Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence

As a recently retired middle school and Jr Hi educator with a masters degree plus and a grandmother of 2 girls, 12 and 7, I devoured this book and sent it on to my son (the father of the girls) and sister who has an 11 year old. This book tackles the technology issues that coexist with just "growing up" from a knowledgable and uncomplicated references to the damage that cell phones and computer websites can have on young women and girls. I wish I had had access to this in the early 2000's so I could have been more helpful for the students I worked with. Not only does this author bring to life these issues, but she gives many ways to help girls get through this in a more ego friendly, less damaging way. The book cannot just be read by parents as an easy read for themselves, but needs to be read with the child and teach them the techniques that author has provided to help girls "walk away from" gossip and mean peers with a sense of pride, success and understanding of her place in her social world.

I started reading this book and my only thought was, "holy crap, this kind of stuff cannot really be happening in middle school!" But I sat down my 14-year-old daughter, and sure enough, this book is right on. Which is scary. If you thought middle school was bad before, you can't believe it now. This book is rather terrifying. But unlike a lot of parenting books (especially those that are more like studies of all the things that are going wrong with kids nowadays), this book has tons of practical help. There are great ideas to help your daughter navigate the shark-infested waters of teenager-hood. (I wish I'd had this book a few years ago when we were enduring a particularly nasty fifth grade year.) This book will definitely help me to help my three daughters survive and thrive during their pre-teen and teenage years. I have recommended it to everyone I know with daughters. If you buy one book this year, make it this one!

My daughter and I read this together. It help both of us understand what she was going through. It really gave her insight into what she was going on with her friends. THIS IS A MUST READ....

Every mother and/or father of a preteen/teenage girl or boy should read this book. Not only to identify your child but to get a better understanding of who his/her friends/peers are and how their actions affect your child. There are several useful tools provided to help you communicate better with your child and tips on what language you should not use when talking to your son or daughter. There are also chapters in this book that should be shared with your child. A great book!

My first impressions of Queenbees & Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman were, after seeing the 'Mean Girls' film. I thought it could be a fiction novel in the same witty vain as 'Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen' by Dyan Sheldon, and movie that is just as fabulous, which I both loved with Lindsay Lohan. However, what I found to my great relief was a non-fiction book about teenage life for both girls and boys. When I found the book I instantly had an invested interest in it. However it took me at least six months to finally sit down and read it. I didn't want to rush it. So I read 'Odd Girl Out' and it's sequel 'Odd Girl Speaks Out' by Rachel Simmons first before I got to one of my most special books I've ever read. In fact I'd really recommend these other two books as well along with this one. So it can be like a trilogy, and so very exciting to read. They are seperate books, so you don't have to do what I did and read them like a trilogy, but it helped make them all very exciting to read. While reading I found the subject matter of great interest to me. I was really interested in knowing about the female perspective on life and this really gave me some wonderful things to look for and consider, most of which I do already, but is still worth remembering. Both sexes should make an effort to live in harmony with one another. For years I haven't really been interested in teen films or TV shows, but all this has changed dramatically and I adore them now. Also since leaving school I can refect on the good and bad times. I've found I also have a deep interest and compassion for those in Collumbine High School and the shooting tragedy that occured April 20th 1999. Even though I wasn't there, I care about the American people and high schools. I also enjoy 'Boston Public'. As you can see Ms. Wiseman's book has really opened up a whole new world to me I love exploring. So much so I had to email her to tell her how much I adored her book. Some of her advice could seem repetitive or just common sense, but I urge you to still read on. What she has to say does matter. I read slowly and really hung on every word. Readers who read fiction can afford not to pay so much attention to what they are reading, but not here. I loved this book. I could write about my thoughts on it forever and never get tired. I am not a school teacher, I'm not a teacher of any sort, but I really love the subject matter in this book. I encourage anyone who has read this book to share their thoughts with me. For anyone who thinks school will never end, don't lose hope, it will. Then the rest of this wonderful world awaits. I really want to help in teenagers lives and with this book anything is possible. A book to be treasured like gold for anyone. A book worth revisiting again and again as we all live our lives the best way we know how. No one is exempt from reading this book. We are all special in our own unique way. If you've ever lost your way this book will give you hope