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Reader Comments
The
Girls’ Book of Success
This one is awesome! The Girls' Book
of Success says "I can do it, so can you! Here's
how." From page one, stories, testimonials, and bonafide
facts pull the reader into this frame of mind. and
women offer one inspirational tale after another, telling
readers how success ticks for them. On top of it all is
this book's small and light size—perfect for carrying
in a school backpack!—Alden Dean, poet
The
Girls’ Book of Love
As a busy bookstore manager, I had no intention
of sitting here and reading The Girls' Book of Love
from cover to cover. But I couldn't help it!! This is yet
another excellent book from Catherine Dee.—Gloria
Edelen
A must-read
for every girl falling in or out of love. Everyone's heart
is different-yet each can be touched by these pages. Just
reading this book brought me on a journey through every
emotion and love that I've ever felt. This is the big sister
that you always wish you had when it comes to matters of
the heart.—Trixie, Girlposse.com
The
Girls’ Book of Friendship
The Girls’ Book of Friendship
was a huge success with one newly 13-year-old—my granddaughter.
It's the first gift I have given her since she was a wee
one that I know she truly likes; she feels the company of
other girls. This book has assisted me in building a bridge
to my granddaughter. What a blessing and a gift for all
girls like her! —Pat Salgado,
Manteo, N.C.
We loved The Girls’
Book of Friendship so much that it’s our book feature
for August and September. Catherine Dee has put together
advice from women and girls to help you understand and cherish
the most important people in your life—our friends.
. . . This fun book is a great present to your best friend!
—Julie Shannan, Girlstart.com
The Girls’ Book of Wisdom
features quotes from a dynamic group of intelligent women.
Each idea has something positive to offer girls. I intend
to send a copy to each of my granddaughters. —Ann
Richards, former governor of Texas
I give The Girls’ Book of Wisdom
to the girls I visit as a volunteer at the local juvenile
detention center. All girls like presents, and it's a great
ice breaker. Later they tell me about favorite quotes, and,
even better, about sharing their book with other girls and
comparing quotes. I told the three girls I gave the book
to so far that they could leave it at the detention center
if they wanted when they left, but none would consider it
-- the closest was one of them allowing another to borrow
it overnight. I plan to continue taking copies to new girls
I’m assigned. I also enjoyed it myself at age 67!—Jeanne
Ryan, Houston, Texas
Page after page of the best,
most inspiring, most true and encouraging quotes from regular
people and writers, both famous and not.I have gone from
page to page, being stimulated and encouraged, and feeling
like I've been given the wherewithal to carry on with happiness
and enthusiasm. Everyone who reads this book should be most
encouraged. The Girls’ Book of Wisdom is a book
of great value!—N. Lee, 96 years young, Nokesville,
Va.
This book contains the truths that moms want their teen
girls to understand, but that girls aren't necessarily going
to take seriously coming directly from mom. You can tell
them what you think, but it's not nearly as effective as
having an admired and respected third party to get the important
points across. For an independent, inquiring teenage mind,
The Girls' Book of Wisdom is the perfect book to
have in the house. And since moms can use a little inspiration
too, it's a natural for reading on a daily basis with your
daughter.—Jane Press, mother of 15-year-old daughter,
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Having this wonderful book
is like having my own little advisor. The book showed
me that you can turn any experience into a positive or
useful one, and that when life doesn't go the way you
want, you should not give up.—Monica, 15, Monterey,
Calif.
You think you’re alone
on something, then you read this and are like, wow, everyone
really does go through this! It’s like going to a
psychiatrist to get help but getting it all out of a quote.
It’s just awesome!—Grad, 17, on SmartGirl
web site
I picked up a copy of The
Girls’ Book of Wisdom for my eleven-year-old
daughter at an author signing recently. I thought It had
just the right look and feel: perky cover art with bright,
girlish flowers, and a trio of preteens wearing a variety
of expressions I’m relearning is the mood palette
of adolescence: uncertainty, elation, challenge.
A tidy little size, too,
I thought . . . just right for backpack, desk drawer,
bedside table-anywhere she might tuck a treasure, if it
made it to treasure status. It had possibilities. Cheery
pen and ink drawings, a simple, open page layout that
doesn't warn “This stuff is serious business!”
And an overriding optimistic and comforting collection
of quotes on subjects concerning girls: beauty, acceptance,
mood swings, confidence, goals, dreaming . . .
I was right. My daughter
delved right in. She even read aloud several quotes that
made her laugh or sigh. Among my favorites, that I read
aloud when it was my turn, were quotes of the women of
my generation: Gloria Steinem ("Self esteem isn't everything;
it’s just that there’s nothing without it.”);
Janis Joplin ("Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've
got."); Susan Sarandon (“I believe strongly in my
own personal magic.”)
We agree on Miss Piggy.
She’s very together (“Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder, and it may be necessary from time to time
to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.”).
And so The Girls’
Book of Wisdom, with its slightly heavy title (But
then I never would have bought The Girls’ 365
Days of One-Liners-to-Live-By, or some such) has moved
from my daughter’s desk to bedside table these several
weeks. We’ve each picked it up from time to time
and said, “Hey, listen to this one . . .” Good
book; good choice, I've thought, each time that happens.
Makes for good conversation.
But it came to earn its
name, The Girls’ Book of Wisdom, last week.
I've been reeling from a powerful personal loss in my
adult life, one I would never expect a young adolescent
to understand. My daughter has felt my upset and, being
of a sympathetic nature, she's wanted to soothe me. Two
nights ago in the middle of an explanation of why I should
“cheer up,” she told me, “Mom, listen,
the more lost you are, the more you have to look forward
to.”
“That’s pretty
wise,” I said.
"It’s from the book,
Mom."
“Yeah? Who said it,”
I asked her.
“Calista Flockhart
. . .”
And there you have what
makes this a wise book: the keen editorial sensibilities
of Catherine Dee, the creator, because it takes a wise
collector to sift through the material of the ages and
focus it at the hearts of young girls, tying together
strands of advice and philosophy-contemporary and timeless-into
a resource that communicates right there in their day-to-day
lives.
Targeted for an audience
of young girls from about 9-14, it’s a book I highly
recommend for ALL ages. We moms of young adolescents are
just lucky! We’re discovering it first!—Connie
Burton, publisher, businesswoman
My preteen daughter asked
me why all the heroes and good guys were, well-guys. I
was hard pressed to think of any female role models that
would be meaningful to her. The Girls' Book of Wisdom
is full of good ones.—Tracy
Levine, Flower Mound, Texas
I'm a big proponent of The Girls' Book of Wisdom
because several of my students have undergone clear transformations
in their self-esteem, confidence in decision-making, and
overall feelings of acceptance as a result of reading
this book. It has inspired me the way Reviving
Ophelia did, only it's more user-friendly for girls.
With its simple but meaningful messages, this book will
be required reading for my students for years to come!—Lori
Reitman, teacher, Lincoln, Calif.
This book is great for girls with or without
questions about life and themselves. If you would like to
know more about you or how to deal with other females this
is the best book so far.—Jamie, 12, on Smartgirl
web site
Our library has a great resource
in The Girls’ Guide to Life. It covers gender
equity, media bias, sexual harassment, and all sorts of
other topics that would make for terrific units and discussions.
There are wonderful ideas for research projects and ways
to take action as well as resource citations (books, addresses,
websites) that open up a world of possibilities (info.
on women in politics, women in sport, women in history,
women in math and science). Check it out!—Patricia
Kramer, Dominic Mollica School
When my daughter read the
first paragraph (not Chapter 1, just whatever page fell
open while I was driving down the street), she immediately
said, “Oh, wow, this is good! Well, I had her read
it to me and this led to a very interesting conversation
that was enlightening for both of us—for me because
I found out what her thoughts were about how girls should
act around boys—for her because she realized that
I really had been her age once upon a time and had had
similar feelings.
I was pleasantly surprised that she thought
it was just fine to share her opinions with boys and not
be afraid of what they might think. She said she had hoped
they would like and respect her for her opinion but many
times that was not what happened and she was considering
changing her ways. She thought she was doing it all wrong
but the book was confirming her thoughts and she liked that
a lot! This opened some good dialogue between us so I could
share my feelings and experiences with her and let her know
that I agreed with the book. Had it not been for this book,
we may not have had that conversation for some time (or
maybe not at all), and she may have decided to lean toward
being more of a follower than the little leader she seems
to be growing into.
An added plus is that, so far, I agree with
everything I’ve read, and when I can say something
and she can then read it in a book, that gives more credence
to what I've said. Sometimes reading it in a book makes
it more real than if a parent says it!—Gloria, mother
of 11-year-old daughter, Sacramento, Calif.
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