Smart Girl's Guide: Liking Herself: Even on the Bad Days (American Girl: a Smart Girl's Guide)

So, I ordered this book in spite of the negative reviews and comments about "stereotyping" and forcing girls into a certain category....Here's the thing: even though its 2019 and female empowerment is taking on a whole new meaning, kids still feel a certain way. Middle school is rough. Period. That hasn't changed in the 20 years since I had to endure it, and personally I found the book helpful. I took the quizzes and answered how I thought my 11 year old daughter would, and I didn't find the results offensive or categorizing.I totally get it if people didn't care for the book, but honestly I read it cover to cover and found the subject matter is along the exact lines of what my child is currently experiencing at school. It covers topics such as shyness vs. low self esteem, which I found helpful. Sometimes, kids just need to read about something on their level, rather than from an adult's view point and just process from their level of understanding. I found the best part to be a small blurb on one of the pages titled "help is on the way." It talks about if you (young girl) can't shake negative self - talk and feelings, talk to someone about it. Parents, teachers, psychologists, social workers, school nurse, etc. I found this especially interesting because it says, plain as day, ITS OK TO FEEL THIS WAY AND MENTAL HEALTH IS HEALTHY! Remove the stigma of therapists, and feeling like you HAVE to be happy or else you're "crazy."I recommend this book. My daughter is 11, she is seeing a therapist, and I did not find the print detrimental in any way. It lays out feelings and emotions from a kid's perspective, and offers elementary - middle school aged advice.

Both my 8yr old and 10 yr old have found these books really helpful. There is only so much advice a mom can give before kids start to roll their eyes or glaze over. This book says it better/differently than I do, and so it makes a great "reference" guide for girls who are starting to deal with friendship issues at school. We have several in the series and have been happy with all of them.

I think this book should be marketed for all the women I know too! Excellent tips and encouragement for all of us to love ourselves. One of the better purchases I have given my girl this year...and it benefited me too! I even have read segments to my boys and I wish their gender had a book about loving themselves on bad days and tips for certain situations too.

Read about half so far. Love all the advice.

This happened to be the second book I bought of this series (or whatever.) My 10 yr old daughter literally did not hardly put it down. She finished it in less then 24 hrs...& NO JOKE=>On a Saturday afternoon into evening-Shockingly! She was actually so pleased with the books, that she came into my room insisting "Mom, you gotta get some more of those book's!"Folk's, these young ladies are growing up in a VERY different time & world when compared to "the times" as well as "the world" we grew up in. Everything's so much faster, so much more stressful & more expectations. Smh. Tooo many damn "influencers" & self proclaimed so called "experts" these days...Anyways, it is SUCH a relief knowing that there are books out here now to help us parents with ALL these countless important situations & topics. I give a solid 5 ☆'s for not only topics but in the tactful & still straight forward manner that didn't frighten or make my daughter feel all uncomfortable at anytime.