Contents

Writers Nook
Discussion List
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Marry Poppins

Bridget Jones's Diary

Educating Esme
Diary of a Teacher's First Year

Shade of the Maple

Lucky Man

Books by Jodi Picoult Such As:
The Pact: A Love Story
Harvesting the Heart

The Nanny Diaries - A Novel
by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus

Over 300 reviews -- both good and bad -- indicate this book strikes a chord in readers. "The Nanny Diaries" was also on the Bestsellers list for some time, but we put it in our Controversial Books section because of the dramatic difference in most ratings -- 5-star or 1-star -- love it or hate it.

Whether loved or hated, most reviewers seem to have a great deal of emotional attachment for the main character Grayer, the young child the nanny is hired to watch over. To me, this would indicate the character was well developed.

Although the book's disclaimer clearly states the book is a fictional piece of work, many reviewers seemed to take it a bit more seriously - hence the controversy I presume? Well, maybe not... after all, it was a collaborative work by two nannies, so maybe some would have good reason to take it all seriously.

It was interesting to see the total opposite viewpoints of the reviewers when it came to the writing style. Some said the characters were under developed and one-dimensional -- others claimed the characters were so "true-to-life". Some said the writing was choppy owing to the collaborative nature of the book while others stated "the writing doesn't have a fragmented feel at all." Many claimed the book was funny, many said it was depressing and sad. Whew! What contrast!

Personally, I haven't read the book, other than the few excerpts posted at Amazon.com ... the writing style is not my favorite. Too much -- she said this -- she does that -- for my liking. I prefer a more creative style of writing ...showing, not telling... But don't let my personal tastes sway how you think about the book. If you want to spice up your next book club meeting, this might be the ticket. Or, you may actually find yourself enjoying it as many others have done.

PS: For those of you who hate (or envy) the rich and find this to be the major reason you either like or hate the book, I recommend "Rich Dad, Poor Dad : What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!" by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter (Contributor)