The Drama Years

February 6, 2012
Kilpatrick began Girl Talk, a nonprofit peer-to-peer mentoring program that pairs high school girls with middle school girls in 2002 when she was 15 years old. The program swiftly grew from her Georgia high school to 43 states, six countries, and 40,000 members. This book is an outgrowth of the program and is based upon interviews as well as on the challenges she faced during her own “tween” years (ages 11 through 13 or grades six through eight). Though the author points out that she is neither a psychologist nor an academic (and therefore has chosen to skirt more serious issues such as eating disorders and addiction), she does provide sound advice that will help parents to support their tween daughters. Each chapter examines a particular issue (i.e., self-esteem, materialism, body image, love and relationships), and then offers guidance via “Try This” boxes. Kilpatrick’s overarching solution is to help the tween find an “anchor” activity (such as a sport or music), encourage her to give a helping hand (get her involved in volunteer work), and help her find an adoptive older sister (someone to talk to who’s been through similar experiences). With this practical guide to navigating the tumultuous tweens, Kilpatrick hopes to help downplay the drama, generate kindness, and break the “mean girl cycle” so prevalent in contemporary middle school culture.

August 1, 2013

The deplorable behavior of "mean girls" during adolescence is hardly new, and most of us may recall who these people were, whom they iced, and what they did. Having experienced epic hurts herself, at a mere 15 years old, author Kilpatrick founded Girl Talk, a nonprofit organization now 35,000 members strong that is dedicated to helping young girls survive the stress of their middle school years. In chapters addressing such topics as stress, materialism, competition, frenemies, etc., the author includes poignant interview excerpts and insights from middle schoolers ("I turned inward in order to stay under the radar--to not shine because I didn't want to give other girls more reason to talk about me"), tips for parents, reflections from older girls looking back, and bullet lists of final considerations. VERDICT Girl Talk is a commendable peer mentorship program, and Kilpatrick's empathetic encouragement is palpable. In addition to describing the benefits of finding a mentor, she also strongly encourages athletic and volunteer activities to help girls stay physically strong, diversify the friendship pool, and gain broader perspective. This title will help even the tragically deluded parent become a more comforting advocate.

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