Jojo's Guide to the Sweet Life by Jojo Siwa

JoJo with the Bow Bow has written a Book Book! And without meaning to sound like my expectations were low, it was surprisingly good. I say this because we know JoJo as the girl from Dance Moms with the outspoken mother (well, one of the outspoken mothers) who is known for her dancing and the big bows she wears, more than for her brains. And yet this book shows us another side, a side in which she is an articulate, insightful and intelligent young woman.

This book is not about the Dance Moms experience. This left me a little surprised but not disappointed because there was so much other content. It does cover AUDC (Abby's ultimate Dance Competition, for those not in the know) which was the show that first brought JoJo to our screens, and ultimately led to her spot on the main show, but Dance Moms itself is only really mentioned in passing. Instead, we hear about her beginnings in dance at her mother's studio (because Jessalynn is a Dance Mom in every sense of the word), the fact that she was home-schooled, and the impact on her family of her and Jess being on the road filming while her father and brother stay home in Nebraska.

Woven in throughout the book are references to being a 'Siwanator', Jojo's moniker for her fans. Being a 'Siwanator' means your share her confidence but also her code of conduct – Siwanatorz are kind and helpful to each other, don't leave people out, and always believe in themselves. The book also has a sweets theme – hence the Sweet life subtitle – and each chapter is named after a candy. As so many tween books are, this tries to be interactive to some degree, so you can take a quiz to see what your favourite sweet says about you, and you can also fill in lists of things that make you 'you' (and unique or different is ok!), ways you can be kind to people and so on.

The book would make a great gift. It's colourful and well presented, chock full of photos you won't have seen before, and for any Siwanator it's a must-buy for all the insight it gives you into Jojo and her family. I can see it having wide appeal beyond the tween market, too. My (many) bows are now destined for an art display on my dressing room wall, and I now teach dance rather than compete myself – not forgetting I'm old enough to be Jojo's mother – but I loved this book and ploughed through it in no time. It far surpassed my expectations, it has been very well thought through and delivered, and it gets a firm recommendation from over here.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending us a copy to review. For more, positive girl power, have a look at Girling Up by Mayim Bialik for when your tweens turn into teens.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Jojo's Guide to the Sweet Life by Jojo Siwa at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Jojo's Guide to the Sweet Life by Jojo Siwa at Amazon.com.

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