max, who has just begun kindergarten. She has two older daughters who are already away in college. Her friend Nina who heads up the PTA has leaned on her to become a class mom. She certainly has had world class experience having been one for both her daughters. She provides a laugh a minute with her sarcastic emails, requests and expectations of the other moms, although some take umbrage at her style and do not laugh at all.
Anyone who has ever been a class mom or school volunteer will nod in agreement compulsively as Jen relates her activities and the pages fly by; they will find their lips turning up into a knowing smile as requests are made and duties are performed. Anyone who hasn’t had any experience in being a class mom will thoroughly enjoy her experiences vicariously, taking pleasure in being a voyeur into the life of Jen Dixon as she navigates her home life as a wife and mother and her outside life with all of its various temptations!
Max’s teacher is unusual. She presents a persona that alternates between a sex pot and a puritan. She is full of surprises, and she confounds some of the parents when they try to understand her. There is a parent and a child who never appear for the entire year; no one has met them! There are show offs, flirts and chronic complainers; in short, the book presents a picture that represents a slice of all of our lives, warts and all. The novel was nostalgic for me. It took me back to my days of being a school parent, my PTA days, my fundraising days, school party days and play date days. It reminded me of the camaraderie of neighbors, of watching each other’s children, of car pools and overnight sleepovers. It also reminded me of the friction that sometimes displayed itself which was followed by unity and friendships that blossomed when necessary to support a common cause. It brought back memories of happy children, school yards and school dances. The book reminded me of the dessert of my life.
Jen Dixon was what every parent might want to be even though she could be abrasive at times, because her tongue in cheek dialogue and messages were genuine, she was sincere. She spoke her mind; she was involved, and she was really a nice person when you scratched her surface. She was a joy to discover. show less

A funny and delightfully snarky read about a woman who gets to enjoy being the "class mom" of her kindergartner's class. As an older mom, she's been around the block and she KNOWS what other parents will do to NOT do anything. Along the way, we also find out more about her friendships and marriage. She's a hoot!

Highly recommend for fans of:
Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon
The Hive by Gill Hornby
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
How to Party with an Infant by Kaui Hart Hemmings

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which focuses on a year in the life of a class mom. Jen is a mother of three (two in college and one in kindergarten) who reluctantly gets drawn into the position of class mom when her youngest starts his first year at school. The year unfolds through emails, school functions, parent parties and field trips, and having both been a class mom and seen it from the teacher's side, I can say that this book really gets it spot on!
I loved the characters in this book, and liked the portrayal of Jen as an older mom. Sure, it was a bit ridiculous in places, but it is a perfect summer read (be warned, however; it will put you off volunteering for anything at your child's school ever again...).

Summer is a great time for light reading, and I love nothing more than picking up a really funny book and laughing my head off. Laurie Gelman's debut novel, Class Mom, caught my eye with its title. Since I was a class mom more than once, I bet I could relate to this one.

From the very beginning, Class Mom had me in stitches. Jen Dixon has two daughters (by two different men) in college and is now happily married to "Baby Daddy #3 and Husband #1" Ron Dixon. They have a young son Max, now headed to kindergarten.

Jen gets a call from her best friend and "reigning high priestess of the school's PTA" Nina, begging her to be class mom for Max's class. Jen was class mom for seven consecutive years when the girls were in elementary school, a show more record that still stands at William Taft Elementary, and it was the worst job she had since she worked at Allstate.

Now she is the oldest, "oh, sorry, wisest" mom in kindergarten, and she reluctantly takes the job as class mom. The highlights of the book are Jen's hilarious and sarcastic emails sent to the parents that, according to the author, were based on the ones she sent to parents when she was class mom at her child's New York City school. (She was fired from her position.)

Jen's emails are everything every class mom wishes she had the guts and humorous instincts to send, including rewards for those who respond quickly to emails and punishments to those who don't. They are filled with shout-outs, un-PC statements, and cutting sarcasm that some of the parents either don't understand or are very upset about. Jen does get called to the principal's office.

We meet the various parents, including one whose child is allergic/sensitive to everything (or maybe it is the mom who is that way?), one family who always volunteers to bring cups, and one mom who always sends the fastest response stating that she is out of the office. Every. Single.Time.

Miss Ward, the kindergarten teacher, is a bit of a puzzle too. She is young, dresses way too provocatively for Parent's Night, and doesn't believe in celebrating class holidays, like Halloween and Christmas. Her idea of a class trip is to go to the city recycling center.

One of the dad's in the class is an old high school crush's of Jen's, separated from his child's mother. There is some fun sexual tension there, though Jen deeply loves her wonderful husband Ron.

Jen and Nina try to figure out who is the mysterious "out of office" mom (why has no one met her?) and what the deal is with Miss Ward, as well as work to keep Jen from getting fired from her volunteer class mom position.

You don't need to be a former class mom to enjoy Class Mom, but if you are, you will laugh until you cry with recognition reading this hilarious book. I gave my favorite class mom friend a copy and she agreed with me.

I give Class Mom my highest recommendation- an A+. show less

Jen Dixon has somehow found herself in the position of class mom (what some call room mother) of her son Max’s kindergarten class. This isn’t her first rodeo – she has two young-adult daughters fathered by two different men in her wilder days traveling the world as a groupie. Her irreverent emails and management style don’t sit well with the younger, more traditional kindergarten moms.

I could totally relate to Jen. She’s the oldest mom out of all the kindergarten moms. I’ll be 50 when my youngest starts kindergarten! She has two grown children as well – my other kids will be 19, 17 and 13 when my baby is in kindergarten. (All four have the same dad though – I’m not quite as wild as Jen in that respect!) If I’m my show more baby’s room mom when he starts school, I can totally see myself being just as cynical as Jen. I’m pretty sure I already am. That’s probably why I found her emails to the parents so funny. She writes what I would want to write if I was in her position.

There isn’t a huge conflict driving the plot – it’s more a bunch of little things, just like real life. There are the annoying moms she has to deal with and the big race she’s training for. Also, her high school crush’s son is in her son’s class, which could get complicated if she lets it. I found all of it entertaining.

A bonus for me is that this book is set in my hometown of Kansas City. There aren’t many novels set there – in fact, I don’t know of any others off the top of my head. Although she doesn’t get everything right about my city, it was still fun when she mentioned real-life restaurants and other things. I guess it must have bothered other Kansas Citian’s that she didn’t get everything perfect because there’s an author’s note in the second book in the series, You’ve Been Volunteered, where she says she had to take some artistic license with the setting to advance the plot and please “no more hate mail”. Geez, Kansas City – lighten up!

Class Mom was a quick, fun and relatable read. It’s the first book in a series of four – so far. I’m definitely going to read the other books in this series! show less