ADOLESCENTS
What do you think of you?: And other thoughts on self-esteem
by Scott Shepherd & Bonnie Hesse

Book description:
Discusses the importance of self-esteem, particularly during the teenage years, how it can be developed, and options for dealing with fears and problems in adolescence.

200 Ways to raise a girl's self-esteem: An indispensable guide for parents, teachers and other concerned caregivers
By Will Glennon

Book reviews:
Anyone familiar with parenting books and magazines is aware that there has been a lot of buzz about research suggesting that self-confidence wanes in preadolescent girls. After watching his own daughter, "a tough little amazing wonderkid at the age of five," suddenly and completely "lose her moorings" by 12, Glennon began doing some research himself. The end result is this book, which resembles Richard Carlson's Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in its accessibility, brief entries and sincere tone. Glennon offers 200 short reflections on topics ranging from how parents can become good role models to talking about emotions and providing experiences for self-discovery and success. Following each essay are several exercises to put theory into practiceAdirected toward parents and teachers. At its best, the book nudges readers to talk about some things that may not have occurred to them, such as what advertising tells young girls and how to recognize sexual harassment. Many ideas, however, are obvious and impart simple bumper-sticker adages ("make the expression of love a daily habit," "celebrate milestones" and the woolly "invite her feelings into your world"). While Glennon can be preachy and repetitious (100 ways would have been sufficient), his heartfelt, helpful advice rings clear

Book description:
Studies show that young girls often develop faster than their male counterparts, grasping concepts such as math and sports just as easily -- until they reach early adolescence. Then, girls quickly fall behind boys, victims to society's confusing dictates of what being female means. According to parenting expert Will Glennon, reinforcing a young girl's self-esteem through carefully considered "boosters" is the key to helping girls hold their own in the world. This guide helps parents and teachers understand the subtle difference between "boosters" and "busters." For example, complimenting a young woman on her appearance may give her the idea that she is valued only for her looks. In 200 Ways to Raise a Girl's Self-Esteem, readers will find ways to impart a strong sense of self-worth to girls in everyday situations.
 

INTERVENTION

Schoolgirls: Young women, self-esteem, and the confidence gap
By Peggy Orenstein

Book description:
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
The classic account of the hurdles facing adolescent girls in America--now reissued with a new Foreword, to coincide with the award-winning author's new book on women and identity.

Inspired by a study by the American Association of University Women that showed girls' self-esteem plummeting as they reach adolescence, Peggy Orenstein spent months observing, interviewing, and getting know dozens of girls both inside and outside the classroom at two very different schools in northern California. The result was a groundbreaking book in which she brought the disturbing statistics to life with skill and flair of an experienced journalist.

Orenstein plumbs the minds of both boys and girls who have learned to equate masculinity with opportunity and assertiveness, and femininity with reserve and restraint. She demonstrates the cost of this insidious lesson, by taking us into the lives of real young women who are struggling with eating disorders, sexual harassment, and declining academic achievement, especially in math and science. Peggy Orenstein's SchoolGirls is a classic that belongs on the shelf with the work of Carol Gilligan, Joan Jacobs Brumberg, and Mary Pipher. It continues to be read by all who care about how our schools and our society teach girls to shortchange themselves.

Warning signs: A guidebook for parents: How to read the early signals of low self-esteem, addiction, and hidden violence in your kids
By John Kelly and Brian J. Karem

Book description:
There is a growing epidemic in our country's youth. A problem usually unseen, unheard and virtually ignored until the ugly symptoms it breeds spill out into many different forms: addiction, violence, gambling, and depression. The problem, according to John Kelly, Executive and Clinical Director for ExtraCare Health Services, is low self-esteem. Kelly uncovers that much of what is used today to treat addicts treats the problem of addiction from the perspective of simply purging the individual of drugs and ensuring drugs remain out of their system for prescribed periods of time. Though effective over the short term, these programs have a very low long-term success rate. In Warning Signs, John Kelly, a respected authority in addictive behaviors and treatments, focuses on the vital role low self-esteem plays in these addictions and the volumes of other problems that can be attributed to a sense of low self-worth. John Kelly is a psychotherapist and Executive and Clinical Director of ExtraCare Health Services, an outpatient counseling agency for addictive illness. A National Certified Addiction Specialist, Certified Social Worker, Certified Drug Counselor, Certified Forensic Examiner, and Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners, Kelly is well known as a consultant, evaluator, and expert witness in the field of addictive illness.