The Blueprint for My Girls: How to Build a Life Full of Courage, Determination, & Self-love [Paperback]

Yasmin Shiraz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2003

Have you ever wished that someone had told you ahead of time how a problem could be avoided?

Do you feel like no one understands where you're coming from?

Now there's a blueprint that can offer you comfort, motivation, and real solutions.

When Yasmin Shiraz launched Mad Rhythms, a hip-hop magazine aimed at college students, she visited youth organizations and colleges across the country to teach young people how to effectively pursue their dreams. Drawn to Yasmin's confidence and determination, young women in particular sought her opinion on topics such as body image, popularity, dating, sexuality, child-parent relationships, and social and academic pressures. Yasmin could easily speak to those issues. She struggled with many of the same concerns when she was younger.

Inspired by the common threads connecting each generation, Yasmin developed The Blueprint for My Girls to help young women discover who they are, develop a sense of self, and stay positive. In the book, Yasmin pairs her personal stories with 99 "expressions" designed to help readers deal with situations they may not feel comfortable discussing with friends and family. Each expression is accompanied by exercises to help readers progress on their journey.

Staying real without being preachy, The Blueprint for My Girls will be a solution giver, a problem solver, and a friend in need for generations to come.

Editorial Reviews

Review

India Arie singer/songwriter This book is a beautiful tool for the continuation of the restoration of pride into our young women.

About the Author

Yasmin Shiraz is the former publisher of Mad Rhythms magazine. She is also the founder of College Entertainment, Inc. and president of The Signals Agency. Her website is www.yasminshiraz.net. She resides in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (December 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743252144
• ISBN-13: 978-0743252140
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Yasmin Shiraz is the President of Still Eye Rise Pictures, an independent production company which films educational and thought provoking documentaries that chronicle the lives, traumas and experiences of youth. Her first production, Can She Be Saved?, a documentary that examines violence among middle school girls, was an official selection of the 2009 Roxbury Film Festival and recently won a 2009 Indie Award of Merit from IndieFest.

Yasmin Shiraz is the Award winning Author of Retaliation a novel about a community's response to youth violence. In 2009, it was selected as one of the top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the American Library Association. She is the author of The Blueprint for My Girls: How To Build A Life Full of Courage, Determination & Self Love (Simon and Schuster) and five other books. Her best selling "Blueprint" empowerment series is utilized as a self esteem, motivational, and educational tool at middle and high schools, after school programs, non-profit youth centers, as well as Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the country.

Shiraz conducts youth educational programs with various community partners. Shiraz's programming clients include: The YWCA, Girls Inc, The Philadelphia African American Children's Bookfair, Congressman Elijah Cummings Teen Youth Summit, The University of Delaware, Girl Scouts, Syracuse University's Sisters Empowering Sisters Conference, The US Postal Service, Planned Parenthood, Essence Music Festival, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The WNBA's Washington Mystics and Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Her topics include: violence prevention, self esteem, success and motivation, healthy relationships, and entrepreneurship.

The popularity of her "Blueprint" workshops for middle school, high school and college audiences lead Shiraz to become a highly sought after radio & TV youth expert appearing on FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS news affiliates nationwide. Ebony, Essence, CosmoGirl! and Teen People magazines have featured reviews of Shiraz's Blueprint books and/or have asked her to contribute to advice articles for teens.

A sociologist by trade, Yasmin Shiraz has studied women's issues, youth issues, urban conditions, social problems concerning minority populations, violence against women, disparities in the US educational system, and blue collar vs. white collar crimes. She applies her sociology training in educating and working with youth throughout the nation.

Shiraz is on the advisory board of Ten Red Rockets--a literacy initiative--, a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and the American Screenwriters Association. She is a graduate of Hampton University and Morehead State University, respectively, having received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sociology. In addition, she has studied screenwriting with the head of Yale's creative writing department.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something to talk about, March 21, 2005

By 

geelow - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blueprint for My Girls: How to Build a Life Full of Courage, Determination, & Self-love (Paperback)

This is a really good book, it also gives the young ladies an opportunity to communicate their thoughts ideas and feelings in writing, focusing on courage, determination and self love, which is so important for the 13 to 17 year old age group. I brought this book after meeting Yasmin at a book signing at karabu book store. My daughter read the book, took it to school and shared it with her classmates, they loved the book as well, and so did her teachers, they all said they wanted the book and been working on the testimonies individually and then discussing them as a group. this provides the girls with expression and communication and letting them know they are not alone with issues and concerns they have, also it again emphasizes self love.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INCREDIBLE AND INSPIRATIONAL, April 12, 2004

By 

marisol (ATLANTA GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blueprint for My Girls: How to Build a Life Full of Courage, Determination, & Self-love (Paperback)

YASMIN SHIRAZ IS A INCREDIBLE PERSON,WRITER,AND SPEAKER.I ENCOURAGE WOMEN OF ALL BACKGROUNDS,RACE,AGE AND RELIGION,TO READ THIS BOOK.IT HAS ALSO INSPIRED ME IN MANY WAY'S THAN ONE.I'AM A STUDENT AT EMORY UNIVERSITY FOR MEDICINE.ON MEETING YASMINE SHIRAZ AND READING HER BOOK.I RECOMMEND ,THIS BOOK TO ALL WOMEN OF COLOR.A WONDERFULL AND INSPIRING BOOK TO ALL WOMEN.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TTTMD reviews a star !, September 4, 2005

By 

Martha Brogdon "Martib" (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blueprint for My Girls: How to Build a Life Full of Courage, Determination, & Self-love (Paperback)

I have a teen group called Teens Trying To Make a Difference, I ordered it to work with my girls an they really love the book.
It has been a big help with my program. I have 37 girls in my group but i could only afford to buy 9 books. I buy everything for my girls out of my pocket. We are very pleased with them.