(More Than) Grrrl Power! Girls Studies at UCF

I was definitely glad to see that our professor, the lovely Leandra Preston, aka Leila, decided that we should conduct our our posting on a blog as opposed to communicating over WebCT, (which I support because my.ucf applications are a tedious excuse for social networking.) So when it asked me to sign into my account. I figured I must have had an account, and to my surprise my e-mail search results yielded to me my short-lived but memory-packed blog from high school. I was quite surprised, and happy, with my 17-year old writings and rants. 17 was not that long ago, but from the perspective of girlhood and growing up, the surprising difference was... a p leasant surprise. It was almost like a small gift that went along with the course- Girls Studies and here, your blog from when you were still a girl in high school. The class itself was quite a profound experience, also an unexpected surprise. As I mention in my service learning reflection, it was/is awesome to see, hear about, and ...

I chose this title because throughout this semester I have felt like the grrrlz studies class has been sacred ground for us. In the times leading up to class we do readings which expand our minds and make us think critically. When we can’t be together in person we use new age communicative tools (the interwebz) to keep in touch with one another. And right before class we come together to share what we have learned. And we always leave with newfound information that makes us all the wiser. I know that I for one will try to continue my foray into grrrlz studies because I feel after our months together I’m still not finished. While taking this course I found that I still have residual growing pains left over from adolescence and that until I get over them I won’t be able to completely understand grrrlz studies. I learned so much from this course about how to speak with grrrlz and how to relate to them. However, in my actual interactions with grrrlz I found myself falling short. And I thin...

I don't really know how to convey how amazing of a class Girls Studies has been for me. This post isn't going to do it justice and is going to be all over the place. I was not initially registered in the course. I didn't want to go all the way to Cocoa and a million other excuses as to why I should be in another class instead, all rebutted by my friends who were taking the class and swore that I would love it and needed to switch into it immediately. Part of the reason that I caved was because of how many amazing women that I knew were taking the course and how great I knew the discussions would be as a result. What can I say? Y'all proved me right. All of the women that I already knew and whom (who? that?) I'm glad that I know now consistently had such unique and fascinating stories, arguments, and ideas that sometimes the continuing discussion on the ride home wasn't even enough for me. Maybe I'm overzealous. I was always excited for every other Wed...

I have been putting off writing this blog until I could find the right words to describe our Girls' Studies class, yet it's hard to articulate such a powerful experience in a few short paragraphs. I was nervous about first beginning the class because I only knew a few other women who would be taking it, and I wasn't sure how I would relate to the other women enrolled. I was confident in my feminism yet knew I had much to learn, and this class was the perfect answer. Not only did I meet some of the most incredible, inspirational women I have ever been blessed to know, but I also learned a great deal about myself and the young girls in my life. Through the texts we read, my knowledge about feminist theory in relation to girlhood was greatly expanded upon, especially about the two main constructions of girlhood currently debated within the scholarly realm, that of the drowning Ophelia and of the consumer-driven "Girl Power!" tween. More importantly, however, I learne...

When I first walked into class, I instantly realized how we all looked very different in the way we dressed and acted. Although it is always more comfortable to be around people like yourself, I quickly came to the conclusion that we were actually quite similar in our beliefs about how women should be treated. I found myself nodding with what everyone said as a response to our assigned reading. I enjoyed having the ability to laugh with the person next to me, or whisper about parts of the movie we watched. Overall, I enjoyed being around so many women. Everyone was so kind, open, and approachable. Besides all of the useful information I learned about girlhood and girl power, I learned that sharing experiences and thoughts with other women is a wonderful thing!

I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful this class was. Going to class was so enjoyable because I knew I would be surrounded by such amazing women/girls. Personally this class made me reminisce upon the trials and tribulations of my girlhood and engaged my interest in the current/future generations of girls so much more. My favorite part of this class was the service learning portion. It felt so good to actually get out there and apply what we talk about in class. It was so inspiring to see girls so much more informed than I was at their age. It gave me hope that they can conquer their battles with body image, gender issues, sexuality, boys, and all they must deal with. Also, it’s comforting to know that everyone I sit in class with has gone their own version of girlhood (whether enjoyable or less) and you have all turned out to be amazing women with powerful intelligent opinions. I also thoroughly enjoyed our discussion on the term "girl power." I fully plan to ...

This semester has gone by so fast, and I can’t believe this is our last blog (for the class). I wish other classes I have taken went by as quick as this one did. Originally, I was a little hesitant to sign up for this class. I was not sure what exactly it would be like, or what it would involve. As I had said in the previous blogs, I have never taken a women’s studies class, and I thought for my last semester it would be something different to try. I feel like I got so much out of this class. It was incredibly interesting to hear what everyone had to say each week about the discussion topics. It was nice going to class and not having to worry about knowing enough about the topics or making sure you understand everything in the book, because everyone to could relate to the topics and could explain their opinions on each issue. It made class fun and interesting to be able to share stories and hear what other girls have gone through in their lives. I feel like I have a better und...

When Meredith Tweed, my Intro to Women's Studies professor, told me that Girls Studies would be offered in Fall 2008, I knew I had to take it. But when I found out it would be offered at a campus that was a 45 minute drive from the UCF main campus, I decided it would be too much of a hassle. However, after talking to some of the other girls who were registered for the class and hearing about possible car pool arrangements, I ultimately decided to take the course. And I'm glad I did! Girls studies has heightened my awareness of the unique issues that girls have to deal with and their relation to feminism. Before I took this class, I had little knowledge of these issues. As a feminist and women's studies minor, I had read feminist literature and taken women's studies classes, but none of them had covered the issues of girls. This class is essential to any feminist's education and should be a required class for the women's studies major (and possibly the minor). It...

As a Women’s Studies major, and as a feminist, most of my time and energy is spent trying to improve the lives of women. Girls Studies was different for me because instead of fighting for all women, we got to focus on girls. It was an interesting and exciting for me, mostly because many of my family members who I am close to are young girls. It is hard to see them struggle in the world today. They are taught to be “good,” but still attractive to boys. They are taught to buy buy buy! They are taught to be straight, white, and quiet. A lot of time I wish I could offer them feminism as a solution to some of their problems. This class helped me to identify the resources I could use to give feminism to the younger women in my life. As a die-hard Spice Girls fan (theirs was the first concert I ever went to) it was hard for me to deny that “Girl Power” was a real source of strength. But this class has given me other sources of strength for young girls, like New Moon magazine and websites like...

Girls’ Studies has been an interesting class for me, and most definitely a learning experience; coming into it, I was uncomfortable being surrounded by so many women who are so passionate about Feminism, something which I felt very uneasy identifying with. When I really stopped to analyze my discomfort, I found that its root was in the image of Feminism, not with the principles, which I, for the most part, agree with. I think the image of Feminism, like any other image, often prevents people from really trying to understand the philosophy and belief system. Not really having much previous interaction with “radical feminists,” I bought into the stereotype and feared that a bunch of angry girls were going to cast me out of the group because I wear make-up, or wear high-heels. I will admit that it was really threatening to me to be in a class, or car, full of people who I perceived to be so different from me. I am not a confrontational person, and I fear being judged (although, it is jud...

I remember last fall semester Kathryn telling me that there was going to be a new awesome women’s studies class offered in Cocoa and that we have to take it. When it came time to register for fall classes I immediately signed up for it, I did not even read the course description. I decided to look the course description up now to see what it actually says, “Girls' Studies, an emerging field within Women's Studies, focuses on the material experiences of girls in U.S. and global cultures using academic and popular texts.” Honestly, that does not even begin to give it justice. For me girls’ studies was so much more than focusing “on the material experiences of girls.” It was an opportunity to dissect how society and our culture constructs girlhood and relate it back to our own experiences. While women’s studies allowed me to learn about the struggles I might be facing now or in the future, girls’ studies gave me answers to the struggles I faced as a girl. The most exciting part of...

My time in Girl's Studies enhanced the relationship that I shared with my "little sister" this semester. Not only did I regain an understanding of my own upbringing as a girl, but I felt as though I could offer something unique to my little sister because of it. Our class time talking about periods and prom may have just seemed like a series of short, personal stories, but amounted to a group of womyn rediscovering the intricacies of their bodies and minds as a girl. While I've never discussed sex, prom or periods with my little sister, the subtleties of these subjects and the insight I gained from every one in the course made for more intimate conversations that allowed a more natural form of sharing with my little sister, whether it was about eating an alternative diet or music about "serious stuff", it was cool. One of the weirdest and most unexpected things that I got out of the course was my evaluation of my self as a "rebellious teen"...

I really enjoyed girl studies this semester. I took it as a class just to fill up one of my last electives for my last semester and it ended up being my favorite women’s studies course! I was taking women’s heath issue for my last women studies minor and I really hated it, it will be really cool when classes like girl studies can cut out some of those classes that aren’t exactly women’s studies geared. For example women’s health issues was a nursing course and I found it hard to understand because it was designed for nurses to take. Girl studies was great because it was so largely discussion based and I feel like I learn so much more when I’m actively participating in the coursework and not just listening to a lecture. I also thought the blogging portion was really cool; I had never blogged before so I was really interested and surprised when a feminist author commented on our blog. The internet is such a great tool for this course. Girls spend a lot of time online these days so incorp...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081117/sp_wl_afp/lifestylejapansportsbaseball_081117063048 this is an article about a 16 year old girl drafted to play pro baseball in Japan, i couldnt help but think "Go Girl!" when i read it. just wanted to share.

This week my fourteen-year-old cousin, Mary, came down from Michigan to stay with me. Some of you had the pleasure of meeting her :). I would definitely have to say that although we spend a significant amount of time together throughout the year, this week of being together 24-7 really taught me a lot about girlhood and reminded me of how life was when I was fourteen. One thing I was reminded of is that sometimes girls just plain don’t want to talk. They may have a problem they need to address but don’t want to chat about it. Instead, they must get their feelings across in other ways. I think that it is really important for girls to be able to express themselves in many different formats and outlets. Cultural productions like New Moon really give girls a place to speak their minds about issues in a different way than everyway life. Sometimes girls have a lot of things on their mind, but they don’t want to talk about them. Sometimes they would rather write or draw to express themselves....

All of the websites were really cool, but my favorites were New Global Citizen and Girls Inc. New Global is definitely awesome, because if you are young and want to get involved with world issues and actually make a difference, than this is totally it. I wish I had known about this several years ago so that I could've gotten involved, because I was always interested in something like this. Also, Girls Inc. was good too, because it gave links to multiple sites that are other Feminist sites. I really wish that these sites were more well-known than what they are. It's just really unfortunate that it takes this class for me to experience them, so how are younger girls getting exposed to them? It would be so perfect if these sites were advertised in magazines like CosmoGirl, YM, or even like American Girl, and whatever else these kids read these days. That way when you're flipping through a magazine that is overpopulated with useless things in life, than you can see an ad for an...

So, I have to admit I'm a little bitter when looking at these websites. I wish so badly that I'd been aware of alternative magazines/websites, especially sites as cool as these while I was growing up. When I was really young, I read Highlights Magazine and this other science-y mag, but unfortunately by the time I was 12, only Girls' Life interested me. Anyway, that being said, my favorite of the sites was New Global Citizens. I like it because it not only empowers boys and grrrls, but it encourages kids to go out and help others too. As a kid, you always hear all this rhetoric about "volunteering in your community," but I can say that it never meant much to me. But seeing something like this that provides an easy way for KIDS to be ACTIVISTS - it's just awesome. The smartest thing New Global Citizens does, I think, is include links to facebook, myspace and other social networking sites - thus, making it even easier for kids to be involved. I kinda wish I were ...

I came across the section Beautiful Girls on the New Moon website, and reading some of their stories made me smile and have hope that girls aren't just falling into the media/societies trap of conventional beauty. These girls are saying I am different because of this, I may get made fun of, but I know my worth and I am confident in me, and to have that knowledge of self worth at a young age is awesome, especially if you keep it growing up. Young kids have a way of saying things so blunt and honest that is so refreshing. What is also refreshing is to see the Girl's Bill of Rights form the Girls Inc page. It was also fun to see the version from 1945 which is about girls doing things freely but wholesome and with some insinuation that women will all be mothers someday. Todays version is about doing away with stereotypes in gender, the workplace, success and others. I don't know if girls themselves made this, that would be even better, and I wonder if they modify the list every...

Ahhh this is like the eight millionth time this semester I have looked at the New Moon website and it never fails to make me soso happy. I had a semi-deificult time this semester finding grrrlz that would be willing to participate in Ashley and my Service Learning project so it is always really inspiring to look at something like New Moon and see that there are grrrlz out there who do care. However, the one thing I always wish had been different with New Moon is that it would be less adult run. So, when i saw the Free Child Project site I was really excited because in their about us section they specifically state how they are combating adultism which is something that I feel is one of the sections of Girls Studies that doesn't get mentioned too much. Many of the readings talk about how grrrlz are obviously oppressed and all of the different things that go into causing them to be oppressed. Because adult womyn and men are usually the ones doing the writing I feel they ignore adult...

To start, I had a bit of a disappointing experience related to girls' computer games. I had become excited when I saw "New Moon" on the syllabus, mistaking it with an entirely different thing -- Purple Moon. Purple Moon was a computer game company from the '90s that began marketing games specifically to girls. The one that I remember best and most fondly was called Rockett's New School , a game in which you are Rockett Movado, new girl in school. You try to make new friends, get by in your classes, avoid or befriend the mean popular girl, and, oddly, break into people's lockers and rummage through their belongings. It's Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-esque, with decisions to be made and consequences following. The game definitely wasn't perfect and according to my fair source, Wikipedia, apparently the company faced charges of sexism and ethnic stereotyping. The next time that I'm at my parent's house I intend to play it again and see if the game s...

Of all the web sites we were assigned to view, I must say that I was incredibly impressed with Girlsinc.org! I'm so glad that there are other programs like YWLP which focus on mentoring young girls, and Girlsinc is the most active, comprehensive, widespread, and amazing program that I have ever heard of! Being engaged in the political process is very important to me, and my favorite part of the organization was the She Votes campaign. Through Girlsinc, girls were not only permitted to cast their vote in a mock presidential election, but they actually went to the DNC as reporters! GIRLS WERE THE PRESS! Understandably, these girls were older (16-21) than most targetted by the program, but it was still totally cool! In addition, girls from different chapters got to meet senators, register voters, and view documentaries about the history of women's political involvement! I've never heard of an organization that motivates girls to become involved in politics more than this one! ...

NewMoon.com is an awesome website, if I was a parent I wouldn't hesistate dropping the 30 bucks for a year subscription. My favorite aspect of it is advertising-free! (In 2003, $893 million was spent in consumer magazines on cosmetics advertising alone) Many magazines and such will contain positive messages for young women, only to be followed up by a misogynistic/sexist advertisement depicting women poorly! Also, without the dependency on advertisers dollars, websites such as newmoon can publish what they WANT to, without worry of influence from big-buck product-pushing companies. " Learn about helping the environment, participating in politics, building better communities, and so much more!" This is definitely more of what young girls should be being taught- not how to make-out "like a pro" or deciphering "does he like you back." Politics??? Hell yeah! The FreeChild Project is designed for an older age-group, but is a wealth of information and r...

Although I usually don’t like reading extensively on line, I’m glad our homework was to visit these websites because Jill and I are going on an internet strike starting tomorrow for an entire week!!! That’s like a year in internet time! Anyway. New Moon did rule. I think this line stood out to me the most: “We recognize that no one is more expert at being a girl than girls themselves…” This is an important message to the rest of the world to be reminded of, and especially to young girls themselves who are constantly being told that they don’t know what they want-or they’re too young to understand. I strongly feel that if young women have the intellect to ask certain questions, they certainly have the power to face the answers (which these answers shouldn’t be so scary and negative to approach anyway). And it was incredible to watch the short video of Orb 28 brainstorm about their upcoming blog. It was refreshing to see girls shown in the light of confidence and cooper...

So I really wish I had New Moon when I was young. It seems to be so much more helpful compared to the magazines I read as a young girl- J14, CosmoGirl, ect. In New Moon instead of “What Kind of Guy is Right For You?” they have “Female First-do you know who these famous women are?” Instead of “What Store in the Mall is Your Favorite” Poll, they have “What topic are you most interested in hearing about in the presidential and vice presidential debates?” poll. My favorite part of the site was the Ask A Girl and Beautiful Girls. I love how they had they girls write in about someone they know who has inner-beauty. Here’s one of them… “A beautiful girl doesn’t pick favorites. A beautiful girl listens when you want to talk. A beautiful girl is there when you need her. She isn’t afraid to be herself, and she doesn’t force you to be like her. A beautiful girl keeps your secrets no matter what they are. A beautiful girl doesn’t care what others think about her; she knows who she is, and she’s pr...

I'm ecstatic to know that websites like these exist for girls, but my question always is: how do they find them? It's possible that they are advertised to girls somewhere, but I don't see where. When I was younger, the only way I found out about (alternative) websites and magazines for girls was through friends or my mom. I would have loved to peruse sites like this when I was younger, I feel like they would have helped develop my sense of agency and self confidence. I love New Moon because girls are a part of the production - which moves them from simple cultural consumers to cultural producers. The various sections encouraging girls to submit artwork, poetry, record themselves singing or dancing, to debate hot topics, or simply send in her thoughts, provide a space for girls to explore and create, things that are too frequently ignored. The section that struck a nerve for me was the "Beautiful Girls" section, the blurb explanation says a lot about its purpose: ...

There is so much garbage on the web that young girls can come across. It is good to see there are sites made especially for them. The New Moon site gives them a place to ask questions, things to do, and plenty of stuff to learn. The new moon site was great. Also, what makes this site so neat is that not only is it made for girls, but girls also contribute so much to it. It seems like such a fun site that they can get on. There are games, quizzes, questions & Answers, and so much information. This magazine and website really gives young girls a voice! Girls inc. also had a lot of information and programs for girls. One thing I really like about this site is that it had both a section for adults and then a link to the site for girls. The section for adults had the history of Girls inc., news, information, and programs that are offered. I think it is a good idea to have parents participate in what their kids are doing online. It gives them an option of sites to suggest for...

While browsing through the new-moon website I found the bio’s of the girls who had written poetry and submitted it to the website. It makes me smile when I read the bio of a 12 year old and it states “I am a seventh grader in a very liberal and democratic neighborhood. I support Obama-Biden.” “I HATE it when people are homophobic or sexist. I also hate it when people try to convert me to their religion…” It shows me that the youth is becoming more active with current issues and politics. When I was 12 I don’t even think I knew who was running for president and so many girls now are aware of who these people are and what their stances on issues are. More so they have their own opinions about all the “ism’s!” The other day on the radio (I can’t remember what station) elementary school kids called in to tell them who they would vote for and why, afterwards the crew would quiz them on politics. One of the questions asked was “what do you think is the biggest issue in the United States...

New Moon Girls is incredible because it is made by young girls, not simply for them. In the sample issue, various topics such as mood swings, haunted houses, and historical accounts of the Salem Witch Trials are explored by girls for girls. I think that other sites like freechild.org, or newglobalcitizens.org, which clearly cater to an older girl, are less approachable and definitely less user friendly. I love the setup of New Moon Girls, mainly because it is clear that it is produced by girls, and because it is so heavily influenced by adolescents, it really appeals to what a young girl would be interested in looking at and reading. Without being pedantic, or childish, it offers a great option to families searching for something wholesome and inspiring.  Although girlsinc.org is also pretty manageable and easy to navigate, I'm not crazy about the way it categorizes the site into strong, smart, inspiring, and bold girls. Girls are constantly bombarded with pressure to be something ...

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/20081113/122660364200.html

I enjoyed browsing around several of these sites and found Girls Inc. to be one of the more interesting. While I noticed that the website worked to make girls "strong, smart and bold", it managed to accomplish these tasks differently than several of the other websites. I looked at the section that was provided for "girls" instead of adults and found a wide variety of resources involving multi-cultural information, health, crushes, steps to take in order to start a club and more. While I think it is vital for the Girls movement to claim the right to media, I like that Girls Inc. simply provides girls with interesting quizzes, maps and data that they can rely on and immerse themselves in. It gives them the backing for participating in cultural production because they are informed. It also allows them to explore the strong, smart and bold aspects of their personality by seeing which sections they relate to and find more intriguing. I find it a much more natural way to...

The Young Women-Led Activism page has a list of organizations that “empower women of all ages to stand up and use their power.” I browsed through the links, and really liked the page for the NOW organization. It contains so much information for women from topics like the economy, to men, self-image, and violence. When I went under “self-image,” I found a neat bumper sticker I want that says, “I am NOT your Barbie doll.” This Women-Led Activism page is wonderful because it provides women and girls a good-sized list where they can find all kinds of useful information. I know in class I brought up that I did not know where to look for books or magazines addressing women’s rights. This website does some of the work for us. When exploring the Girls Inc. page, I found a link to their “Fact Sheets”. This area gives statistics for girls ranging from how often girls in high school exercise, to how the media affects young girls. The sheets provide graphs along with commentary explaining the info...

I thought the sites produced by and for young girls were really cool and I wish I had known about these when I was a girl. I’ve seen New Moon before and its such a cool magazine produced by girls. I’m really impressed by the young girls who write the articles and come up with all the cool things to write about. My favorite part is the ask a girl where girls can ask for advice and other young girls answer them. If a girl writes about her best friend being mean to her instead of an adults advice she gets another girl her age who may understand better what she’s going through. I also really liked Girls Inc. I think their dear world campaign was awesome. They have a number you can call and record a message on what you want to say to the world as a girl. Girls said a lot of really empowering messages, and the PSA was great! It reminded me of Antigone’s postcard dreams for women project. They also had a she votes mock election which I thought was really cool because it shows that young girl...

I found this via Feministing and wanted to bring it to your attention. A 13 year old girl in Somalia was raped by three men while she was walking to her grandmother's house. When she sought help from the authorities, they accused her of adultery. "Reports indicate that she had been raped by three men while traveling on foot to visit her grandmother in the war-torn capital, Mogadishu," Unicef, the United Nations children's agency, said in a statement. "Following the assault, she sought protection from the authorities, who then accused her of adultery and sentenced her to death," Unicef added. "A child was victimized twice -- first by the perpetrators of the rape and then by those responsible for administering justice." Read more here . There's supposed to be a letter-writing campaign happening. Is anyone interested?

When I was growing up, I was completely devoted to reading two series: The Saddle Club and Animorphs. I was tempted to re-read a Saddle Club book to gain a different perspective on familiar territory since my views on competition and riding horses have changed, but I found a more interesting choice in Flip Turns. This book centers itself on 13 year old Veronica. She is an extremely competitive swimmer living in a highly dysfunctional family. Her mother has major depression issues, which impairs her parenting ability and forces Victoria to mature quickly: She takes the city bus to school and practice, provides moral support for her mother, helps prepare dinner with the house help and tries to convince her mom to eat (lack of appetite due to depression, not a classic eating disorder). Victoria’s dad is a workaholic who will always choose a sale over bonding with the family. She feels as though she and her father are strangers. He doesn’t even know Victoria’s schedule,...

Although I had a difficult time scouring my younger sister's shelf for the perfect book, I am incredibly glad I finally stumbled upon Kelly Easton's "The Life History of a Star." I remembered reading the book myself when I was younger, but I had no recollection of how essentially feminist it was until I began re-reading it this week. "The Life History of a Star," is narrated by 14 year-old Kristen Folger through a series of journal entries. Set in Glendora, California, in 1973, Kristen not only deals with the personal difficulties of growing up girl, but also with the global issues of the Vietnam War, especially as she mourns the "ghost" who lives in her attic - her closest brother who was severely disabled during his time served under the draft. By page 4, I was already thrilled with Kristen's keen insight and commentary on growing up girl during this time. In response to her mother's harping about her late development, Kristen writes, ...

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty was my book of choice. This novel is a girl's diary that starts in January of her sophomore year of high school, and runs through December of her Junior year. Jessica Darling is the owner of the diary, and she writes about her life-how much she misses her best friend Hope that just moved away, how much she can't stand her friends, and how no one understands her like Hope does. This novel is so realistic, and while I was reading it I definitely felt like I was reading my own diary sometimes. Jessica is a girl that doesn't know exactly where she belongs, but she definitely knows that she doesn't belong with her current friends. She is basically just counting down until she can leave for college and be with real people that are not the "Bubble-Gum Bimbos" that are her current friends. Jessica struggles with trying to deal with not having her best friend around anymore (which equaled her sanity), her dad being obsessed with her h...

As a middle schooler I had heard of the book Stargirl from a number of friends who read it and loooved it, so I thought what better excuse to catch up on some good 7th grade literature! The book is narrated by a high school boy, Leo, who attends your everyday high school, full of fear of being different and striving to conform, "If we happened to somehow distinguish ourselves, we quickly snapped back into place, like rubber bands." So when this breath of fresh air comes in, Stargirl (previously she called herself Pocket Mouse, Mudpie, Hullygully, depending on her mood) she shakes up the entire system of Mica High School. Not only is she the new student, but she is a new breed of human to these students trying so hard to fit in, they would almost rather go unnoticed. But Stargirl truly appreciates everyone in her community and tries to give everyone a little spotlight or gift. She sings Happy Birthday with her ukulele to who ever is celebrating, she gives gifts to her homeroo...

Okay, so this book was probably one of the silliest books I have ever read. And normally I am a huge fan of silly, but in this case I was not at all. First off, it was a book about twins so of course it had to pigeon hole them right from the start, claiming Jessica to be the more attractive, bubbly, mischievous on and Elizabeth to be the smart, sensible, hard working one. Francine Pascal makes many efforts all throughout the book to remind the reader that the two girls are nothing but the picture she has painted them as, talking about how Elizabeth's room is blue and Jessica's pink. In the story, Jessica of course has a scheme and Elizabeth is forced to be her cover. Jessica takes a job dog sitting even though she hates dogs, just so she can earn enough money to sneak off to a rock concert. However, she leaves the dog tied up outside the night of the concert and the dog runs away. Jessica also steals the earrings that Elizabeth had just purchased to give to her mother fo...

The contemporary young adult novel that I read was Stop Pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy by Sonya Sones. I found this book by searching in the young adult section of Barnes and Noble. It caught my eye and after I picked it out I realized that I had read this when I was in middle school. I didn’t remember much about it so decided it would be interesting to reread it and analyze it from a much different perspective than my middle school self. I also liked the fact that this book was inspired by the author’s own true story. This novel was different and interesting because it is actually a book of poems that tell a story. The story is from the perspective of Cookie, a thirteen-year-old girl. Cookie tells how her life changes when her nineteen-year-old sister is sent to a mental hospital. Cookie not only feels depressed and guilty about her sister going crazy, but she must also deal with her world falling down around her. Her parents become extremely dish...

The first time I read Prep , by Curtis Sittenfeld, I think I finished it in one day, and then stayed up until five in the morning with my then-roommate discussing which celebrities we envisioned playing all of the characters. It was a pretty intellectual conversation, and we ended up somehow casting it as a Muppet movie…oh yes; this is a book which inspires frilly, funny and unpredictable conversation. If there is one clearly identifiable aspect of this novel which makes it so addictive, it is the tell-all, multi-dimensional nature of Lee Fiora, the novel’s “author” who shares her experience at boarding school from start to finish. Lee confesses everything; stabbing feelings of inadequacy, fascination with other girls, a crippling crush on a boy named Cross Sugarman (the untouchably cool name tells it all), and passive attempts to exhibit boldness within the intricate boarding school society. Sittenfeld, through the character of Lee, exposes all the raw and unspoken emotions experienc...

So I’m sure EVERYONE knows what Hannah Montana is. I mean, how could you not. But just in case you do not, here’s a brief summary… Miley Stewart is a young girl who lives a double life. She’s a famous pop singer that goes by the name Hannah Montana. To keep her life “normal” she acts puts on a blonde wig when she’s Hannah Montana that way people do not know it is really Miley (yeah I know, a genius story line). The whole show pretty much revolves around the same story line…regular Hannah trying to keep her identity hidden and the crazy antics she and her friends get into during the process. For some reason tweens are obsessed with this show and everything Hannah. I think it is safe to say you can go anywhere without seeing some sort of Hannah product. And that’s where my post comes in. For my young novel I read one of the Hannah Montana “novels”…Don’t Bet On It. To be sum up the novel, Miley wants to attend a fashion show but needs a ride. She acts her older brother, Jackson, if he wou...

Ella Enchanted is like Cinderella meets Harry Potter. I debated whether to go with this or read a more serious book. But I went with this because it's fun and, let's face it, girls like fairytales. It's a book that I really enjoyed; however, I'm struggling to decide whether it's feminist or not. Synopsis: The story opens with Ella as a child. Ella was given the "gift" of obedience when she's born. However, it's more of a curse because she's forced to do anything anyone tells her. When she's 15, her mother passes away. She meets a prince (Char) and although he leaves the country for a year, they write to each other frequently. Eventually he proposes to her, but she lies and says she's eloped with another man in an effort to protect him. She knows that if they were to marry, she could be forced to obey him. During the rest of the book Ella goes on this journey to find the fairy godmother that gave her the gift of obedience (this is where...

Walk Two Moons is a freaking sad book. This Newberry winner by Sharon Creech is about the main character, Salamanca's journey from Ohio to her mother's grave in Lewiston, Idaho, and her experience moving with her father to a new town after her mother's death. I really think Creech is an incredible writer and that she tells women's complex stories in a simple sort of way. Both of the mother figures in the story leave a husband and kid/s to go heal, and both of the situations point to the intense pressure that patriarchy creates in their lives. Sal's mother leaves their farm after a miscarriage to go visit a cousin via bus, and dies when the bus veers off a cliff. Her mother struggled with a sense of inadequacy within Sal's fathers eccentric and generous family. Sal's connection to her mother and her mother's struggle is really personal to me, because her mom didn't struggle economically or in any way that was visible to the outside world and because ...

I chose to re-read a classic: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary. I had not read this book since, probably, when I was around the age of the character Ramona herself. Although the book has been around for 20-some-odd years, it still feels contemporary and relevant in reading it, and I hope that girls are still enjoying it today. From the very beginning, I found Ramona identifiable. I couldn't help but get nostalgic about the incredible feeling of importance surrounding being an 8 year old girl. I remember taking an art class at this age and painting "Age 8 1/2" on the bottom of every single painting. It was imperative that everyone know I was 8, ahem, and a half years old. There was a sense of strength and wisdom attached to being this age. Years before I was socialized to be a quiet girl, I talked constantly and thought that everybody needed to know what I had to say. I smiled at moments like when Ramona felt important and independent taking the bus alone ...