“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena

Interest Level

 Ages 12-18 [Pre-teens and Teens]

Review and Comments

This book was written for young pre-teen and teen aged girls, but it is also an excellent resource for mothers.  The teen years can be difficult because of peers, society, and just the normal self-discovery of growing up.  Kari Kampakis discusses ten truths that a girl should understand so that “when she discovers God’s purpose, she can live her best life possible.”

Each of the ten chapters covers a specific truth such as: popularity, reputation, perseverance, patience, image, and God’s plan.  The chapters begin with a very good lesson that sets the tone for further explanation and discussion. Then there are every day examples that illustrate the difficulties girls face. The challenges range from: mean girls, insecurities, choices, peer pressure, positive vs negative attention, to self image. But there is also joy in being a girl and these truths pierce the darkness of those challenging times.

In each chapter there are Bible quotes and statements that speak the truth and seem to shout out – Remember me!  Write them down, post them, and remember them for the difficult times.  Of course each person will find different passages that speak to their heart.  Here are a few my favorites:

• “What makes you different is what makes you great.”
• ”Every choice you make affects how your name resonates in people’s minds.”
• “Pay attention to red flags like bad vibes and feelings of unease because that’s when God is speaking to you.”
• “You’re the one responsible for protecting your name and reputation.”
• “You weren’t made to base your identity on the world’s fluctuating opinion of you or your opinion of yourself.”
• “When it comes to your life, there’s always a choice.”
• “Whether you realize it or not, you and God are a team.”

There is a great deal of material so it may take some time to reflect and digest each message. The questions at the end of each chapter invite discussion at the time of reading and establish a foundation for future communication between a mother and daughter. A girl could read the whole book on her own but the strength of a mother, an aunt, or a grandmother would offer the loving support  a daughter depends on to understand what it’s like to become a whole woman, especially young teens.  I recommend this book to all girls and any mother of a daughter who is beginning her journey to become a strong and holy woman.

Possible Concerns

I think Chapter 4, “Interacting With Boys” is a chapter that pre-teens and maybe even young teens should read and discuss with a mother.  Other than that, there are no concerns with this book.

Further Discussion

• Read one chapter at a time and take a period of time to digest and talk about the information with a mother, aunt, or grandmother.
• Post favorite sayings from each chapter as encouraging reminders.

Mothers:

1. Write an encouraging letter to your adolescent self about growing up. Then, share that letter with your daughter.
2. When sharing experiences from your life with your daughter, be sure to include the positive lesson/bit of wisdom you learned from those experiences.

• Kari Kampakis suggests reading For Young Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn and Lisa Rice, another good book for young women.  (Click the picture below for my affiliate link.)

Catholic Resources

• Bible passages referred to in the book:

Genesis 50:20

Deuteronomy 31:6

1 Samuel 16:7

2 Chronicles 15:7

Psalm 139:14, 37:4, 46:10, 136, 34:5,

Proverbs 22:1, 4:23, 3:5-6, 14:12 ESV, 31:30, 14:30 CEV, 19:21, 27:17

Jeremiah 29:11

Matthew 25:40, 5:14-16, 19:26,

Luke 6:41-42

John 3:30, 15:5, 15:13, 8:32, 13:35

Romans 8:31. 8:28, 12:2, 8:39, 8:28, 5:4

1Corinthians 12:4-6, 15:33 ESV, 10: 13, 6:19-20

2 Corinthians 12:9, 10:5, 4:16

Galatians 1:10

Ephesians 4:32, 5:17

Philippians 4:8, 4:13, 4:11-13

Colossians 1:16, 2: 9-10, 3:23,

1 Thessalonians 5:11, 5:18

2 Timothy 1:6-7

James 2:17, 1:2-4,

1 Peter 3:3-4

1 John 2:16, 1:9, 4:7-8

• This is a comparison of a few Bible references referred to in the book using the www.usccb.org website for approved translations.

1. Proverbs 14:12 – Sometimes a way seems right, but the end of it leads to death!

ESV Proverbs 14:12 -There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

2. 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Do not be lead astray: Bad company corrupts good morals.

ESV 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.

3. Proverbs 14:30-A tranquil mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.

CEV Proverbs 14:30-It’s healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.

 

CCC 357 Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.

 

CCC 364 The human body shares in the dignity of “the image of God”: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit.

 

CCC 369 Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman. “Being man” or “being woman” is a reality which is good and willed by God: man and woman possess an inalienable dignity which comes to them immediately from God their Creator.²⁴⁰ Man and woman are both with one and the same dignity “in the image of God”. In their “being-man” and “being-woman”, they reflect the Creator’s wisdom and goodness.