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smashingreads's review against another edition
2.0
This is a cute response/book on a subject from a child's perspective, but it took mama goggles to publish it. (You know, the feeling of complete content when your child makes your proud or otherwise leaves you in awe. This feeling tends to be extremely personal though and people outside the immediate family don't have the same appreciation that you do as a proud mama/papa.)
I won't be too critical of the content, statistics, backtracking, but I will say that I wish it was the smart boys that got the girls, even in elementary school.
I won't be too critical of the content, statistics, backtracking, but I will say that I wish it was the smart boys that got the girls, even in elementary school.
theunstoppablekim's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
Cute. And now I think I can get a girlfriend now, wish me luck.
Cute. And now I think I can get a girlfriend now, wish me luck.
annmarli's review against another edition
3.0
As a part of book challenge I was suppose to read something written by a child. I was really surprised how solid it actually was. An enjoyable fast read with age appropriate tips. I even chuckled a few times
library_brandy's review against another edition
2.0
I hated this less than I (frankly) wanted to. There's some reasonably sound advice here (don't be a big show-off; be friendly and don't say anything mean), and some of the advice is downright strange, coming out of an elementary school: "Girls always like the smart boys. ... If you are the smartest kid in the class, you are like a magnet and girls are the metal."
But the good and strange are both mixed with some strangely misogynistic ideas--strange because they're (ostensibly) coming from an 8-year-old but aren't "make sure your cootie shots are up to date." Things like "About 73% of regular girls ditch boys; 98% of pretty girls ditch boys," a statistic he says at the beginning is based on observation on his school playground. The anti-pretty-girl propaganda continues: "Many boys go for the pretty girls. It is easy to spot pretty girls because they have the big earrings, fancy dresses, and all the jewelry. Use caution! ... The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are coldhearted when it comes to boys." A few things here: first, we're apparently confusing "pretty" with "rich." Second, combined with his earlier "statistics," there's an implication that boys should go after the plain girls, because they're desperate enough that they can't be picky.
Overall, there's an odd vibe to this book, one that implies that girls exist to be won over by boys. Granted, the kid wrote this when he was 8, but still, this title goes out of its way to present girls as alien beings with no interests besides lording their power over boys. (And we girls apparently do have power, because "girls win most of the arguments and have most of the power. If you know that now, things might be easier." Because we are all shrieking harridans, I guess.)
I don't mean to sound like I'm calling a nine-year-old out on his unevolved gender views. I disagree with a lot of the advice and the concept of this book as a whole. I'm more curious why HarperCollins would publish this how-to-bag-a-girl title, and why Ellen DeGeneres (of all people!) made that happen. The idea that elementary-schoolers need a how-to on attracting mates doesn't sit well with me, and that this how-to is filled with such "it's okay, girls really ARE incomprehensible and mean" messages sits doubly poorly. If we're going to give our kids dating guides, shouldn't we be steering them toward more gender-balanced viewpoints?
But the good and strange are both mixed with some strangely misogynistic ideas--strange because they're (ostensibly) coming from an 8-year-old but aren't "make sure your cootie shots are up to date." Things like "About 73% of regular girls ditch boys; 98% of pretty girls ditch boys," a statistic he says at the beginning is based on observation on his school playground. The anti-pretty-girl propaganda continues: "Many boys go for the pretty girls. It is easy to spot pretty girls because they have the big earrings, fancy dresses, and all the jewelry. Use caution! ... The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are coldhearted when it comes to boys." A few things here: first, we're apparently confusing "pretty" with "rich." Second, combined with his earlier "statistics," there's an implication that boys should go after the plain girls, because they're desperate enough that they can't be picky.
Overall, there's an odd vibe to this book, one that implies that girls exist to be won over by boys. Granted, the kid wrote this when he was 8, but still, this title goes out of its way to present girls as alien beings with no interests besides lording their power over boys. (And we girls apparently do have power, because "girls win most of the arguments and have most of the power. If you know that now, things might be easier." Because we are all shrieking harridans, I guess.)
I don't mean to sound like I'm calling a nine-year-old out on his unevolved gender views. I disagree with a lot of the advice and the concept of this book as a whole. I'm more curious why HarperCollins would publish this how-to-bag-a-girl title, and why Ellen DeGeneres (of all people!) made that happen. The idea that elementary-schoolers need a how-to on attracting mates doesn't sit well with me, and that this how-to is filled with such "it's okay, girls really ARE incomprehensible and mean" messages sits doubly poorly. If we're going to give our kids dating guides, shouldn't we be steering them toward more gender-balanced viewpoints?
emily_koopmann's review against another edition
4.0
A book written by someone under 15:
Yooooooo I was laughing so hard while I read this book! Here's my favorite excerpt:
"Some girls are wild.
Most girls like polite boys--but not the wild girls.
...
Some girls are talkative. Some girls are shy.
Go for a talkative girl if you are shy.
Then you only have to say one sentence, and she will do the rest of the talking."
Yooooooo I was laughing so hard while I read this book! Here's my favorite excerpt:
"Some girls are wild.
Most girls like polite boys--but not the wild girls.
...
Some girls are talkative. Some girls are shy.
Go for a talkative girl if you are shy.
Then you only have to say one sentence, and she will do the rest of the talking."
supposedlyfun's review
4.0
As an actual advice manual, How to Talk to Girls would be a spectacular failure. The advice it offers isn't very detailed or specific, and is kind of obvious (do you like a girl? Talk to her!).
The book's [b:saving grace|130916|The Saving Graces A Novel|Patricia Gaffney|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171995451s/130916.jpg|126092] is that it was written by a nine year-old, which makes its attempts to tutor young boys in the ways of impressing young girls somewhat adorable. One could, of course, wonder how much of the book's cutesy childish prose has been carefully crafted by an editor, but that would be cynical and would ignore the charm behind the book's conceit. It's a guide to dating for nine year-olds -- why take it seriously, anyway? The illustrations capture an "aw-shucks" kind of charm perfectly suited to this novelty.
I would not recommend How to Talk to Girls as an actual instruction manual; I wouldn't even recommend it as a children's book, to be honest. What it works as is an interesting, slightly amusing novelty for grown-ups to laugh at and enjoy.
The book's [b:saving grace|130916|The Saving Graces A Novel|Patricia Gaffney|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171995451s/130916.jpg|126092] is that it was written by a nine year-old, which makes its attempts to tutor young boys in the ways of impressing young girls somewhat adorable. One could, of course, wonder how much of the book's cutesy childish prose has been carefully crafted by an editor, but that would be cynical and would ignore the charm behind the book's conceit. It's a guide to dating for nine year-olds -- why take it seriously, anyway? The illustrations capture an "aw-shucks" kind of charm perfectly suited to this novelty.
I would not recommend How to Talk to Girls as an actual instruction manual; I wouldn't even recommend it as a children's book, to be honest. What it works as is an interesting, slightly amusing novelty for grown-ups to laugh at and enjoy.
hrhacissej's review
5.0
"A crush is like a love disease. It can drive you mad."
"Very few class clowns get girls to like them. And class clowns never make a living."
"If you like a girl, comb your hair and don't wear sweats."
This 4th grader turned author could teach many grown men a thing or two about talking to women. I adore this book...it makes me smile on every page. I can't wait to see what Alec comes up with next!
"Very few class clowns get girls to like them. And class clowns never make a living."
"If you like a girl, comb your hair and don't wear sweats."
This 4th grader turned author could teach many grown men a thing or two about talking to women. I adore this book...it makes me smile on every page. I can't wait to see what Alec comes up with next!
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