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• "I can't imagine anyone not liking this book. Using music in a teen book contributes to the authenticity of the story. I think there are many, many teens that will see themselves in this book and it will help to validate who they are."
  --Ben Franklin Award Judge
• "As if being a freshman in high school isn’t hard enough, Calle Smith has to endure a rootless life with a mother who can’t seem to settle down in one town or with one guy. Told through a blend of prose, song lyrics, and musical references, Songs tells the story of a girl whose life resembles and random-shuffle playlist struggling to become comfortable in her own skin."
  -- AzTeen Magazine, a “Book Club” selection for Jan/Feb ’08 issue
• "First time novelist, Kim Culbertson, debuts with a timely work revolving around main character Calle Smith, a 14 year old misfit who uses music to identify with the world. Calle is the daughter of a modern-day gypsy who is constantly on the move, hauling her daughter to twelve different cities in eight years. The one solid thread for Calle is lyrical, with the beat and words running through her dreams, her walkman, and her journal. The last stop for Calle is small town Andreas Bay, CA where she finds friends, meaning, and answers."
  -- Janis Loken, Bookseller, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA
• "Culbertson writes with great respect for teenagers. Her literary yet accessible prose is both thoughtful and entertaining, an engaging blend of humor and heartbreak. The book speaks not just to teenagers, but also to their parents, to anyone who has been young and searching for their own soundtrack."
  --Rebecca Kochenderfer, Senior Editor, Homeschool.com, Co-Author of "Homeschooling for Success"
• "In Songs for a Teenage Nomad, Kim Culbertson expertly captures the tumultuous adolescent experience."
  --Maui Time Weekly, Maui, HI
• "Culbertson gives an independent voice to the teen genre."
  --Tyler Midkiff, Sedona Red Rock News, Ariz
• "Culbertson has crafted a world true and honest to the teenage experience, with characters you love immediately. Her storytelling reminds me of the classic teen book and movie titles of the '80s, like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, and I'm thrilled to be working with her on the film adaptation."
  --Loretta Ramos, MFA Producers Program, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
• "SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD is a wonderful book. It is a high school classic reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, only it is more appropriate for a slightly younger audience. Calle is a wonderful character and, as the reader, you want her to succeed in all areas of her life....The most unusual part of this book is that it has a great soundtrack. You are able to listen along with Calle, giving more dimension to her character and the book....This is a novel that you will want to experience over and over again, just like a great song."
  -- Teensreadtoo.com 5 Star Review, Reviewed by: Becca Boland
• "WOW!! Rich, beautifully detailed, extremely well written and completely real people in a real world, coping, just as we all cope. Calle is a female kind of Holden Caulfield. There is no hidden agenda in the book to try to get the reader to "drink the kool-aid", just a well told story that allows the reader of any age to feel, explore, and decide for themselves the basic issues of life and love for themselves. Walking with Calle through her life as she explored her options and her opportunities was as interesting and absorbing as reading Catcher in the Rye was many, many years ago. Brilliant work."
  -- Ben Franklin Award Judge

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• "Songs for a Teenage Nomad speaks to teenagers and adults. Culbertson's characters jump right off the pages into your life, and the situations they find themselves in are totally real. Bravo!"
  --Linda Lindsay, School Librarian, Seabury Hall, Maui, HI
• "My readers devoured the book – read it in one sitting and totally recommended it to me. I was encouraged by the level of your prose – not dumbed down like some YA fiction. I look forward to future books….thanks for inspiring the students."
  --Marybeth Colman, librarian, The Marin School, Sausalito, CA

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• "Watching Kim teach in my 8th grade class was a marvel: she has written a wonderful and engaging book and she discusses it with strength, humility, and infectious energy. My students were completely involved with the story itself; its themes and ideas resonated in ways they found important and relevant to their own lives. Having Kim in class brought new understandings and analysis, and soon my 8th graders were relating just about everything to Songs for a Teenage Nomad. Her workshops were a highlight of a great school year, and I know that my students will carry her story, her ideas, and this experience with them for the rest of their lives."
  --Anya Jacobson, Nevada City, CA
• "In 20 years of teaching, I've never worked with anyone who so directly channels their passion, energy, and sheer joy of learning to teenagers like Kim does."
  --Tony Harris, Tech High, Rohnert Park, CA
• "Songs for a Teenage Nomad resonates with the humor and heartbreak of adolescence. The characters are so authentic that the reader--nearing the book's end--is reluctant to bid farewell to close, personal friends."
  --Marnie M., English Teacher, Maui, HI

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• "I am not one to say I am an avid reader. But I decided to read Kim’s book because when she came to my school I really liked what she read to us. That night, I sat down and wound up reading the whole book. I absolutely loved it! I laughed, I cried, it was just such a great book. It was so relatable. Anyone can read this book even if you’re not a big reader like me, I know you will love the book and feel like you really know Calle."
  --Ashley, 10th grade, The Marin School, Sausalito, CA
• "Kim Culbertson understands me. I hear my own voice, my own confusion, pain, happiness, and self-discovery echoed through Calle's narrative. From start to finish, I relate to Calle on a level that I have never before experienced in a book."
  --Michaela, age 16, Portland, OR
• "Kim Culbertson's book was absolutely fantastic! It's beautifully written, with thought provoking passages that make you laugh, wonder, and cry. Calle's journey to figure out her life, herself, plus making some great new friends on the way is an excellent reflection that we can all relate too. I loved this book because I understand what Calle is going through-I have been there, and at times I feel that this book is describing me. Filled with music and memories, you are sucked in. I couldn't stop reading! Calle learns to deal with her turbulent life, the people around her, and a past she has never had a chance to face. This book is one to be read again and again. Eloquent and filled with truth, this is a story that will stay with you forever."
  --Laura, age 13, Hawaii, USA
• "This book was astounding! It was incredibly relatable to me as a reader and it is wonderfully written. Calle's adventures as a freshman in high school were nailed perfectly, and her fears and apprehensions as a young girl raising her mother and falling in love for the first time are beautifully mastered by the author. I love Kim Culbertson's book and I am positive that it is a story that will stay with me forever!"
  --Sydney, age 16, Grass Valley, CA

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