Blog Tour: Hot Buttons Series by Nicole O'Dell

About the books: 

Nicole O'Dell helps address the Hot Buttons in teens' lives before the issues become problems. From dating to drugs, modesty to purity, morals to popularity, teens face all sorts of tough issues. How teens respond to these hot-button issues can have lasting effects on who they want to be and who they actually become. What if parents can help their teens prepare for these hot buttons-before the issues become a problem?

The uniquely packaged Hot Buttons Series is an accessible, quick-reference resource that parents can use to equip their children to make the right decisions, even in the face of peer pressure and outside influences. More than just another how-to manual, Hot Button Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.

Author, mom, and broadcaster, Nicole O'Dell provides short scenarios followed by three or four responses that a teen might choose in that particular situation. Parents are then encouraged to help their children explore the issue, ask questions, and discuss the options, so when a similar situation comes up in real life, the teens are already prepared to respond.

Hot Buttons Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.

Hot Buttons Internet Edition helps parents prepare their teens for online challenges they may face. Topics discussed include: internet activity, file sharing, social networking, and internet predators.

Hot Buttons Drug Edition braves the scary world of substance abuse, equipping parents with facts, warning signs, and real-world scenarios on: alcohol; Marijuana and other drugs; inhalants; and prescription drugs.

Hot Buttons Sexuality Edition offers the facts about teen sexuality, backed by statistics; specifics for how to talk frankly about sex with your kids, discussion about the growth of homosexuality and bisexuality among teens; and compassionate advice for guiding your teen to reclaim purity.

Link to buy books: http://ow.ly/esojj 

 

Meet Nicole: Youth-culture expert, Nicole O'Dell is the host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk and the founder of Choose NOW Ministries, dedicated to guiding teens through tough issues and helping parents encourage good decisions.

On air, O'Dell covers peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, and anything else that comes up along the way. Nicole writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life's tough choices.
As an author, O'Dell writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her popular YA fiction includes the Diamond Estate Series and the Scenarios for Girls interactive books that feature alternate endings, allowing young girls to decide the outcome for the main character. Her nonfiction for teens includes Girl Talk, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular advice column.

While her YA resources encourage and equip teens, Nicole also works to bridge the communication gap between teens and their parents. The Hot Buttons series helps parents discuss tough issues with their tweens and teens before the issues pop up in real life. Watch for future Hot Buttons books on subjects like bullying, image, prejudice, friendships, politics, and more.
O'Dell, resides in Paxton, IL, with her husband and six children-the youngest of whom are toddler triplets.

Find out more about Nicole at http://nicoleodell.com.

My Review:
Nowadays, teens and pre-teens are facing challenges that aren't quite the same as what their parents and grandparents faced. But don't be scared; be prepared! These books will help you do just that. The author encourages parents to be proactive and not wait around to be reactive. We all want our kids to make wise, Godly decisions and avoid making mistakes. Based on Biblical principles, Nicole O'Dell warns and guides parents to teach, train, and protect their kids from various dangers. Each book is divided into 4 sections: addressing why, when, and how; identifying the hot buttons; showing ways we can help equip our kids; parent-teen study guide which includes confession, forgiveness, and clean slate. I really like the "Strategic Scenarios" which are "real life" situations related to the issues. They give parents opportunities to discuss with kids how they would respond. I've tried some out with my 14 yo son and 11 yo son. We had a lively discussion and I've been very pleased with their discernment so far. By the way, these books help me be extremely thankful that we homeschool our kids :). So many issues mentioned in the books don't apply to our kids because they are homeschooled. However, I still want to be well prepared and I don't want to assume that my kids won't ever be affected by these. It's better for them to know in advance what to do than to run into these troubles later by themselves unguarded and clueless. These books are excellent tools for parents! Practical and insightful! I think these books are "hot" because they offer valuable and important advice for parents regarding issues none can afford to ignore.

~I received these books for free via Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. To find other reviews of these books, visit here.