Middle school and girls. Possibly nothing strikes terror in the heart of a parent more than the middle school years with girls. Quite frankly, most adults are so skittish about, the girls themselves are worked up into a frenzy before ever entering middle school.
Your daughter’s middle school will probably give her a student handbook. What if there were a handbook designed to help her navigate all of the issues that happen during those middle school years? The Girl’s Guide to Conquering Middle School by Erica and Jonathan Catherman attempts to do just that.
The book is divided into a hundred or so short two page entries on a variety of topics. One page is a black and white drawing, so for girls who aren’t fans of reading, there’s not a lot of text to conquer.
The entries cover every topic imaginable from the ever dreaded locker to body odor, boys and even mean girls. The information shared is basic – perhaps too basic for girls who are a little more sophisticated. Unfortunately, for those who are struggling and need the help, the drawings are mainly filler. In the locker locks entry for example, they write out how to turn the lock to put in the combination, but the drawing doesn’t illustrate the instructions.
A few of the entries make me really wonder how well the authors know teen girls. There is an entry on farting, for example. While I am not a fan of the word to begin with, the topic is not one which normally concerns teen girls – unless the boy next to them is doing it.
Other entries are overly simplistic. The one on mean girls for example tries to handle the topic in two short paragraphs. And don’t even get me started on their advice about dating.
The concept behind this book is great, but unfortunately the execution is only mediocre. Even the style of the book would not appeal to the average middle school girl of today.
While this book probably won’t hurt your middle school daughter, it’s probably not going to help her a lot either. On the other hand, if she is overly stressed, this book may help her realize middle school may not actually be too tough.
A copy of this book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest review. An affiliate link is included for your convenience.