A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF <\/em>Book Review<\/b><\/h2>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/liesaboutparenting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-18-at-5.46.59-PM.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHow do you review a book you have no business reviewing?\u00a0A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, by Drs. Brittney Cooper, Chanel Craft Tanner, and Susanna Morris is one of a growing collection of girl empowerment books that offers raw honesty and complete support for Black teen girls and their allies. The inclusivity of this feminist book for teens makes it suitable for every teen (and body!) who is questioning societal norms and the patriarchy.\u00a0<\/p>\nBut as a feminist \u2014 and BIPOC, trans, queer, disabled, and nonbinary ally<\/a> \u2014 I jumped at the chance to check out this feminist book for teens.\u00a0<\/p>\nTeens, Am I Right?!<\/h2>\n
Initially, I planned to get a few teenage feminists to help me with some real-life feedback. It would be a breeze to post a review with their help.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis teen feminist think it\u2019s great!\u201d sounds a lot better than, \u201cThis old white mom thinks\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
But not one single teenager followed through on helping me out in time for the deadline. And why should they? Why should the cis white woman (aka me) get a free ride? Not because they weren\u2019t interested in the book or subject, but simply because I timed it wrong \u2013 school started, COVID surged, life got crazy with the holidays. The usual.<\/p>\n
Oh, and they\u2019re not my kids \u2014 so I couldn\u2019t make them. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
Which had me reading this intersectional feminist book geared towards marginalized feminist teenagers and their allies cover to cover. And yes, I would have read it anyway, but now my words have more weight in this review. This is what I was trying to avoid \u2014giving white words weight on a subject where we could benefit far more by sitting down and shutting up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But so much of the advice and insight in this book applies to me. Decades of being told to play nice, stay skinny, look like a model, do more, be more, give more. These tropes are as ingrained in my psyche as they are in capitalistic patriarchal communities worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bottom line is I love it and highly recommend it \u2014 both for yourself and your feminist or feminist-ally teen. Let\u2019s just hope I don\u2019t screw up explaining why.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hey!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>If any of the words you\u2019ve read have you confused, we\u2019ve all been there. Honestly, don\u2019t worry. You\u2019re here, exploring a subject you probably never expected to be learning about, and you\u2019re doing your best to help a teenager you know. High-fives all around! The first step into anything new is always a bit scary. So just keep going and know you\u2019re doing the right thing. You got this!\u00a0<\/p>\nIf your teen:<\/h3>\n\n- Rails against white guys (or guys in charge) but doesn\u2019t seem to have the right words to explain why<\/span><\/li>\n
- Believe in #BlackLivesMatter<\/a> and is interested in social justice<\/span><\/li>\n
- Is questioning the outsized role that men (mainly white) play in society<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Then this book,\u00a0A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/strong><\/a>, is for them.\u00a0<\/p>\nWhile it\u2019s definitely written for and to Black teen girls, this girls empowerment<\/a> book openly welcomes everybody who supports feminism and gender\/identity freedom. Trans, queer, nonbinary, BIPOC, white \u2013 this book care who you are as long as you support freedom and feminism. The authors are clear that white supremacy, colorism, and the capitalistic patriarchy are all repressive means of keeping women and marginalized societies and people from being equal. \u00a0<\/p>\nSuppose your teen needs a feminist teen book and understands that not everyone is treated equally. In that case, this book offers excellent insights, knowledge, and inspiration for walking a path towards body positivity and freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sidebar!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>You might be wondering: Black is capitalized, white is not. Why? Read why the\u00a0Associated Press updated<\/a> its guidelines around capitalizing ethnicities. To sum it up, it\u2019s because Black people have a shared history of discrimination AND culture, whereas white people, well, don\u2019t. And capitalizing the W in white just screams White Supremacy (<\u2014 see what I did with that capitalization there? It matters.) Capitalize the \u2018B,\u2019 not the \u2018w.\u2019 Moving on.<\/p>\nGive Me More Details<\/h2>\n
A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/em><\/strong> is a girls empowerment book, part of a growing collection of feminist books for teens that focuses on introducing profound concepts surrounding identity<\/a> and feminism in a connective, we-got-your-back way.\u00a0<\/p>\nDrs. Cooper, Craft Tanner, and Morris wrote this book for \u201ceverybody feminist \u2014 trans girls, cis girls, girls with disabilities, BIPOC girls, queer girls, working girls, nonbinary folx, and our non-girl allies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Translation: If you have a budding feminist \u2014 or teen questioning their gender and identity \u2014this is a fantastic empowerment book to add to their collection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is one book that doesn\u2019t discriminate. The underlying theme is to get a crew together who will support you as you learn, grow, and question society and your role in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nOne of my favorite lines in the book is, \u201cHave you ever heard the \u2018prayer\u2019 Lord, give me the confidence of a mediocre white boy?<\/em>\u201d \u2013 page 30<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nHOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THAT?! It\u2019s just so true. We breed boys as risk-takers and challengers while training girls to sit down and shut up. Anyone that has been to middle school knows that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/em> <\/strong>addresses common stereotypes and breaks down where they came from and why they need to change. It\u2019s a breath of fresh air, delivered with snappy comments and tons of helpful links for body and identity positive influencers to follow, books to read, podcasts to listen to, and documentaries to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\nLet\u2019s Talk Language & Triggers<\/h2>\n
This book is brutally honest but no more so than what\u2019s likely going through your teen\u2019s mind and social media feeds at this very moment. Hopefully, your teen already has a supportive crew, but if they\u2019re struggling, this book will give them some hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Support and good friends are out there, waiting to be discovered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nYes, there\u2019s some language, but I\u2019m betting your teen is well-versed in it already. But it\u2019s not written for you, Mom\/Dad\/teacher, but for your teen struggling with identity, confidence, and essential topics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They cheer, swear, cry, educate, inspire, and promote feminists and their allies, all the while keeping it real and not wasting any time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Exploring girlhood and body image stereotypes and how these are fundamental ways to keep women and marginalized identities from taking more power make this a powerful introduction to intersectional feminism.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Also, the authors do a great job of warning readers of potential triggers, offering enough detail to know if you need to skip ahead or keep reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Takeaway<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s a win. Buy it. A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/strong><\/em><\/a> is meant for anyone who has looked at the people \u201cin charge\u201d and thought, get the hell out of here\u2014 you don\u2019t look, feel, or act anything like me.\u00a0<\/p>\nThis book is for anyone who rolls their eyes when the white guy in the room \u201cdecides\u201d something needs to be done a certain way and gets his way. Every time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s for everyone who agrees or is catching on to the fact that the capitalistic patriarchy (basically white men running everything) is meant to keep rich white guys in charge.<\/p>\n
\nLet me be clear: This book is not about how much your white dad\/teacher\/boss\/brother\/classmate sucks, but instead how your teen can recognize, and do their part to change, an unjust system.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Whew, that\u2019s a lot to unpack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The book gives the reader the phrases, definitions, support, and ideas for challenging traditional roles and biases in society. It offers teenagers the inspiration and tools to move confidently in a direction that meets their \u2014perhaps unspoken\u2014needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A great example is when they discuss the nursery rhyme about girls being sugar, spice, and everything excellent. If a girl is deemed too bossy, she\u2019s a bitch. If a boy is dictatorial, he\u2019s usually \u201ccommanding\u201d or \u201ca natural-born leader.\u201d<\/p>\n
If your teen is a feminist or an ally questioning their own power, identity, place in the world, and\/or the political and social structures around them. In that case, this is a great book to get them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Feminist Book For Teens and Every Ally<\/h2>\n
There\u2019s a saying that feels like it\u2019s been around forever. Maybe you\u2019ve heard it:<\/p>\n
Those who can\u2019t do, teach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cooper, Craft Tanner, and Morris prove this trope is, beyond any doubt, a load of bull.<\/p>\n
These women do it all \u2013 innovate, create, teach, and lead. And you can\u2019t ask for a better teacher than someone who has not only the real-life experience but leads with the confidence and the hipness of your friend\u2019s cool aunt. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Where To Get It<\/h2>\nBookshop.org<\/a><\/h4>\nWe support small business and trying to move away from Amazon. If you don\u2019t NEED it tomorrow and can wait a few days, 100% of profits from your purchase through Bookshop<\/a> will benefit a local bookstore.\u00a0<\/p>\nAmazon.com<\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHow do you review a book you have no business reviewing?\u00a0A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, by Drs. Brittney Cooper, Chanel Craft Tanner, and Susanna Morris is one of a growing collection of girl empowerment books that offers raw honesty and complete support for Black teen girls and their allies. The inclusivity of this feminist book for teens makes it suitable for every teen (and body!) who is questioning societal norms and the patriarchy.\u00a0<\/p>\n But as a feminist \u2014 and BIPOC, trans, queer, disabled, and nonbinary ally<\/a> \u2014 I jumped at the chance to check out this feminist book for teens.\u00a0<\/p>\n Initially, I planned to get a few teenage feminists to help me with some real-life feedback. It would be a breeze to post a review with their help.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis teen feminist think it\u2019s great!\u201d sounds a lot better than, \u201cThis old white mom thinks\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n But not one single teenager followed through on helping me out in time for the deadline. And why should they? Why should the cis white woman (aka me) get a free ride? Not because they weren\u2019t interested in the book or subject, but simply because I timed it wrong \u2013 school started, COVID surged, life got crazy with the holidays. The usual.<\/p>\n Oh, and they\u2019re not my kids \u2014 so I couldn\u2019t make them. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n Which had me reading this intersectional feminist book geared towards marginalized feminist teenagers and their allies cover to cover. And yes, I would have read it anyway, but now my words have more weight in this review. This is what I was trying to avoid \u2014giving white words weight on a subject where we could benefit far more by sitting down and shutting up.\u00a0<\/p>\n But so much of the advice and insight in this book applies to me. Decades of being told to play nice, stay skinny, look like a model, do more, be more, give more. These tropes are as ingrained in my psyche as they are in capitalistic patriarchal communities worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n The bottom line is I love it and highly recommend it \u2014 both for yourself and your feminist or feminist-ally teen. Let\u2019s just hope I don\u2019t screw up explaining why.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hey!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>If any of the words you\u2019ve read have you confused, we\u2019ve all been there. Honestly, don\u2019t worry. You\u2019re here, exploring a subject you probably never expected to be learning about, and you\u2019re doing your best to help a teenager you know. High-fives all around! The first step into anything new is always a bit scary. So just keep going and know you\u2019re doing the right thing. You got this!\u00a0<\/p>\n Then this book,\u00a0A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/strong><\/a>, is for them.\u00a0<\/p>\n While it\u2019s definitely written for and to Black teen girls, this girls empowerment<\/a> book openly welcomes everybody who supports feminism and gender\/identity freedom. Trans, queer, nonbinary, BIPOC, white \u2013 this book care who you are as long as you support freedom and feminism. The authors are clear that white supremacy, colorism, and the capitalistic patriarchy are all repressive means of keeping women and marginalized societies and people from being equal. \u00a0<\/p>\n Suppose your teen needs a feminist teen book and understands that not everyone is treated equally. In that case, this book offers excellent insights, knowledge, and inspiration for walking a path towards body positivity and freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sidebar!\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>You might be wondering: Black is capitalized, white is not. Why? Read why the\u00a0Associated Press updated<\/a> its guidelines around capitalizing ethnicities. To sum it up, it\u2019s because Black people have a shared history of discrimination AND culture, whereas white people, well, don\u2019t. And capitalizing the W in white just screams White Supremacy (<\u2014 see what I did with that capitalization there? It matters.) Capitalize the \u2018B,\u2019 not the \u2018w.\u2019 Moving on.<\/p>\n A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/em><\/strong> is a girls empowerment book, part of a growing collection of feminist books for teens that focuses on introducing profound concepts surrounding identity<\/a> and feminism in a connective, we-got-your-back way.\u00a0<\/p>\n Drs. Cooper, Craft Tanner, and Morris wrote this book for \u201ceverybody feminist \u2014 trans girls, cis girls, girls with disabilities, BIPOC girls, queer girls, working girls, nonbinary folx, and our non-girl allies.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Translation: If you have a budding feminist \u2014 or teen questioning their gender and identity \u2014this is a fantastic empowerment book to add to their collection.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is one book that doesn\u2019t discriminate. The underlying theme is to get a crew together who will support you as you learn, grow, and question society and your role in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of my favorite lines in the book is, \u201cHave you ever heard the \u2018prayer\u2019 Lord, give me the confidence of a mediocre white boy?<\/em>\u201d \u2013 page 30<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THAT?! It\u2019s just so true. We breed boys as risk-takers and challengers while training girls to sit down and shut up. Anyone that has been to middle school knows that.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/em> <\/strong>addresses common stereotypes and breaks down where they came from and why they need to change. It\u2019s a breath of fresh air, delivered with snappy comments and tons of helpful links for body and identity positive influencers to follow, books to read, podcasts to listen to, and documentaries to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n This book is brutally honest but no more so than what\u2019s likely going through your teen\u2019s mind and social media feeds at this very moment. Hopefully, your teen already has a supportive crew, but if they\u2019re struggling, this book will give them some hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n Support and good friends are out there, waiting to be discovered.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yes, there\u2019s some language, but I\u2019m betting your teen is well-versed in it already. But it\u2019s not written for you, Mom\/Dad\/teacher, but for your teen struggling with identity, confidence, and essential topics.\u00a0<\/p>\n They cheer, swear, cry, educate, inspire, and promote feminists and their allies, all the while keeping it real and not wasting any time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Exploring girlhood and body image stereotypes and how these are fundamental ways to keep women and marginalized identities from taking more power make this a powerful introduction to intersectional feminism.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also, the authors do a great job of warning readers of potential triggers, offering enough detail to know if you need to skip ahead or keep reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s a win. Buy it. A Guide To Crushing Girlhood: Feminist AF<\/strong><\/em><\/a> is meant for anyone who has looked at the people \u201cin charge\u201d and thought, get the hell out of here\u2014 you don\u2019t look, feel, or act anything like me.\u00a0<\/p>\n This book is for anyone who rolls their eyes when the white guy in the room \u201cdecides\u201d something needs to be done a certain way and gets his way. Every time.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s for everyone who agrees or is catching on to the fact that the capitalistic patriarchy (basically white men running everything) is meant to keep rich white guys in charge.<\/p>\n Let me be clear: This book is not about how much your white dad\/teacher\/boss\/brother\/classmate sucks, but instead how your teen can recognize, and do their part to change, an unjust system.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Whew, that\u2019s a lot to unpack.\u00a0<\/p>\n The book gives the reader the phrases, definitions, support, and ideas for challenging traditional roles and biases in society. It offers teenagers the inspiration and tools to move confidently in a direction that meets their \u2014perhaps unspoken\u2014needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n A great example is when they discuss the nursery rhyme about girls being sugar, spice, and everything excellent. If a girl is deemed too bossy, she\u2019s a bitch. If a boy is dictatorial, he\u2019s usually \u201ccommanding\u201d or \u201ca natural-born leader.\u201d<\/p>\n If your teen is a feminist or an ally questioning their own power, identity, place in the world, and\/or the political and social structures around them. In that case, this is a great book to get them.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s a saying that feels like it\u2019s been around forever. Maybe you\u2019ve heard it:<\/p>\n Those who can\u2019t do, teach.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cooper, Craft Tanner, and Morris prove this trope is, beyond any doubt, a load of bull.<\/p>\n These women do it all \u2013 innovate, create, teach, and lead. And you can\u2019t ask for a better teacher than someone who has not only the real-life experience but leads with the confidence and the hipness of your friend\u2019s cool aunt. \u00a0<\/p>\n We support small business and trying to move away from Amazon. If you don\u2019t NEED it tomorrow and can wait a few days, 100% of profits from your purchase through Bookshop<\/a> will benefit a local bookstore.\u00a0<\/p>\nTeens, Am I Right?!<\/h2>\n
If your teen:<\/h3>\n
\n
Give Me More Details<\/h2>\n
\n
Let\u2019s Talk Language & Triggers<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Takeaway<\/h2>\n
\n
A Feminist Book For Teens and Every Ally<\/h2>\n
Where To Get It<\/h2>\n
Bookshop.org<\/a><\/h4>\n
Amazon.com<\/a><\/h4>\n