This review is authored by regular contributor Jennifer Donovan, book lover and mother of two of book lovers, who blogs at Snapshot.

This is the first of two reviews today. Click here for the second one, posted by Janice.

This giveaway is part of the Dog Days of Summer hosted by Rocks In My Dryer. To find more fantastic giveaways head over to Rocks In My Dryer. All winners in the giveaway will be announced on Friday, July 27 at the individual blogs. You will find our winner here Friday morning, July 27.

Here for You

If you have a daughter over the age of seven, you’ve probably already begun to wonder when that time is going to come. You know, the time when nothing you say is right and most conversations turn into an argument? The ages of fourteen to twenty are not years that we have to write off as a difficult phase that we simply have to endure. With effort on both the mother’s and the daughter’s part, these years can be the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Here for You: Creating a Mother-Daughter Bond that Lasts a Lifetime is a perfect resource for you if you want to learn how to create this special bond. It will give you information on the reasons why a mom and daughter have “issues,” as well as steps to overcoming or minimizing them. More importantly, you will learn what steps you and your daughter can take to help insure that a positive relationship develops in these years. The book is written in alternating chapters to mom and to the teen. So even if she doesn’t want to listen to you, she might take the advice to heart if it comes from authors Susie Shellenberger and Kathy Gowler.

One of my favorite parts of the book was reading the simple things that real teens shared. It made me realize how simple it is to create a loving atmosphere that a teen would be happy to be a part of.

I love it when my mom turns up the radio and sings at the top of her lungs–Ellen, 14

I love it when my mom helps me clean my room–Lori, 16

I love it when my mom is just quiet when I’m hurting–Cyrstal, 14

I love it when my mom talks to me honestly about herself–Fran, 18

I love it when my mom tucks me in at night and asks how my day went–Brandi, 17

Other great sidebars at the end of the chapters list such things as

• Stuff I Wish I Could Tell my Mom
• Stuff I Wish my Mom Would Tell Me
• Stuff I Wish my Daughter Would Tell Me
• Stuff I Could Never Tell my Daughter

As the mother of an 8 1/2 year old daughter, I realize that her teen years are rapidly approaching. Reading this book caused me to resolve to create the kind of environment now that will help us share that kind of bond later. If you want to plan ahead, this is a great read for moms of daughters ages eight to twelve (and even gives some specific pointers to this age group in one chapter). The covenant is really designed to be made with girls from fourteen up to a young adult of twenty or so, and I honestly feel like it is a must read if you have daughters in that age range.

Click here to go to the publisher’s site to find more information on the book, including a hysterical video from the two authors that will not only make you smile, but also will give you a better idea of what is involved in the covenant between mother and daughter. The authors also have a conference called Closer Moms and Daughters (Here for You is only the first in the series of more books to come addressing this topic). You can also purchase a lovely necklace specially made for mothers and daughters as a sign of your covenant to build a strong relationship at that site.

The publisher has donated one copy of this book to a U.S. or Canadian reader. Please leave a comment by Friday to be eligible to win.

Congratulations, Sara at There She Grows, the winner of Mary DeMuth’s new book Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. If you didn’t win, you can click over through that link and order your own signed copy.