Girlology: A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters [Paperback]

Melisa Holmes (Author), Trish Hutchison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

The ultimate straight-talk book for teen girls (ages 11 & up)

According to Girlology, knowledge is power-or more specifically-Girl Power! Whether you believe it or not, there's a lot more to know about the body and the opposite sex. This book will give you confidence and girl power to build you goals, beliefs and future.

In this book you will find straight-talk about:

* Friendships
* Parents
* Sex
* Sexuality
* Teen relationships
* Media influences
* Values
* Decision making

And it does it without being preachy, dull and scientific. Think about it, couldn't you use a little Girl Power to deal with everything in your life?!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Girl stuff. Periods. Sex. Boyfriends. Cranky parents. Friends who used to be enemies, and geeks who are now friends. And what is going on with the body? What do all these changes mean, and why don't they happen to all girls the same way at the same time?

These are timeless questions for teenage girls, but as each generation of preteens and teens faces different cultural and societal changes and stresses, older guidebooks—while still valid in terms of information offered—read as outdated. This book, with its friendly, blunt-yet-calm approach, offers the teen girls of the generation some clear answers to all those questions and more. The authors, one of whom is a pediatrician and the other an OB/GYN, are both mothers of daughters, giving them a wide variety of perspectives on the adolescent body and mindset.

Countering trends of girls feeling inferior or insecure, the authors use Girlology to urge girls to develop Girl Power: developing control and confidence by understanding the process of change, both emotional and physical, as it affects not only the reader, but the her friends and family as well. The book's frank discussion of female body parts and how they change during puberty, as well as how they function during sex, provides diagrams and straightforward language to answer questions that teens may be too afraid or embarrassed to ask. Terminology is clearly explained, from mundane topics such as body hair removal, to mysterious ones such as sexual organs.

Yet the book also urges girls to trust their mothers (who have likely been through most of these emotional and physical quandaries themselves) rather than trying to face these changes alone. The authors encourage girls to learn how to assess what kind of person they want themselves to be, as well as what kinds of people they really want as friends, beyond the superficial popularity roles.

The highlight of this book is its friendly approach and its "hey, really, this is all normal" tone. It's non-threatening and informative in terms preteens and teens can clearly understand, and provides clear information about the risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as the emotional devastation caused by boyfriends and disloyal girlfriends. If anything, the book verges on too cheerful at times, but that is a minor fault in a book that provides so much excellent information in a readable way.

Today's preteen and teen girls can use all the help they can get, and Girlology is an excellent resource for those wanting information, solace, and help.
-Forward Magazine, October 2005

(Amy C. Rea Forward Magazine )

About the Author

Melisa Holmes, MD, an ob-gyn and mother of three girls, is a nationally recognized expert in the area of pediatric and adolescent gynecology, and has also been named among the Best Doctors in America. She has been providing healthcare to girls, teens, and young adults for over 12 years.

Patricia Hutchison, MD, mother of two girls, is a pediatrician with the Medical University of South Carolina in the Adolescent Medicine Department. For over a decade, she has been a constant in the lives of many adolescent girls, and has been named among the Best Doctors in America.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: HCI Teens (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757302955
• ISBN-13: 978-0757302954
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Teen Health > Self-Esteem
  • #69 in Books > Teens > Education & Reference > Social Science

More About the Author

"Can you talk to my daughter about her period?"
"Can you explain sex to my daughter and tell her all the horrible things that will happen to her if she does it?"
"Can you check my daughter to see if she is a virgin?"
"How do I start a conversation with her about sex?"

These are the questions I heard on a fairly regular basis in my practice of Ob-Gyn, specializing in Adolescent Gynecology. Some great questions. Some scary ones. It was very clear to me that girls need honest answers, and so do parents!

I have always been passionate about helping girls feel confident and make healthy choices, especially when it comes to relationships and sexuality. That's why I called my favorite pediatrician, Dr. Trish Hutchison, and we started Girlology.

Through Girlology, we wanted to give good answers to these questions and more -for girls AND their parents. We started offering programs for moms an daughters to talk about the stuff that parents were afraid to talk about - but girls needed to hear. As our programs grew beyond our ability to travel, a book seemed the natural next step.

Now, three books later, we're still passionate about working with girls and the people that care about them to help promote healthy, real-life, medically accurate education about sexuality and the things that influence it.

"Girlology's There's Something New About You" is for girls 8-12 who are facing puberty or hitting their puberty stride. "Girlology: A Girl's Guide to STuff that Matters" is for middle school and junior high school girls. It covers sex, relationships, decision making, emerging sexuality and girl power. Our book for high school girls, "Hang Ups, Hook Ups & Holding Out" answers questions that high school girls have been asking us for years about sex, boys, dating, birth control, and STDs.

We always encourage parents to pre-read our books or read them along with your girl. That alone will start a lot of conversations that matter!

Check out the Girlology community and our programs at www.girlology.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have resource for any adolescent girl, November 28, 2005

By 

Dad of Daughters (SC,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girlology: A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters (Paperback)

As a obstetrican/gynecologist AND parent of one teen daughter and one preteen daughter, I have to say that this is a MUST have for any adolescent girl in today's society. I applaud these authors for tackling this often avoided topic. This is the most infomative and "teen-friendly" source available. It is written in such a way that it speaks to girls in a language they can understand and appreciate. While there are other resources that address similar issues, this is the only book that speaks to today's teens about tough issues that were uncommon in my generation. Whether we as parent's like it or not, our kids are exposed to more than we could ever imagine and at younger and younger ages.
This is a great book to read with your daughter (as we have with ours) and a great opportunity to open dialogues in your home. I highly recommend this to all my adolescent patients and their parents.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To Give when girl is ready, July 21, 2009

By 

S. J Parker (Edmond, Ok) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girlology: A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters (Paperback)

I'm sure my daughter will be reading this with my granddaughter soon. She'll be 9 next month & has been asking questions about biology since age 4. We've read many younger body books. We've talked about proper names for her body parts (which not only includes her vagina, vulva, clitoris but also her bladder, liver, various bones, parts of her mouth/throat, etc. The knowledge she possesses has been a great help on visits to the doctor. Rather than saying something hurts, she names the part that hurts or itches.

The prior reviewer said to wait til she's 16 before reading this book. In my opinion, that's far too old. Girls are maturing much earlier these days. I know a girl who got her period at age 11.

If she's ready, she'll listen. She may only be ready for parts of the book. I personally feel this is a good book to read WITH preteens. I'll feel much more comfortable knowing my granddaughter possesses good knowledge rather than hearsay from friends.

I'm a mother of 4 and granddmother of 6. From personal experience, In the late 60's, I never learned how to say "no". I had a boyfriend at 15 & we learned together. Was engaged at 16, which didn't last long ( I did get smart here) but never told my parents. My mother handed me a 500 page Biology book at 16 of which I read a page & laughed to myself, knowing I already knew everything. My best friend became pregnant at 16 & dropped out of high school. I got pregnant at late 17 & had an abortion at 18. Actually this sounds like kids today. Forty years later not much has changed.

I'd also been sexually harassed at age 14 by a friend of my best friends parents. I told the mother of my friend. She did nothing. Was sexually approached & intimidated by 2 male employers at the age of 14-16, 2 of my 3 part-time jobs. I was also drugged & date-raped at 19, by a reputable co-worker, my Supervisor. All of these things were happening to other girls but no one ever talked about it. There were no words for date-rape, sexual harassment, molestation by family or family friends or stalkers.

Now we have laws protecting minors & women. There's also much information about teen pregnancy & prevention. It's great that its out there, but what use is it if girls don't know.

Yes, I believe this book is well written with good art. A very small part of it talks about sex. In this book you'll find straight talk about Friendships, parents, sexuality, teen relationships, media influences, values & decision making - are discussed. It does it without being preachy, dull and scientific.

This book will give girls confidence and "girl power" to build goals, beliefs and their future.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stuff I wish I was taught, May 16, 2009

By 

Melissa Willey "Mom of 4 girls" (Marysville, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girlology: A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters (Paperback)

I wish I had been given this info when I was a preteen! I read through this book before giving it to my 9 1/2yr. old daughter. I choose which chapters to share with her and will add more when I think she can handle it. Some of the information is quite explicit but it is information that our daughters will get from their friends - and probably wrong too! I think that this is a great book and it's well written so that young "women" can understand it.