Renowned for her knowledge of what makes girls tick, Dr. Deak brings together stories and lessons from more that 20 years as a school psychologist and principal, and introduces original concepts as a framework to help parents better understand their daughters, such as:

• The Strudel Theory--building a life with layers of experience
• Crucible Moments--the accumulating impact of the "little things"
• Negotiating the Gray--using discussion and action to guide girls through the often chaotic and ambiguous challenges of physical, social, and emotional growth

Deak looks past the "scare" stories to those that enlighten parents and enable them to empower girls. She draws from the latest brain research on girls to illustrate the exciting new way in which we can help our daughters learn and thrive. Most telling of all, she gives us the voices of girls themselves as they struggle with body image, self-esteem, intellectual growth, peer pressure, and media messages. The result is a masterly book that addresses the key issues for girls growing up; one that fulfills a desperate need for clear guiding principles to help mothers, fathers, and their daughters navigate this chaotic contemporary culture.

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1- The Search for Perspective
Chapter 2- The Formative Years: The Layering of Nature, Nurture, and Life Experience
Chapter 3- Betwixt and Between: The Preadolescent Years
Chapter 4- Everything and Nothing: Sharing the Adolescent Girl's Struggle to Be and Become Herself
Chapter 5- Mothers and Daughters: Roots to Grow, Wings to Fly
Chapter 6- Fathers and Daughters: Soul Mates, Strangers, and a Delicate Dance
Chapter 7- The Galapagos Islands of Girls' Social Development
Chapter 8- Aiming to Please: Moving Beyond the "Tyranny of Niceness"
Chapter 9- Parents Under Pressure: How to Think Straight When Worry Sets In
Chapter 10- Girls in Action- The Magic of Doing
Epilogue: Girls in Progress