Private and Personal : Questions and Answers for Girls Only

Rating:
Summary: No girl is completely alone
Review: Carol Weston is every parent's dream -- she's a smart, funny, and very sensible writer who knows just what questions are bothering girls today (including my daughters) and answers those questions in a frank, informative manner. She knows how to talk to her readers, and she knows what ground to cover. I couldn't endorse this book more heartily.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE ONE!
Review: Carol Weston offers sound advice on appearance, puberty, popularity, friendship, family relationship, and love in this question and answer book for girls in grades 5-8. All the writing is garnered from letters received and replies sent while she wrote an advice column for Girl's Life magazine.

Grouped by subject, each question is followed by a brief answer. Weston sympathizes, compliments, validates and advises in a positive way, offering sample things to say, suggesting the use of "I" statements, and recommends communication always. Occasionally, she slips up. For example, a girl who complains of a group of boys who type 60067355 (boobless) on a calculator and hold it upside down in front of her face because she is flat-chested is told "life gets easier after middle school," and maybe as the dorks mature, they will realize they don't need to put others down to make themselves feel better. She should have told the girl to tell an adult, that this is sexual harassment. In another section, she advises a girl who no longer has a crush on the boy she liked to tell her friends thatshe couldn't see what she ever saw in that dork. In other places, she recommends not talking about people in this sort of way! Lastly, in cases of extreme gas and halitosis, she doesn't make mention of medical condition or seeking hte advice of a health care professional. No further reading, websites, etc are cited at the end, although several are mentioned elsewhere in the book. Weston doesn't credit any of her own sources, either. Surprisingly, she doesn't include her mailing or email address for girls with other questions.

Still, this will be a popular book. The tone is chatty, reassuring, non-judgemental and empowering. The fun bright cover features retro 60's style and a photo of four friends of different culture linked arm in arm. There are no graphics, and the layout is very simple, with the questions in bold and italics, and the responses in a regular font. Chapter and section headings have a funky font. While the format itself (an answer directly following each question) could have been less redundant by putting a few questions first, then addressing the issue as a whole, the book is very browseable in the Q&A layout.

While this book doesn't have all the answers, it covers the major ones in a non-threatening way. Sure to be popular with middle school girls -- and the parents who might want to know what their daughters are thinking about.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't have all the answers,covers major preteen questions
Review: Carol Weston offers sound advice on appearance, puberty, popularity, friendship, family relationship, and love in this question and answer book for girls in grades 5-8. All the writing is garnered from letters received and replies sent while she wrote an advice column for Girl's Life magazine.

Grouped by subject, each question is followed by a brief answer. Weston sympathizes, compliments, validates and advises in a positive way, offering sample things to say, suggesting the use of "I" statements, and recommends communication always. Occasionally, she slips up. For example, a girl who complains of a group of boys who type 60067355 (boobless) on a calculator and hold it upside down in front of her face because she is flat-chested is told "life gets easier after middle school," and maybe as the dorks mature, they will realize they don't need to put others down to make themselves feel better. She should have told the girl to tell an adult, that this is sexual harassment. In another section, she advises a girl who no longer has a crush on the boy she liked to tell her friends thatshe couldn't see what she ever saw in that dork. In other places, she recommends not talking about people in this sort of way! Lastly, in cases of extreme gas and halitosis, she doesn't make mention of medical condition or seeking hte advice of a health care professional. No further reading, websites, etc are cited at the end, although several are mentioned elsewhere in the book. Weston doesn't credit any of her own sources, either. Surprisingly, she doesn't include her mailing or email address for girls with other questions.

Still, this will be a popular book. The tone is chatty, reassuring, non-judgemental and empowering. The fun bright cover features retro 60's style and a photo of four friends of different culture linked arm in arm. There are no graphics, and the layout is very simple, with the questions in bold and italics, and the responses in a regular font. Chapter and section headings have a funky font. While the format itself (an answer directly following each question) could have been less redundant by putting a few questions first, then addressing the issue as a whole, the book is very browseable in the Q&A layout.

While this book doesn't have all the answers, it covers the major ones in a non-threatening way. Sure to be popular with middle school girls -- and the parents who might want to know what their daughters are thinking about.

Rating:
Summary: Private And Personal Hits the Mark
Review: I found Private and Personal, by Carol Weston, to be a very lively, engaging book for girls. It offers sensible advice to questions that a lot of girls would not feel comfortable asking anyone else. I would definitely recommend this book to any girls who need a good humored, solid voice of reason in their lives.

Rating:
Summary: No girl is completely alone
Review: I loved this book! It was really great! It helped me through a lot of things and it acually still does! I still go through it and read it. Every girl out there should have this book!

Rating:
Summary: A Bible for Teens
Review: The book is set up as questions from readers and answers from Carol. Many of the questions were questions I have. The answers were well-thought-out and helpful. They helped me to understand things I was too embarrassed to ask my Mom, and I definitely recommend this book to any teenager.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE ONE!
Review: This book is full of questions that I had but was too embarrassed to ask anyone. When I got the book for my birthday, I read the whole thing through but now I usually just reread certain parts, like if I'm having trouble with a friend or guy or something. It's as if Carol Weston is a mindreader! I like her magazine column too. (...)