Life with Five Boys

Reviewed by Phee Paradise How do You Tuck in a Superhero? By Rachel Balducci

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a parent of boys or a parent of girls or not a parent at all; you’ll love How do You Tuck in a Superhero? It’s a delightful book about a family with five boys. These kids are “all boy” and Balducci relates their exploits with humor and love.

As the mother of five boys, Balducci has written the book to answer the question, “How do you do it?” It consists of short reflections on what makes boys tick and how she learned this from her own boys. But it’s really a lot of hilarious stories about her boys’ adventures and the cute things they say and do. You could pick it up now and then, when you have a free moment, and read a story to get a laugh. I couldn’t do that. I read straight through, enjoying each story more than the last.

The Balducci boys dig holes in the back yard, shoot arrows at the house and climb through windows instead of doors. They always run, make a lot of noise and avoid anything that has to do with personal hygiene. I suspect they are pretty typical boys, but having five of them must multiply the bad and the good. What makes them so amusing is the way Balducci tells their stories. She shrugs when they do something, like hitting the truck with a plastic baseball bat, that would make other mothers lose control. After all, if she hadn’t actually told them they couldn’t do it, how could she expect compliance?

The theme that ties the stories together is not the actions of these boys, but their mother’s love. She likes them, is awed by their creativity and proud of the men they are becoming. The book is not only funny, it’s inspiring.

Pros: Funny, creative and well written.

Cons: It’s not long enough. I want more stories.


About the book

Author Rachel Balducci is no longer surprised when she has to say things in her house like: "I am not a wrestling mat." "Stay off the roof." "You can try to invent a jet-pack, but I will not buy the fuel for it." Or, "Wear something nice—like a t-shirt with no stains on it."

As the mother of five boys, Balducci has her hands full, which makes for some hilarious stories. She shares more than 50 of those tales--from finding her boys climbing through windows, making traps for catching bad guys or rooting through the refrigerator, ever hungry--in her delightful new book How Do You Tuck in a Superhero?: And Other Delightful Mysteries of Raising Boys.

Readers will laugh out loud at the antics she experiences on a daily basis, as she pulls back the curtain on what a life filled to the brim with boys is like for one woman. From the curious scenes she catches her boys in, to the entertaining conversations she overhears, to the unimaginable rules she's been forced to make, this laugh-out-loud celebration joyfully explores the sweet and wild side of boyhood.

About the author

Rachel Balducci is a writer and the mother of five lively boys. Her website, www.testosterhome.net, has been nominated for several awards. Rachel is a former staff writer for the Augusta Chronicle and has been published in numerous magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Faith and Family, and The Word Among Us. She and her family live in Augusta, Georgia.


Available April 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.