Straight-Talking How-To Manual Inspires Adolescent Girls to be Their Personal Best, Inside and Out

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Adolescence is tough.  Mood swings, body changes, and peer pressure can take a toll on the most self-assured child.  For girls, especially, puberty is often accompanied by a decline in self-confidence.  Girl in the Know: Your Inside-and-Out Guide to Growing Up (Kids Can Press) helps girls cope with the challenges of early adolescence — in both body and mind.  Written by Anne Katz, R.N., Ph.D., a nursing professor, journal editor, and expert on sexuality, the book empowers girls with information about the physical and mental changes brought on by puberty. In this little manual, every girl gets the lowdown on how to take care of her whole self.

Girl in the Know tackles tough topics like health, nutrition, and relationships in a frank, straightforward way, using a relaxed, upbeat conversational tone that will appeal to kids.  The book encourages development of a healthy body image by showing girls of all colors, shapes, and sizes.  Readers are urged to appreciate their uniqueness and to think for themselves.  Whether a girl prefers to read the book in private or use it as a springboard for conversations with parents, teachers, or friends, the focus stays on the girl reader and what puberty is all about. A free, reprintable tip sheet for parents is at www.kidscanpress.com.

Girl in the Know features a bold color palette and youthful, eye-catching design; it's easily tossed into a backpack or tucked under a mattress.  It is organized into 3 main sections. "Your Body" covers breast development, periods, personal safety, and decision-making.  "Your Mind" covers relationships, peer pressure, stress, setting goals, and bullying. "Taking Care" covers healthy eating, staying active, HPV vaccine, and eating disorders.  And there's much more

Anne Katz is adjunct professor at the University of Manitoba, a sexuality counselor at CancerCare Manitoba, and author of the "Ask the Expert" advice column for the organization Teen Touch.  She edits the clinical practice journal of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing, and is Contributing Editor for the American Journal of Nursing.  

Monika Melnychuk illustrated Kids Can Press' Centsibility for the "Planet Girl" series.  Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Globe and Mail, National Post, Fashion18, ChickaDEE, Owl, UTNE Reader, and Today's Parent.  

SOURCE Kids Can Press