Lynda Madaras' Growing-Up Guide for Girls

The author of The What's Happening To My Body? Book for Girls has come up with another winner. She and her daughter, who also helped on the earlier volume, use an workbook/journal format, complete with numerous science and psychology quizzes. Helpful charts feature hard-to-find information, such as the time it takes to go through various puberty changes. Instructions are provided for naming feelings, sending and receiving messages, and using problem-solving techniques. Perhaps most important, the book works because the authors include letters from kids expressing feelings about dates, peer pressure, parents, school and growing, and allow room for readers to record their own thoughts. (12-up)