In The Girls' Book of Friendship: Cool Quotes, True Stories, Secrets, and More edited by Catherine Dee, women as diverse as Madonna, Helen Keller and hospital coordinator Wini Scott weigh in on what it takes to make and keep friends. An inspiring collection. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
What is a friend? What qualities are valuable in a friendship? This collection of short stories, anecdotes, poems and quotes gives suggestions for meeting people, cultivating friendships, making projects for that special person, and learning to listen attentively and be supportive. The book is full of activities such as mother-daughter reading groups, pen pal web sites, topics to talk about, and friendship collage boxes, as well as interesting facts. Did you know that boys usually have a group of friends while girls have one to two best friends? And, the number one quality that attracts friends is a shared sense of humor? Sisters, boyfriends and mothers are all potential friends. Quotes and inspiring stories from famous women, past and present, lead readers to remember their own friendships, funny stories and special moments shared with friends. What is important is to have friends and work on maintaining a meaningful and important relationship. 2001, Little Brown, $8.95. Ages 8 to 16. Reviewer: Janet L. Rose AGES: 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Editor Dee grandly asserts in her introduction that her book, which covers every kind of friendship from best friends to sister friends and even boyfriends, will help the reader to, among other things, "evaluate whether someone would make a good friend," "know when you can truly trust someone," and "become an attentive listener." Unfortunately, the skimpy text containing short stories, brief quotes, and sometimes painful adolescent poetry attempts does not begin to live up to its introduction. Each little chapter has a few quotes, a personal teen anecdote or two, a pal project, and sometimes a friendly fact. For the most part, facts are attributed to unnamed sources. For example, one states, "In a magazine survey, half the people said they liked their best friend the first time they met" without specifying the magazine or describing the people surveyed. Most teens who are into this kind of book probably will not notice this lapse unless their bibliography-savvy librarian points it out to them. Although it might rot adult teeth, this sugary-sweet paperback probably will appeal widely to the Chicken Soup crowd. It covers the same ground, albeit in a much briefer manner. Dee was shrewd enough to include Erma Bombeck's quote for those who have the power to make or break her little collection:"As a child, my number one best friend was the librarian... I actually believed all those books belonged to her." Index. Biblio. VOYA CODES:3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects;Broad general YA appeal;Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8;Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2001, Little Brown, 208p, $8.95 Trade pb. Ages 11 to 15. Reviewer:Jennifer HubertVOYA, December 2001(Vol. 24, No. 5)
An inspiring, fun book celebrating girlfriends. Each topic has quotes, true stories, poems, projects, facts and suggestions. The topics are varied and cover a wide range of subjects, such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "Secret Information," "The Good Fight," and "Comforting Thoughts." The brief text offers plenty of information enhanced by graphics and sidebars. This is a book that preteens and teens will pick up and thumb through rather than read from cover to cover. The author uses many humorous and inspiring quotes and stories, so the advice in not "preachy" or "parental." 2001, Little, Brown and Company, $8.95. Ages 10 to 12. Reviewer: S. Latson SOURCE: Parent Council, September 2001 (Vol. 9, No. 1)
This book is small in format but packed full with entertaining and informative information. The cover, a cool black featuring two women, is very appealing. This is a basic guide to determine who would make a good friend, who you can trust, and how to be a good friend yourself. The "cool quotes" are from famous women such as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Meg Ryan, Renee Zellweger, Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. There are poems and projects, quick lists and facts. It's positive, thought provoking and just fun. It could disappear from your library shelves forever but it is well worth the initial purchase. Category: Education & Guidance. KLIATT Codes: JSRecommended for junior and senior high school students. 2001, Little, Brown, 198p. illus. index., $8.95. Ages 13 to 18. Reviewer: Sherri Forgash Ginsberg; Chapel Hill, NC SOURCE: KLIATT, March 2002 (Vol. 36, No. 2)
Gr 5 Up-This collection of stories, quotes, and poems by and about girls' friendship pulls in some 250 entries from such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey and Madonna as well as from everyday teens. The young people's stories share humorous and poignant snippets from friendships old and new. A "Friendly Fact" appears at the end of many chapters, which shares a bit of trivia. The book is divided into 30 chapters with topics ranging from "The Power of Pals" to "Tokens of Affection" to "Boy Friends." Girls will return to its pages again and again when they are looking for just the right words to say "thanks," a bit of inspiration, and practical advice as well. While nothing new is presented, this well-put-together collection makes a nice pick-me-up for a friend in need or a good resource for one's personal reference shelf. A serviceable addition to popular paperback shelves.-Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.