fighting bullying one novel at a time
Praise for DANNY'S MOM
I’m honored that DANNY’S MOM was selected as Book of the Month by the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
Former educator Wolf (Camp, 2012) pens a debut adult novel about an American high school where bullying and intolerance seem to be the rule rather than the exception ....brutally honest, no-holds-barred narrative that…expertly blends the account of [the protagonist’s] personal loss into the story.
Wolf writes with insight and authority about an issue that society cannot afford to ignore as she points out that, even though many schools have implemented effective programs to deal with bullying and intolerance, recent cases serve as proof that institutions like [the high school in DANNY’S MOM] do, indeed, exist and that more needs to be done.
––Kirkus Reviews
Once you start, it’s hard to put down.
––Instinct Magazine (lead book review)
Adult readers may recognize their past selves in the fragile students outside the high school’s guidance office...hoping for at least a nod from a reassuring face.
––Booklist
With its themes of grief, rage, school bullying, sexual orientation, hate crimes, and how much educators can and should do to protect students and themselves, this novel seems ideal for reading groups.
––Jefferson County Public Library (Alabama)
DANNY’S MOM is engrossing. I didn’t want it to end. This book will have ripple effects and contribute to improved tolerance in our society.
––Jerryl Lynn Rubin, MD
(board certified psychiatrist)
DANNY’S MOM explores what happens when someone tries to stick up for what they believe is right. Each chapter ends in a way that makes the book hard to put down. Wolf paints a scary and sad, yet realistic portrait of a typical high school community. DANNY’S MOM is a perfect reading choice for parents and students alike.
––Spa Week Daily
While reading this novel, I was Beth. I was back in high school dealing with teenagers and all their problems. How many times did I ignore issues so as not to sway the ship? How many students slipped through the cracks because I followed the rules? I'll be haunted by these thoughts and DANNY’S MOM for a long while.
––Linda’s Reading Blog
There’s been a lot of debate over bullying in our schools over the past few years, but is anything really changing? Perhaps we can all learn a thing or two from author Elaine Wolf, known as “the anti-bullying novelist,” in her latest, DANNY’S MOM....DANNY’S MOM was described as “an excellent and essential read for mothers, adults who work in schools, and the LGBTQ community” by Advocate.com. As a result of her prolific work to end bullying, Wolf received the 2013 Community Upstander Award, presented by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, New York.
––GRAB Magazine and AbOUT-Online
DANNY’S MOM is really a very gripping read!
––Bill Newman, host of The 9 O’Clock Show
With Bill Newman, WHMP Radio
DANNY’S MOM is an eye-opening novel about what really goes on in schools and with the people in charge. This is an excellent and essential read for mothers, adults who work in schools, and the LGBTQ community.
––Coming Out Journal and Advocate.com
Oh. My. God. DANNY’S MOM examines a multitude of issues, but one of the most important things that you should take away from it is this: It’s never okay to idly stand by and watch hatred brew. NEVER.
––THE WRITE TEACHER
From the beginning pages on DANNY’S MOM, Elaine Wolf had me weeping into the pages, my heart feeling the exact pain that Beth Maller felt. Wolf has captured that pain with utmost precision.
––Uniquely Moi Books
Wow! Wolf again writes a beautiful and heartbreaking story of loss, justice, and redemption. Wolf, the anti-bullying author, tackles some very tough topics in this 5-star novel that should be read by all. I feel that this novel will invoke change and encourage people to speak up against bullying and other injustices. I applaud Wolf and her ability to write such honest, moving, and important work. Go out and get your copy today, read it, and then share it with others!!!
––Mrs. Mommy Booknerd Blog
While Wolf handles with grace and ease storylines touching on grief, loss, alienation, and emotional violence, the most powerful element of DANNY’S MOM is its achingly vivid portrait of the dissolution of a marriage. With measured, honest, and unflinching emotional detail that recalls the 1980 Oscar-winning movie Ordinary People, DANNY’S MOM signals the arrival of a major new voice in contemporary American fiction.
––Elizabeth Ridley, author of DEAR MR.
CARSON and RAINEY’S LAMENT
Elaine Wolf nails it again! As she did with the main character in CAMP, Wolf allows the reader to go inside the struggles of Danny’s mom, and through the reader’s identification with her, to appreciate the complexity of other people’s motivations, needs, and ways of managing their own emotions, ways that are often destructive to themselves and others around them.
Danny’s mom learns to grow; she takes on the challenge of struggling with her own confused feelings, her fear, and her anger. She is easy to identify with because she is vulnerable in recognizable ways. Wolf captures the complexity of human emotions –– and she does it in a really good read. I truly enjoyed DANNY’S MOM!
––Sandy Bernstein, Psy.D.,
psychologist/psychotherapist
DANNY’S MOM made me think of something a speaker at our back-to-school convocation asked us, an audience of teachers: “Do you love your rules more than you love your kids?” In the world of DANNY’S MOM protagonist Beth Maller, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Beth is surrounded by administrative types who have lost their way and are more interested in maintaining the image of perfection than delving under the surface to see pain, personified. Beth has been the go-along type as well, until her world is rocked by the death of her teenage son, Danny.
I rooted for Beth to overcome the stumbling blocks to becoming whole, and a new person who finds her voice at last. I was not disappointed. DANNY’S MOM is a book that stays with you.
––Beth Fehlbaum, author of
BIG FAT DISASTER
You think only students have to deal with bullying and backstabbing in high school? Think again. Wolf’s heroine, a high school guidance counselor, fights back.
––The Denver Post
Wonderful book...very inspiring. DANNY’S MOM made me sit up and take notice....I truly enjoyed this book and believe it will give many something to think about.
––MoonShine Art Spot
DANNY’S MOM is one of “summer’s hottest LGBT titles.”
––AbOUT-Online
This is a very good story. The insight into "school life" is right on point.
––Love to Read
Praise for CAMP
I’m honored that CAMP was selected as Book of the Month by the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
Tough to stop reading...rings sadly true.
––Booklist
A must read for teenage girls struggling to enter the adult world.
––Children’s Literature
A beautifully written and important story about bullying and the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship that is a must read!
––mompopculture.com
A great anytime read. This intense coming-of-age novel expertly deals with social issues such as bullying and can really make the reader think.
––Examiner.com
Wow. Wolf captures the darker, less talked about world of teenage girls and bullying in her novel CAMP. This story is deep and complex. CAMP is so much more than just teenage bullying and camp. It is about family, secrets, history, friendships, marriage and tragedy. Wolf writes an emotionally driven story that is a must read for all.
––Mrs. Mommy Booknerd
CAMP by Elaine Wolf is a wonderful book....It’s masterfully written and it delivers some powerful and important messages, without being obvious or “preachy.” I can’t wait to read more from Elaine Wolf.
––KeenlyKristin.com
A powerful story that you definitely want to read.
––Lady Reader’s BookStuff
Bullying is such a hot topic. I give praise to Elaine Wolf for weaving such a serious issue into a story that teens will relate to, understand, and devour. I refused to stop reading until I had finished CAMP.
––NERDY BOOK CLUB
Read this book. Please. I give CAMP five stars.
––L. Gaines, teen book blogger at
“Authoress in the Making”
I loved CAMP so much that I am writing about it at three o’clock in the morning. There’s something that will resonate with every reader. This is a story about the horrors of bullying, the bonds of family, the power of memory, and the strength that one can find in the most unlikely places. Get it now.
––TheWriteTeachers.com
What a well-written coming-of-age story! The family dynamics were intriguing, especially considering Amy’s mother’s immigrant history....the intrigue kept me interested and in fact, led me to finish the book in a day....CAMP would be an excellent book for mothers and daughters to read together. It covers the relationship between mothers and daughters, relationships between siblings, and the effects of grief and bullying. I would definitely read Elaine Wolf again!
––I’dSoRatherBeReading.com
You know when you come across one of those books that really makes you stop and think about not only your life, but the way the world is? A book that grabs you and shakes you down to your core. Shakes hard. It's rare, unique, and to be treasured. That is exactly what I found in CAMP. Elaine Wolf deserves tremendous praise for her amazing talent.
––UniquelyMoiBooks.com
CAMP by Elaine Wolf explores some really tough issues: bullying, strained mother-daughter relationships, finding your voice, and a hint of sexual abuse. These are all important issues to discuss, and a mother-daughter book club with girls 14 and over is a good place to discuss them....I found Amy’s story—she’s caught between a needy brother, rigid mother and controlling campmate— compelling and thought-provoking.
––Cindy Hudson, mother-daughter
book club expert
Blew my emotional socks off! CAMP is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
––Beth Fehlbaum, author of
BIG FAT DISASTER
Wolf brings important issues to the forefront and has created a coming-of-age story that, at times, reminded me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with survival instincts that brought to mind Lord of the Flies. Impressive character development makes Amy a character to root for, and CAMP impossible to put down until you reach the final word.
––ratherbereadingblog.com
The characters in CAMP are so real. I feel very drawn to Amy and her experience of life, which brought me back to my own camp days and to the insecurity and vulnerability of adolescence. I was tearful by the end, touched by the emotions revealed by the characters and circumstances. A wonderful book for young adult readers and their parents.
––Sandy Bernstein, Psy.D.,
Psychologist/Psychotherapist
CAMP should be required reading for every middle and high school student nationwide, as well as for all teachers, parents, and everyone who works with teenagers...and everyone else!
––Cara T. Greene, psychotherapist & director of
a group practice that specializes in working
with teenagers and their parents
Looking for some good reading this summer? Check out our Book of the Month, CAMP by Elaine Wolf.
––The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center
of Nassau County
The subject and setting of the book invite summer reading and reminiscence about our own summer camping experiences. But the bullying theme invites us to read this book to remind us of the important conversations that need to continue in regard to bullying....Read and share this title with your students.
––Paul W. Hankin, high school English teacher
(Indiana)
Wolf can write! Big, bold characters, loads of literary devices. I loved CAMP.
––J. Parkin, middle school English teacher
(Pennsylvania)
My high school students love CAMP –– and so do I.
––Alison C., high school teacher
(New York City)
I thoroughly loved this book and can’t wait to share it with my 9th grade English classes. The characters are complex, and the plot is engaging. It also provokes thinking about how the past informs the present and the power of empathy. I can’t wait to hear what my students say about CAMP.
––Jenny G., high school English teacher
(Massachusetts)
CAMP is definitely a book that should be read and discussed. It’s intense, surprising, and chock full of emotion. It could easily be added to units on bullying and/or familial relationships.
––YAloveblog.com
CAMP is worth losing sleep over. It can create and provide a path for more open communication between mothers and daughters.
––Micki Fryhover, middle school
language arts teacher
A fascinating emotional tale. A perfect addition to any summer reading list.
––Tradina Demary, examiner.com
The book has many sides: bullying, family relationships and secrets, low self-esteem, trust, and in the end, gaining emotional strength, bonding and forgiveness. I loved this book and think it’s suitable for all ages. It should be required reading in schools.
––I’d Rather Be Reading At The Beach
A very satisfying read.
––Ellen Meeropol, author of HOUSE ARREST
CAMP grabs you with its opening line and refuses to let go. It’s a spellbinding story of mothers and daughters, redemption, and the collateral damage of family secrets. I love this book!
––Kathleen Bridge Barry, author of THE
REVENGE OF THE SPORTS WIDOWS
CAMP is a young adult novel for readers of all ages. A brilliant account of a journey toward self-awareness, knowledge, and reconciliation — and a compelling read.
––LeeAnn Pappas, author of ETERNITY’S SONG
CAMP is a classic coming-of-age tale that recalls the work of Judy Blume in her prime with its likable (and refreshingly “real”) heroine....CAMP raises difficult topics including bullying, incest, infidelity, and the Holocaust, but in ways that are always honest, direct, and never melodramatic.
–– Elizabeth Ridley, author of DEAR MR.
CARSON and RAINEY’S LAMENT