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American Girl Library

The Big Book Of Help

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6.8 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches paperback

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

103 people want to read

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Nancy Holyoke

21 books17 followers

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5 stars
29 (31%)
4 stars
21 (22%)
3 stars
32 (34%)
2 stars
10 (10%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Kelly.
486 reviews4 followers
June 12, 2016
Honestly pretty good advice that can transcend ages of all women. Also has some great non-technology ideas for boredom.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
12.9k reviews483 followers
October 19, 2023
Too old, and I def. question some of the advice.

If a classmate is cheating, it's none of your business. If you do feel compelled to do something, see if you can figure out why she's doing so... maybe her parents won't accept bad grades or maybe she's very insecure.

Learn that spiders are good & helpful. Don't even think about killing them. If you must, take them outside.

If your coach says someone 'throws like a girl' and mocks you as a feminist for objecting, it's a big deal. Recruit parents and friends to strongly object, and don't give up until he realizes what he's doing is wrong, or until he's fired.

I do like the few pages in here about how to budget, clean & organize your room, and relieve summer boredom.

Much, but far from all, is aimed at kids from relatively healthy families. Some kids need to ask for help from teachers, counselors, librarians, but that's not sufficiently addressed.

LFL find.

Profile Image for Melissa Namba.
2,232 reviews16 followers
January 7, 2022
There is generally good advice in here, but man when they get it wrong they get it wrong hard core. There is one question in particular about gangs that they completely miss the boat on. However, for less serious things, they give sensible advice.
Profile Image for Josiah.
3,486 reviews157 followers
May 10, 2009
The American Girl advice books and manuals always seem to give excellent help, and the succor afforded by this volume runs right in that vein.
The American Girl Company had received so many letters from kids all around the world who plaintively requested assistance in personal matters, that the company decided it would be a good idea to create a book comprised of such letters that represented common issues, so that they could could respond to the inquiries with thought and deep insight.
I think that this book is very good in that regard. The advice is solid and reaches over a variety of relevant subjects, and in my experience it is just about as good for boys as it is for girls.
I recommend this book. It is a clear, tangible self-help aid.
Profile Image for Judy.
404 reviews6 followers
December 11, 2016
I purchased several kid's books for a school library. This one is sort of Dear Abby for kids. Well done as you would expect from the American Girl Library.
Profile Image for Erika W. Smith.
80 reviews54 followers
May 10, 2016
most of the advice holds up, but there are a few big misses (for example, one letter from a little girl being bullied about her weight by classmates advised her to diet & exercise)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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