The Inside Story on Teen Girls (APA Lifetools) [Paperback]

Karen Zager (Author), Alice Rubenstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2002 | Series: APA Lifetools

The Inside Story on Teen Girls reveals expert answers to real question s asked by parents and teen girls. Readers will find the wonderful collection of questions and answers to be like having a personal confidant or private therapist who they can ask anything and everything they have ever wanted to know about being a teenager or being a parent. In s eparate sections, parents and teen girls will find useful tips and practical suggestions for better communication and greater understanding of each other plus ways to reconnect with other family members and strengthen their sense of self. But mostly, parents and teen girls will l earn ways to value and appreciate this exceptional and exciting phase everyone goes through to grow up. The Inside Story on Teen Girls grew out of a survey of parents and teens with diverse backgrounds across the country. The result is this book that directly helps teen girls an d their parents and it might just help you!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Psychologists Zager and Rubenstein forged a literary partnership after participating in an APA task force on adolescent girls. They surveyed 1,100 parents, educators and teens, asking their concerns about adolescent girls. The result is a book that speaks to both teens and parents. Designed so that one cover opens to a section for parents and, flipped over, the other cover opens to a section for teens, the book treats the most common questions surrounding parenting and adolescent development. Each of the major sections begins with a letter written by a member of the target group (a parent or a teen), and each chapter ends with hot tips. This approach makes for a comprehensive guide to building healthy parent-teen relations and handling the tough times that accompany adolescent years. Among the parenting topics: disciplining with dignity, managing rebellion and parenting through divorce. The teen topics include romantic relationships, low self-esteem and handling schoolwork. Zager and Rubenstein also provide guidelines for what behaviors should be expected when. With advice gathered from observation, the authors caution parents about the pitfalls of raising girls without solid paternal contact. They also admonish parents against laissez-faire parenting, reminding them that children need boundaries and even crave them. The teen advice on dealing with weight and body image, exploring sexuality and accepting or rejecting gender roles is especially strong. Zager and Rubenstein adroitly delve into the minds of parents and teens, and their book will surely inspire harmonious relationships within families.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This readable book gives sensible, warm-hearted advice to girls and their parents. I recommend it." -- Dr. Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia and The Middle of Everywhere

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 454 pages
• Publisher: Magination Press; 1 edition (May 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557988927
• ISBN-13: 978-1557988928
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must read!, June 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Inside Story on Teen Girls (APA Lifetools) (Paperback)

This book is an amazing tool to facilitate dialogue between parents and teens. It also validates the questions so many girls have while offering insights on dealing with their anxiety. The advice is fabulous. Many of the questions the girls ask are questions that I continue to ask even in my mid-20s'. I was impressed at the maturity and honesty of the women asking the questions. The authors clearly did their research. The writing style is in a language that teens can relate to. It neither speaks down to parents nor down to the teens. There is a real respect for what teen girl's experience and an equally sensitive treatment towards parents. I recommend this book to parents as well as to teachers, coaches, and especially to teen girls. I wish I had this book when I was a teen. If you have a teen or were ever a teen this book is a must read. It is perhaps the best ever of its kind.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Advice for a Single Father, October 11, 2008

By 

Geoffrey Halston (Woodbury, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Inside Story on Teen Girls (APA Lifetools) (Paperback)

As a single father, I find this book very helpful with questions I have had regarding my 16-year-old daughter who lives with her mother. The book was recommended to me by a family counselor. The only problem I had with the book was the authors' failure to acknowledge the glass ceiling that fathers still have with being involved with their children. The courts (at least in Washington County Minnesota) still regard the mother as the primary caretaker and influence in the childrens' lives. Although they don't always consciously acknowlege this, mothers often relegate the fathers to the status of being sperm banks and checkbooks. In this era of high seperation and divorce, many fathers see very little of their children and as a result, it is always the mother who has the greatest influence upon the childrens' lives and their view of men. This book could have been far better if the authors would been more conscious of this fact.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource for teen girls and their parents, May 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Inside Story on Teen Girls (APA Lifetools) (Paperback)

This book is well designed. The questions that the teenagers asked are timely and universal. The answers by the professionals are realistic and and to the point.My 17 year old daughter and I have both used this book as an important reference, especially when we were looking for answers to difficult questions about teen relationships. I highly recommend The Inside Story on Teen Girls.