Book Review and Giveaway - Girlology - There's Something New...

I was sent a copy of Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up to review and can offer THREE of my readers copies of their own!

My first thought when I was asked to review this book was, I am definitely going to get Robyn's perspective on it - even though I knew that we'd already passed the major milestones outlined in the book, I thought that her insights into the Tween world would be invaluable in writing this review... but before we get there, I'll introduce you to what the publisher has to say:

GIRLOLOGY: THERE'S SOMETHING NEW ABOUT YOU arms girls with knowledge and empowerment so they can later make responsible, healthy choices.  The book has great stories in addition to the advice, so readers can relate to the various scenarios the girls in the book are experiencing: Claire thinks she'll never develop; Lily is embarrassed to shop for her first bra; Riley is mortified when she gets her period at her dad's house; Brianna doesn't know what to say when the boys tell her she has a "nice rack"; and Tess is worried about whether or not her tampon will stay in at the swim meet.  With cool graphics, quizzes and tips, Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up will help any girl make sense of a very confusing time.


My review:


I was right, Robyn's perspective was a great asset to writing this review.  The book is aimed at young girls in grades 3-6 (ages 8-11) who are just starting to deal with issues surrounding puberty.  It uses scenarios that girls can relate to, and language that is modern and flows well.  There is enough information contained in the book to provide a starting place for girls to learn about what is happening to their bodies, and those of their friends who might be developing at a different rate than they are, without being overwhelming or worse, patronizing.


Robyn and I didn't really use a book as a starting place when she was questioning puberty - we just jumped right in and dealt with issues as they arose, and kept the conversation flowing with regular check ins to make sure she was okay with her body and its changes.  We were lucky in one sense, that she was on the later end of most of the changes that puberty brought, so she had a ready source of places to look for questions about her friends and their changes, but I imagine that broaching the subject with younger girls who are already experiencing some of puberty's gifts might be more difficult.


I think it would also be great for parents who aren't quite sure what level their girls are at in the learning process - if they've gotten good advice or bad from friends and rumors, or what they've been told in school health sessions.  Reading the book opens up talking points and the quizzes are one way to get honest feedback about how the girls feel and what they know.


Robyn found that she w
as beyond the book, at 12 and having experienced her period, hormonal and other changes already, that there wasn't as much she could learn from the book, but she did say that she'd recommend it for younger girls as a cool way to start talking about the issues to do with growing up.


One of the other things I liked about Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up -is that it's written by doctors so that you know the factual information is as accurate as is available and that research has gone into the writing of the book.


To find out more about Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up you can check out: www.girlology.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Melisa Holmes, M.D., is an ob-gyn and a nationally recognized advocate for adolescent health. Trish Hutchison, M.D., is a pediatrician with a passion for adolescents. As trusted physicians with over 25 years of clinical experience between them, both have been named among the Best Doctors in America.  They are the authors of A Girl's Guide to Stuff That Matters and Hang-Ups, Hook-Ups, and Holding Out.  

Now for the giveaway:

There are three copies of Girlology's There's Something New About You: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up available to be won from Acting Balanced.  This giveaway will run until October 25th at 11:59 PM EST and the winners will be announced 

Mandatory Entry: 

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