Speak Up!: A Guide to Having Your Say and Speaking Your Mind

Speak Up!: A Guide to Having Your Say and Speaking Your Mind is written for middle school girls to provide guidance on finding their voices and fostering self-confidence. Author Halley Bondy does an admirable job of identifying issues that are important to tween and young teen girls, including friends, bullying, family, relationships, and school. Sample conversations provide helpful scripts that enable girls to envision situations they may encounter.

As a mother, I wish this kind of book had been available to me when I was a middle school girl, as I believe it would have been very beneficial in navigating that confusing time.

Parents of younger girls will want to preview chapters that include sensitive topics, especially “Crushes and Relationships,” to make sure content is geared towards their daughter’s developmental stage. Speak Up! provides a welcome addition to a middle school girl’s library, addressing important issues and offering useful strategies for communication and confidence.