Children;s Book Review: A Smart Girl's Guide to Worry from AmericanGirl

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,via the Amazon Vine Program, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.

 This new book is perfect for Back to School jitters and anxiety for girls ages 9-12.


A Smart Girl's Guide to Worry cover

Synopsis:

Every girl worries from time to time. Maybe it's an argument with a friend, or a big test, or a performance in front of a crowd. Maybe it's her body. Maybe it's even something fun, like a slumber party or overnight camp--or something really big, like moving away or her parents' divorce. For many girls, even small worries can take on a life of their own and get in the way of enjoying life. But this book will help take charge over your worries. You'll learn tried-and-true ways to overcome fears and create a sense of calm. You'll take quizzes and find out about yourself and what concerns you, and you'll read advice from real girls who found ways to deal with their own worries. The book is packed with proven techniques for handling worry and creating confidence--freeing you to be the girl you're meant to be.


Review:


Ah the puberty/pre-puberty years. The drama. The tears. The worry and hurt feelings. 

It's gonna happen and if you have a young girl in the house, it can be SO much more stressful than when we were kids, thanks to the advent of social media. This is one of the 6 books in the AmericanGirl book Smart Girl's Guide series  and it offers young girls a great kid to not only understanding what causes fear and enxiety, but what it does to their body and why they react the way they do. Then it helps them to learn to handle their responses, like anger and self doubt. I love that the book stresses to look beyond the mirror and to see the positive, that perfection is not a reality. It also lets girls know it's OK to fail, to learn from their mistakes and to move on to being STRONGER for having made them. In this era, when all kids are told they are the best, it's great to have girls read that you might not be the best, but the experience makes YOU the better person. 

A Smart Girl's Guide to Worry collage


Miss Grace read this book while traveling and it helped her with bouncing back from a less than expected dance competition result, and reminded her to ENJOY the experience and to take the whole weekend as a learning experience and to see what she has to correct and work on. It also helped remind her to pinpoint a goal and to not listen to those who were not supportive. It also helped her to see the fear as what it was- anxiety about how her fellow classmates would see her, and not fear of the situation itself. once she did that, the anxiety went away and she enjoyed herself. 



This book is perfect for girls to read on their own, and then discuss it with their moms or dads. The colorful illustrations are quick to catch their eye, and the easy dialogue of the writing,will keep their attention, and allow for short reading sections, punctuated by fun quizzes, to see what they learned. Sometimes reading advice in a book aimed at them, makes more sense, than mom, or dad, saying the same thing! It, and the whole series, are great for girls, and we can't recommend them enough!


About the Author 

 Nancy Holyoke is the author of A Smart Girl's Guide to Boys; Help! A Girl's Guide to Divorce and Stepfamilies; Oops! The Manners Guide for Girls; and the Help! advice books, from American Girl Library. 

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