Girls Books

I stayed up long into the night to finish this book and it was my favorite book for a very long time.
It tells the story of Francesca, whose mom is suddenly not herself and stays in bed all day. We later learn she has depression. As if Francesca's family life could not get more complicated,she goes to a private school where she has no friends and there are no opprotunities for girls. But along the way she learns about herself and the people at her school and even finds herself falling in love with one of them!
Any girl can identify with Francesca's story and anyone can laugh along with her witty observations. She is one of those characters whose desicions I love. I don't spend my whole time groaning when the character does this or that, in fact, I applaud her.

I have to read this for summer reading going into 9th grade and then write and essay. I chose it because it seemed pretty interesting. Little did I know that I would love it! I read it in a few hours. It's pretty deep. I know why my English teacher chose it. It seems kind of like a typical teen novel but it's definetely much much more than that. I recommend it!

New girl Francesca Spinelli never anticipated finding happiness at Saint Sebastian's. A high school in Sydney, Australia that "pretends it's a coed school by giving the girls their own toilet". Not only is this spunky teen surrounded by disgusting boys, but the only girls at St. Sebastian's are freaks. Things only get worse when an unexplainable obstacle appears. The "Queen of Limitation Placers" (a.k.a "Mom" and "Mia"), suddenly resigns from her position to lie in bed all day. It began with an excuse of physical illness, but after weeks Mia's emotional condition becomes apparent. Her state of depression is tearing the Spinelli's apart. Francesca is with deep grief led to believe the upbeat woman who used to begin the day singing inspirational songs and posting motivational messages around the house had lost her love for life because of her children. As Francesca's life at home rapidly plunges downhill, schools only comfort are her friends. However, who in the midst of her current hardships are real friends is not yet clear. To top off this teen's misery Francesca's heart is stolen by an unexpected love.
Through a book about love, friendship, family and despair Marchetta kept me interested with a unique array of characters and the portrayal of emotional disasters within a family. The author's craft was witty and spunky like Francesca from a first person's view. I don't believe it was written from any religious perspective, although St. Sebastian's is a Catholic school. The pace was average. I recommend this book to female teens and parents who want to remember what it's like to be in their daughter's shoes.

I read lots of YA books, and Saving Francesca is one of my favorites.It is smart, thougtful but fun, happy but sad. I especially related to the author's treatment of depression. I loved it so much that I also picked up Looking for Alibrandi--which is also great. I would recommend this book to teenage girls and women.

I could read this book a million times and never get tired of it! I recommend this book to everyone!

This is a pretty good book because it ends the series well. It shows how at the time things seems important but they turn out to mean less as time goes along. Everyone ends up pretty happy and it was just cool...

This book is OK but not that great. It's unrealistic and doesn't include that much teenage issues besides what they are going to be and do when they grow up. But it is pretty cool to have a fairy godmother who shows you your future and guide your way throuh life :)

out of the 4 books in this series.. number four was the best... you get to see how the gurls evolve... and you see how these gurls really are best friends forever.. it was a really great book.. but like the 3rd chapter i was hooked.. it was a GREAT book.. if you've read the previous three.. you HAVE to read this book..

MacDougal has ended her very-well publicly received Have a Nice Life series on an excellent note.

In Score, our four favorite girls have to come to terms with themselves and who they are. They learn, sometimes the hard way, that life is all about letting go, and branching out.

Sometimes tearful, sometimes romantic, but always funny, and always meaningful. This book teaches life's lessons in a humorous, insightful way.

Teens everywhere will enjoy. :)

In this book Sally, Min, Olivia, and Zola are in the middle of a shakey make-up from a pervious fight when they meet Mr. Mojo, a man who claimes to be there fairy godmother. They're confused, how can they have two fairy godmothers? But soon Mr. Mojo shows them ways to achieve their futures that are much different than Clearence "Lenny" Tearence's ways. Mr. Mojo seems to think that they're on the right track. Should the four girls trust him? Or is he just luring them closer towards there dommed futures. This book was a funny ending to a great series. I'm kinda sad this is where it ended. Like the other four books it was filled with comedy, friendship, and Lenny's funny outfits. If you're a fan of the rest of the series, make sure to add this book to your collection. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

This is a must have for all teen girls. Whether you are pretty advanced in make-up and skin products, etc. or completely clueless, this book is for you! Very well organized and put together, it's easy to read and understand. I enjoyed this book for most of my teen years!

I checked out this book from the library, and I absolutely loved it! It had something for everyone. I would definitely reccomend this to every teen girl!

This book is better than any beauty magazine! I have tried to get this kind of stuff from Teen People and Teen, but Seventeen's How to Be Gorgeous is truly packed with good information. I used to be totally in the dark, now I feel very makeup-wise. However, it tends to be a little too much -- it seems like it limits everything. All of a sudden, I can't do anything that I used to do that I sort of liked. My lip gloss is fine and I've had it for seven months! Then they told me I had to trash it. I like it and I'm not breaking out! So it's a little prissy in that way. But it's still so awesome and cool and I love it!!

This book is better than any beauty magazine! I have tried to get this kind of stuff from Teen People and Teen, but Seventeen's How to Be Gorgeous is truly packed with good information. I used to be totally in the dark, now I feel very makeup-wise. However, it tends to be a little too much -- it seems like it limits everything. All of a sudden, I can't do anything that I used to do that I sort of liked. My lip gloss is fine and I've had it for seven months! Then they told me I had to trash it. I like it and I'm not breaking out! So it's a little prissy in that way. But it's still so awesome and cool and I love it!!

THis is the BEST BEST book for teen girls--it tells you everything about lokking and feeling good. The chapter on hair is awesome--I got so many cool ideas. And theres a ton on makeup, skin care and cool nails. The book is really colorful and fun to read. You gotta get!

Witty and insightful look at sports. Great for both the sports enthusiast and novice alike.

I enjoyed this book very much and found myself laughing at some of the clever quotes. I'm a man, a sports nut, and I still learned new things about a variety of sports from this book. Anybody, whether you're a sports nut or a sports novice will enjoy and learn from Liz's insightful prose.

Finally a book that explains the mechanics of these games in a way that is entertaining and informative. I had never understood the fascination with boxing or Nascar before reading this book. Not that I'll ever be a fan but can now be a part of these conversations at work instead of on the sidelines. I'm already a reasonably knowledgeable basketball fan and still found new snippets in this book. The style is breezy and fun making the "facts" much more entertaining to learn. A great gift for anyone but especially your girlfriends who are sports-disabled!

This book is a great intro to sports for the clueless (or semi-cluess) woman (or man, I suppose.) Musiker covers basketball, baseball, football, hockey, golf, boxing, and car racing. This book truly is basic enough for a total beginner, but myself (not a beginner with four of the sports covered) still found out things that I didn't know, and got clarification of some things I thought I understood.

Musiker gives just enough information to make you understand the game (and be able to have a conversation about it) without getting too in-depth about any aspect. She also gives short biographies on some notable players (past and present - side note - while there will always be discrepencies in these kinds of lists, I found some obvious holes that I think most people would agree with - no Yzerman on the hockey legends list? No Ken Griffey Jr. on the legends-in-training baseball list? But yet, Eli Manning on the football list? Musiker must be from the east..)

Also included are a "just know this" section which sums up the chapter, and a pretty-detailed glossary at the end of each chapter.

Overall, this is a great starter book for those new to sports (or just some of the sports covered) or could be a nice refresher for someone just above a beginner level. It can help you determine if you might have an interest in learning more about any of the sports covered. (If you want to learn more about football, "Get your own damn beer, I'm watching the game" by Holly Robinson Peete is wonderful.)

This book is fabulous! Take it from a woman who doesn't like things being thrown at her and therefore has no knowledge of sports, this book has been extremely useful. I work with teenagers and am amazed at the conversations that I've been able to start with just a little bit of information gathered from the pages! And now that football season has begun, I find myself watching the games with book in hand.
The book is clever and funny (which makes me want to read it because its entertaining) and explains everything in easy to understand details (I've had quite a few "A-ha" moments that I never had when men would try to explain the physics of a fly ball!). Plus, I love the sports related movies and bios on important sportsmen in each field, which helps me to actually care about the sport.

As I am a "gifted girl" in adolescence, my mother is forever buying books about how to identify and parent them. When she came home with this one and didn't begin it within the day, I began it for her -- having this insatiable urge to read any book I see lying around for too long, and also because I enjoy reading things that usually do not describe me or my experiences very accurately. However, this book fit me almost to the T. I was amazed at how well it described me, both as I used to be and as I see myself in the future, not to mention my inner thoughts and feelings about being a gifted girl. Whether you are a parent looking for a tool to help you with your gifted daughter(s), or an adolescent girl like me who enjoys reading gender-related psychology, this book will be invaluable to understanding what it means to be a "gifted girl."

Barbara Kerr's book is of interest to me because of research I did for my book, Where Have All the Smart Women Gone? I did a study of 34 gifted women who had the following in common: a college education, between the ages of 30-50, and identified as gifted by their school systems. We met in focus groups and talked about the gifted label, achievement, and families. The good news was that all of them were grateful for gifted programs. So if you are reading this as a parent of a gifted girl, or are a gifted woman yourself, please buy both books! Kerr is one of the key voices about gifted women, and her book is well worth the read.

Just as most of the other reviewers mention that they recognize themselves--so did I. From falling into the trap at college of the "dating/love/find-a-husband" culture so prevalent at MSU to the lack of self-esteem I suffered from for speaking my intelligent mind, I see myself and even my young gifted daughter in this book. Buy this book and begin to find the answers for yourself and your young ones. A good beginning place with resources to further your research.

I bought this book because of the rave reviews and I was disappointed. About halfway through, I started skimming. Most of the book is comprised of tedious overviews of the author's study of her classmates and several other studies conducted decades ago.

Near the end, I found one chapter - 10 pages - devoted to what I was hoping the book was all about: How to help my two young gifted girls as they grow up. It's a good chapter.

As for the rest, I wish I had those few hours of my life back.

The author also selected several biographies of successful gifted women, and all but two were women who had the benefit of growing up in wealthy families and/or attending fine schools. And we can assume, from the biographies she selected, that a "successful" gifted girl is defined as one who grows up to be a liberal activist and/or lead an extraordinarily unusual lifestyle. And one who has developed what she calls "thorns and shells" - a sharp tongue and a hard outer shell against the world. I don't agree.

She seems to think very little of homemakers, teachers, librarians, nurses and those she says have "disposible careers." These gifted women have apparently betrayed humanity by not becoming scientists, administrators, famous writers and artists, doctors - and rich.

Behind everything the author discusses is her belief "that the rarer the talent, the greater the responsibility of the (sic) both the individual and society to develop that talent." This attitude puts unfair pressure on gifted people. The author is against contentment and finds a host of reasons to blame a patriarchal society for sucking the will from our talented women and girls (though I know many gifted men who have the same problems she claims are specifically female, such as unsupportive parents or making decisions based on relationships rather than on ambition).

On one hand, she claims that the best thing a gifted girl can do is to become self-actualized, but on the other hand, that self-actualization better contain a high salary, titles and degrees, high career goals, children later in life or not at all, and public recognition.

As a gifted woman who was identified as gifted at a young age, I read this book and found myself identifying with many of the items discussed in this book. I found it very enlightening and I realized that I could see my myself and my gifted female friends in all of the stereotypes described in this book. I would definitely recommend this book to mothers of gifted girls.

I AM A HUGE SPICE GIRLS FAN ( I HAVE ABOUT 340 PICS IN MY ROOM!!!!) AND I HAVE TONS OF MERCHENDICE! THIS BOOK WAS GREAT READING AND WAS FULL OF BEAUTIFUL PICS, ESPECIALLY OF VICTORIA, WHO IS MY FAVE!!! READ THIS BOOK NOW!!!!

this book is the bomb.i think it is the best spice girls book i own.so if anyone plans to get a spice girl book they should pick this one.i especially like the geri and emma chapters because ther my favorite.

this book is filled with pics. it has a seprate chapter for each girl. even geri.

I thought this Spice Girl book was great! Mainly because it has an individual chapter of each Spice, including Geri. Emma is my favorie Spice Girl and there was some interesting information about her. I strongly suggest to get this book and out of all of my Spice Girl books this one is the best!!

I thought that the book was absolutly magnificent it tells about each one of the girls in a chapter and it tell the truth about why Geri left. It has quotes from the spice girls themselves. I think that if you love the spice girls yoou'll love this book.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat
the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

Grace, a confident, happy, and imaginative little girl many of us have come to know and love from "Amazing Grace" and "Boundless Grace" is back! This time, however, we are treated to a chapter book, which is both good and bad news. The "bad" news is that the wonderful illustrations of the first two books are reduced to an occasional black-and-white sketch; OK, this reviewer will admit he has been spoiled! The good news is that readers of Mary Hoffman's earlier books ready to move on to the challenge of a chapter book have this new volume. Needless to say, the good far outweighs the bad.

"Starring Grace" continues the theme of how Grace excels, thanks to her perserverence, confidence, and support from a loving mother. School is out, and Grace and a handful of her friends who are unable to be afforded the luxury of summer camp have to find ways to keep themselves occupied. First, the children imagine the old house behind Grace's backyard is haunted and that its reclusive owner is a witch. When the elderly lady tells her surpising story, Grace and her friends realize she is not at all what she appears to be; they all become friends. However, the elderly lady's backyard, with its overgrowth of weeds sets the stage for the next adventure, a safari. Then, reaching for the stars, Grace imagines she is an astronaut, before returning to Earth as a doctor, just as she did in "Amazing Grace." After playing detective, Grace and her friends build a time machine; once again, Mrs. Myerson, the elderly lady, reveals important details of her life from which everyone learns. The book ends with Grace trying out for a role in a play, just as she did in the first book.

This is a story told with great sensitivity, with several surprises and plot twists to make for entertaining reading. "Starring Grace" is a star - a gold star.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat
the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

I liked when Grace and her friends went to the other yard
and pretended they were in the jungle.Because they got
suppiles and stuffed animals and pretended they were real.
At the end they pretended that the yard was a secrect
garden and cleaned it up for the old woman. That is why I like the book.

C.C.

What better way to elevate and captivate elementary readers than to provide them with a chapter book that utilizes a character familiar from the pre-school years!!! "Starring Grace" takes Grace to another level, a story rich in language and real-life situations.

The book does not "talk down" to its reader; in fact, it uses vocabulary that is challenging and enlightening: troupe, megaphone, eccentric, conspirator, machete, paramedic, tibia, bougainvillea, and trilby, to list a few. It also presents concepts that can spurn discussion as well as enhance the reader's life experiences: witness protection, internment, and divorce.

Grace's adventures also display cooperativeness and the power of a child's imagination.

It also introduces the reader to events in history: the first landing on the moon and the horrors of World War II (implied). The problems of the elderly and that group remaining vital in their "declining years" are also addressed within this simple framework of good storytelling.

And who would think that this would come from a book with such chapter titles as: "Grace and the Big Top", "Grace Goes on Safari", "Grace Blasts Off", and "Grace the Detective".

I will, most definitely, be adding this one to my classroom library and my home.

I recommend that you do the same.

I read this book after my 13 year old daughter read it. Very entertaining and kept you on the edge until the end. My daughter found the ending a surprise. Good book for young readers and parents too.

My daughter checked out this book from her school library and she enjoyed it so much she has checked it out again a couple of weeks later! She especially likes this Samantha story because she was able to narrow down the clues and solve the mystery!

We bought this AG mystery and two others for our daughter. We just finished the book last night and our daughter very much enjoyed it. The book kept her interested, introduced her to some new information (because of the historical context), and was a good, pleasant read. For less than $10, it's hard to wrong.

I read this book and so did the head of the school library. The library accepted this book as a test book for reading awards and the girls age 8 to 12 enjoyed it..

The year is 1906, and eleven-year-old Samantha Parkington, along with her adopted sister Nellie, are thrilled to have the opportunity to board the R.M.S. Queen Caroline with their grandparents, the Admiral and Grandmary, on a trip to Europe, where they will dock in London and Paris. They are even more excited, however, when they learn that Professor Wharton, a world-famous archeologist, along with his pet monkey, Plato, are among the passengers whom they will be dining with, and that he has brought with him the legendary sapphire known as the Blue Star. The first-class passengers are thrilled to have such a priceless artifact on-board the Queen Caroline with them, and love to hear the Professor tell of its history - from how it was once buried in a graveyard, to how it belonged to merchants and kings in the old days. But when the illustrious sapphire disappears one night at dinner, Samantha is shocked to learn that everyone on deck is being questioned as a suspect. Soon, Mademoiselle Etienne, Samantha and Nellie's traveling French tutor, is accused of the crime, and separated from her students. Nellie knows that Mademoiselle Etienne is innocent of the crime; and, with Samantha's help, plans on discovering who the true culprit is. But as the seas turn rough, Samantha and Nellie discover that solving a mystery isn't as simple as they originally thought, and if they aren't careful, they may be blamed for the crime before the true thief is imprisoned.

Samantha Parkington's adventures have always been exciting to experience. However, with THE STOLEN SAPPHIRE, Sarah Masters Buckey has managed to incorporate a strong sense of suspense into the tale that both brings the characters to life, and leaves the reader trying to put together various clues in an attempt to find the culprit before our two heroines. Samantha, as always, is her usual kind self. However, die-hard fans will be surprised to see her acting slightly distrustful to the people she cares about throughout the story. Nellie, on the other hand, also takes on a slightly different personality, as she begins sneaking about, and hiding things from her beloved sister. However, it is the two girls interactions with the snobby Charlotta Billingsley, along with her dreadfully proper and jewel-loving mother, Mrs. Billingsley, that will leave readers rooting for the two protagonists, as they defend themselves against various rude accusations, and comments made by the gruesome twosome. An intrepid high seas adventure that proves everyone is innocent until proven guilty!

Erika Sorocco

As a dietitian, I tend to like very few nutrition/diet books on the market--as most seem to be based on pseudo-science or fad diets. This is pleasantly one of those exceptions. Congratulations to Lisa Drayer, MS, RD, for writing such a thoughtful, science-based, interesting book from which anyone 30 (or 20 or 40!) can learn about healthy eating ... and put it into practice.

I thought this book was very insightful. It had a ton of useful information and I would high recommend it to anyone!

I found the information in the book okay...pretty mainstream. Knowing you have to cut calories to loose weight is known worldwide fact.... Finding the motivation is truly another issue. This book guides you in eating in 1/3 portions/food groups on your plate and how to balance out your food throughout the day. I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn to eat better...but as far as loosing weight...not so sure.

I needed some advice and ideas for cutting calories from my diet while trying to lose weight for an upcoming event. I've been following Lisa's suggestions and meal plans and it has really helped -- one of the best things is that she gives recipes and meal suggestions that are easy and quick to make, so I'm more willing to follow them...and I still feel completely satisfied throughout the day even on fewer calories. Another thing that I like is her suggestions for better takeout food, specific to cuisine, if you are eating out -- very helpful!

One thing that I must say about this book is that you have to really be ready to change your diet in order to truly see the benefits. With that being said, once you are ready to commit to it, you will without a doubt reap the benefits of this plan. I was amazed by how easy it was to follow. I loved how she dumbed it down for me and just gave me options to choose for my breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from a list as opposed to count calories or carbs or anything else for that matter. I've only been doing it for a few weeks, but I have more energy when I workout, I sleep better, and I've seen enough positive results in such a shorttime to keep me faithful to the plan. One of the things that surprised me the most was how it curbed my cravings for fast food and the other things that have sabotaged my efforts in the past. If you're truly ready for something to change your diet and your way of life, I highly recommend this book.

This is an interesting book. I really like how it really gives real life stories. It was interesting and got me thinking

What a great concept!
Teens writing to teens, yet I am 51 years old and I am inspired by its content. Keep these fresh ideas coming.

We know two of the wonderful girls who participated in this book. It's been a great way to share the word of God with other girls. The many topics the devotional covers are important for both teens and their families. We have given quite a few of these books away to cousins and friends. The author, Patti Hummel, has put together a great collection from the young contributors.

This book touches on many of the difficult challenges and issues teenage girls face. It was written by teenage girls from all over the United States, who share their personal experiences from their Christian viewpoint, for teenage girls, with one devotion for each day of the year. Each devotion is followed by a brief Scripture verse. I have given this lovely gift to each of my teenage nieces, neighbors, and my son's girlfriend. For those who might be a little too young for some of the topics, I gave it to their moms to give to their daughters when their moms feel they are ready. I wish someone had given me a book like this when I was a teenager!

This book is top shelf. The girls really open up and tell you about their personal struggles and give inspiration that helps. It's written by teenage girls, but should be read by all.