No Biking in the House Without a Helmet: 9 Kids, 3 Continents, 2 Parents, 1 Family Kindle Edition

My copy of No Biking in the House without a Helmet arrived on Monday and I did not put it down until I finished it. I relate to the reviewer who felt she was neglecting her own kids to read it. Thinking I would have time to read some while waiting in carpool Monday afternoon, I was disappointed when they brought me my kids right away. So, I held the book in my lap and I read it at red lights!The book is delightful and enchanting in every possible way. I've always loved Melissa Fay Greene's writing. Her prose invites you in, makes you feel like the people she's writing about are your friends and neighbors. I remember feeling that way about Praying for Sheetrock, too. With "No Biking," I felt like I was in on the jokes, laughing and crying alongside her. I don't want to over or understate how funny this book is, because I certainly laughed a lot. My husband began to get seriously annoyed when I kept wanting to read funny parts aloud to him because he wants to read it himself. "Really, really, this part won't ruin the book for you!" stopped working after the half dozen times I invoked it. But while it is entertaining, and funny, and her ability to find humor where some of us might have missed it is a gift -- the book is so much more.While I have two children, and not 9, I read the book as a mother and learned more about myself and what I aspire to be as a mother. With all the recent hoopla about the Tiger Mother in my mind while I read it, I thought "I want to be a Melissa Mother"--generous, honest, present, loving, pointing my children in the right direction and letting them be both their individual selves and an integral part of the family unit. I also read the book as a wife and was inspired by both the tenderness and the candor of the writer and her husband's relationship.A few years back, I went to a lecture by a child psychologist about what makes a child a resilient child. There were a few, surprisingly simple, things that resilient children had in common. One was that they eat at least one meal a week with their whole family. The Greene-Samuel family has plenty of those--especially as she points out in the book, that no one has invited them over for dinner as a family since 1998! Another was that the children had heard the stories of their family's history and particularly it's ups and downs. With a gifted storyteller for a mother, and with her commitment to maintain her children's connections with their personal histories, their families, their Ethiopian and Romani and their Jewish communities--these will likely be some of the most successful and resilient children ever. Whether it's as writers, musicians or star athletes--I have a feeling we will hear more about these kids in the future.

Originally I ordered this book to give to friends who are in the process of adopting a child from Haiti. As is true of many others in their situation, their journey has been one of equal parts hope and disappointment so when I saw the title, I thought this would give them a more humorous perspective. Before wrapping the book, I opened it to read the first chapter. I was hooked. This books makes you laugh, lets you cry, and, most importantly, causes you to think about the plight of the world's children and the lengths some people go to in order to be a part of the solution. I cheered for each adjustment and achievement made by one of the children described in the book--both those whom the author carried in her womb and those she carried in her heart. All families can be messy, but this one reveled in their messes and turned them into victories. I can't recommend this book more highly to anyone who has a heart for children.

Excellent book! Touching, outrageously funny and informative.It reads like an Erma Bombeck tale with a woman with the heart of Angelina Jolie.A wonderful story about family, love, adoption, poverty and second chances without dissolving into religious drivel and thanking the universe for the perfect family.She outlines what they did, how they managed and what happened to all of the family members (even the duck named Reality). Conflict resolution is told here but in a way that'll make your sides hurt and cry from laughter - then cry from a kick in the feels!This would make a great gift for any woman, volunteer warrior or adoptee.

As a history buff, I have read all of Melissa Fay Greene's books. She is a fantastic writer - one who has kept me on the edge of my seat with her way of twists and turns and surprises. No Biking in the House without a Helmet was a different kind of book - a personal book - but not any less thrilling! Over the years, our families' lives have crossed paths here in Atlanta. We met at a local bookstore buying books for our older children. Our younger children have played on sports teams together. And, one of our sons spent a weekend with the Samuel family at a camp when they celebrated a Bar/Bat Mitzvah for four of their children. Immediately, our son was handed a ball and felt like part of their family. Our household has been as busy as the Samuel household over the years. And, we could totally relate to waking up on Sunday mornings with various extra children asleep all around our home. One morning, my husband, who had returned late the night before from a business trip, walked into the kitchen only to be greeted by a child he did not know. The boy offered to show my husband where the cereal bowls were!After our first child was born, a nurse reminded me that children don't come with a manual, but if they did, No Biking in the House without a Helmet would be an excellent one. Melissa and Don value each child as an individual. They see their strengths and weaknesses and love them wholeheartedly. What a perfect way to be a parent!

An great read about a very unusual family.The basic story is that a family was increased to 9 children by adoption, with different languages and cultures. I felt that the book was too short (despite being a "normal" size), and that it did not follow each child in enough depth. Maybe 9 children in one book is expecting too much?Anyway, it is a very enjoyable read, and it is obvious that the children within the family benefit enormously from having each other.

Really enjoyed Melissa's honesty, humility, reflections and self-deprecating humour. I laughed out loud at least a dozen times, and I cried once too. Very up-beat and touching story about international adoptions and blending those children into a cohesive family with your own biological children. Upon reflection, I would rank Melissa as a very good mother (even better than myself).