Book Review

John Donne, a poet once famously said "no man is an island entire of itself", and nowhere does his statement ring true more than when discussing friendship. Since we 're toddlers up until we take our last breaths, friendship is an essential part of life. Our friends shape who we are, who we become, how we make sense of the world around us, and how we relate to others. Friendship is an important part of growing up, and the friends we have in school can have a dramatic impact on our development socially, emotionally, and indeed even academically. However, while friends can be a wonderful resource for students, navigating through friendships and peer relationships can also be detrimental in many ways. With our culture 's obsession on fitting in, friendships can become a source of peer pressure and teasing, and can impede personal development during the formative years when one is in school. In her book, Queen Bees and Wannabes, Wiseman discusses these very issues, such as friendship, its importance and benefits, and more importantly, dealing with bullies and mean girls. Not only is this book helpful to teenage girls, but it is specifically geared towards parents and provides them with a plethora of helpful strategies on how to deal with their daughters and enhance their social lives. Each chapter in this book is divided into several sections. They all start off with a thorough analysis and description of a specific characteristic of "girl world". Next, Wiseman includes a "check your baggage" section which challenges the parents to answer a few questions about their experiences when they were their daughter 's age as this will help them understand their own biases and preconceptions. That section is followed by strategies and even example scripts for how to talk to your daughter, how to help her, how to reaffirm your relationship with her and how to give her the confidence she needs to solve her own problems. Wiseman especially stresses the importance of parents

References: Irwin, M. (2013). Hanging out with mates: Friendship quality and its effect on academic endeavours and social behaviours. Australian Journal of Education, 57(2), 141-156. doi:10.1177/0004944113485839 Klomek, A., Marrocco, F., Kleinman, M., Schonfeld, I. S., & Gould, M. (2007). Bullying, depression, and suicidality in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(1), 40-49. doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000242237.84925.18 Kostelnik, M. J., Gregory, K., Soderman, A. K., & Whiren, A. P. (2012). Guiding Children’s Social Development and Learning (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth (Cengage Learning). Pöyhönen, V., Juvonen, J., & Salmivalli, C. (2010). What does it take to stand up for the victim of bullying: The interplay between personal and social factors. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 56(2), 143-163. Retrieved from http://wsupress.wayne.edu Tenenbaum, L., Varjas, K., Meyers, J., & Parris, L. (2011). Coping strategies and perceived effectiveness in fourth through eighth grade victims of bullying. School Psychology International, 32(3), 263-287. doi:10.1177/0143034311402309 Wiseman, R. (2009). Queen bees & wannabes: Helping your daughter survive cliques, gossip, boyfriends, and the new realities of girl world (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.