A Smart Girl’s Guide: Boys: Surviving Crushes, Staying True to Yourself, and other (love) stuff by American Girl

Book Review

A short overview of this book

A Smart Girl’s Guide: Boys: Surviving Crushes, Staying True to Yourself, and other (love) stuff by American Girl is a book for girls who are starting to think about boys or who have friends who are already liking boys.

This is a book for girls who are starting to like boys, or whose friends are liking boys. It assumes that your girl will like boys. Therefore it doesn’t talk about same-sex attraction at all but the information would still be relevant in regards to liking someone in a special way. A good book that talks about what having a boyfriend can mean (with no mention of the sexual part ).

Sexual intercourse IS NOT talked about at all.

THIS BOOK HAS BEEN UPDATED SINCE THIS REVIEW

Ideal Age

Ideal for children aged 8 to 12 years.

Buy this book

Buy a copy of A Smart Girl’s Guide: Boys: Surviving Crushes, Staying True to Yourself, and other (love) stuff by American Girl from Amazon.

Video Transcription

A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener

Hey there! Cath Hak from Sex Ed Rescue here, and today I want to chat with you all about this awesome book called A Smart Girls Guide to Boys by American Girl. It’s been around since 2001, but the updated version from 2013 is the latest and greatest. Let me tell you, it’s a classic!

This book is perfect for when you start noticing your daughter coming home and talking about boys or crushes. It’s designed to be super safe and assumes that your daughter is interested in boys, so it doesn’t cover anything about girls liking girls. These books are all about keeping things comfortable and not upsetting anyone.

Now, I’m an Aussie, so I don’t usually dive into American Girl books. We don’t have the magazines or dolls readily available here, and let’s be honest, those dolls can be pretty pricey! Personally, I’d rather invest in books like this than spend a fortune on dolls.

So, what’s inside this book? Lots of really good information! My own daughter just started high school at twelve, and she’s been coming home talking about girls having boyfriends and wondering what it all means. We had a great chat about my own experiences and what she wants for herself. This book covers topics like getting to know a boy, understanding what they want, and how to let them know you’re interested. It’s all very safe and doesn’t touch on sex at all.

The book also covers things like changing interests, dealing with friends who suddenly prioritize their boyfriends, and even basics like kissing and touching. It addresses questions like why people pair off, how to keep secrets, and how to maintain a friendship with a boy. It even touches on peer pressure, parties, and dances.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the question of whether or not your daughter should have a boyfriend. This book explores that topic too, along with the concept of secrets. As a parent, I think books like this are fantastic because, let’s face it, it’s been a while since we were in school and we might have forgotten some things. Reading this book brought back memories and reminded me of what it’s like for my own daughter. It’s a great resource for both of us. It normalizes these experiences and lets her know she’s not alone in wondering about all this stuff. That’s what I love about books like these – they’re powerful tools that make growing up a little easier for our kids by providing good information. We want them to have reliable sources instead of relying on the internet for answers, right?

By the way, sorry about the short video and the dog in the background. Luckily, the kids are out playing at school right now, but they’ll be back any minute. So, I’ll wrap this up for now.

To sum it all up, this book is a great resource for talking about boys with your daughter. My poor girl has been reading so many American Girl books lately! Anyway, I hope this helps. Cheers!

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