Growing a Girl

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:

First, the book was published in 1996, so it will come across as very dated because it is.

However, there are some things it still has going for it - the strategies and key ideas themselves are great takeaways. At several times the author also suggests several books to support these strategies - from positive heroines, to women in history and science.

Unfortunately, the anecdotes were beyond absurd. The one that sticks out to me above all others came early on when a little girl sat on her basketball and pretended she was hatching an egg, because apparently girls can't play basketball. I don't know why this story annoyed me above all the other stupidly absurd and, in many cases, unrealistic or ridiculous examples. Perhaps it's because for Christmas just a few months ago my (then) 18 month old got a Little Tikes basketball hoop of her own, and has had no trouble figuring out what the ball and hoop are for.

Side note: we still love Disney in this house, and own, (not rent) the majority of the DVDs. Additionally, the positives I took away from reading the Baby-Sitters Club books when I was younger is that these girls were my age and they started their own business. Apparently Dr Mackoff took away something else entirely. 

So, to sum it up, skip the anecdotes and focus on the actual key ideas and strategies offered. Most often, the filler isn't worth your time.

Additionally:

I reread the review just now and realized it does seem kind of negative. There are many positives that parents can learn from this book that would be helpful in making sure our young women grow up confident and sure of themselves. I would recommend the book, I simply meant that some of the stories Mackoff provides are ridiculous.