Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence
by Rosalind Wiseman (2002)
Wiseman offers parents a guide to navigating the social minefields of female adolescence. Acting as a liaison between "Girl World" and "Planet Parent," Wiseman helps parents understand their daughters' friendships, the power of cliques, and the roles of girls within them (including Queen Bee, Sidekick, Torn Bystander, Messenger and Target). Wiseman founded a nonprofit company dedicated to empowering teens and she calls on her extensive face-to-face research with teens in this book. She outlines parenting styles (from "The Lock-Her-in-a-Closet Parent" to "The Loving-Hard-Ass Parent") and offers tips on talking to teens ("Don't use the slang your daughter uses"). The second half concentrates on boys, sex, and drugs, as well as what to do if your daughter needs professional help. She also offers groundbreaking insight into this issue that will be invaluable to any parent, teacher or other adult struggling to help a girl get through her teens.