Body Drama - A Mothertalk Book Review

Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers, by Nancy Redd, is one of the best books so far George and I have seen covering the bodily changes and concerns of girls and young women going through the transitional period of puberty and beyond--far beyond.

Not all of it is appropriate to share with our daughter right now--she's only ten. But if you have a ten-year-old girl today, you know what I'm saying. The time to get educated on how to healthily help her through the coming transition is Right Now.

Some of the information in this book not only appropriate for a ten-year-old, but in fact, necessary. What's necessary for our daughters and sisters to see in this book is the truly remarkable range of beauty in all of its shapes and forms, in the photographs and in the text. Body Drama celebrates our differences--the unique physical forms of women large and small, short and tall, every hue, hair type, skin type - we're all represented in this book.

That is what struck me most about the book, and why my husband said, yes, Jenna's old enough to see this -- in fact she has to see it because she's in it! It is the antithesis of a picture book of pasty-thin, pasty-skinned models. It celebrates real young women. It tackles the issues of being a young woman in a changing body in an honorable way, not in Disney-Channel-Perfect terms.

A welcome addition to books we have to share with our daughter on what's starting to happen to her body, Body Drama might be a bit of a shock if you're not used to seeing real women with real bodily features like cellulite, paunchy stomachs, full thighs, etc., on the printed page. But the full color, up close pictures of women's bodies both inside and out are something I'm glad to have on our bookshelf. Because this book really does celebrate our non-sameness, the magnificence and amazing variations in features and forms that is our "body drama."

Got a daughter? Get ready for the body drama.

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A Book that Speaks Volumes for Mothers and Daughters

As part of the MotherTalk Book Tour, Jenna and I reviewed Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz's The Daring Book for Girls. Interesting that the first reaction of Jenna, whose ten years old, was that the cover and type looked old fashioned. At first she didn't want to read it because of that--a fact I'm not so proud of. After all, a little old fashioned culture is an inoculation against the Disney monopoly.

Far from old and boring, The Daring Book for Girls is an incredible guide for parents and children to explore together -- to find new adventures, little-known facts. Each chapter presented something we didn't know before, and that's a tall order for a book. Especially with two different age groups reading it.

From how to play gin to how to do a cartwheel to French terms of endearment -- Ma puce, or "my flea" for example -- you'll find just about everything a curious mind and body needs in this encyclopedia of coolness. Periodic table of the elements? Check. How to make friendship bracelets? Check. Games for slumber parties? Check. Women Explorers and a timeline for their accomplishments? Check. Making a flat scooter? Check. Sesquepedalian words? Check. Math tricks? Check. History of Women Olympics firsts? Check.

And a LOT more. For a taste of how much more, visit the book's website or watch the authors on The Today Show.

My favorite parts of the books were the learning activities and the games. I knew precisely NONE of the Words to Impress included in the book. I can now say, "Quit that echolalia!" and mean it! (Echolalia means repeating or echoing a person's speech, often in a pathological way.)

The back of the book best encapsulates the purpose of the book:

For every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure.

I'd also add:

And... For every mom who wants to share
with her daughter
the coolest ways to be active, be smart,
and have fun.

The Daring Book is a hit at our house. (And if you're looking for a word to impress on your next job interview, call me first).

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