Using a workbook-style format, Brave New Girls engages young female readers with funky fonts and clip art, "hip" language, and interesting activities—such as short quizzes to learn more about a girl's own likes and dislikes, "Real Life Girl Stories" with which girls can identify, and Dear Abby-style questions and answers. Addressing pre-teen readers as intelligent and capable people, this book offers smart suggestions to boldly encourage girls to "STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT" about their own ideas, dreams, and concerns.

By encouraging young girls to learn about and like themselves as they are, Jeanette Gadeberg works to assist girls through a most difficult time of their lives—a time in which, studies have shown, girls are most susceptible to losing significant portions of their self-esteem. Validating the individual and continuously confirming that she is wonderful just by being herself, Gadeberg assures girls that, equipped with a positive attitude and a healthy sense of "girl power," they can do anything they want to do.

The various chapters of Brave New Girls address such topics as self, relationships, management of time and money, and taking action on concerns and goals. Throughout the book, activities offer immediate application of new ideas and learning, and the final chapter summarizes the key points of each chapter and offers one fill-in-the-blank action step for the reader to complete.

Girls who read Brave New Girls will learn that all of their feelings are both natural and okay and that they can take charge of their own responses to those feelings. Girl readers will be encouraged to talk to, and not be afraid of asking for help from, trusted adults, such as parents and teachers. Learning ways to interact positively with annoying siblings, jealous friends, and grabby boys, girls will also become equipped with effective conflict resolution techniques.

Additionally, girls will gain skills in managing their time and their money as Brave New Girls helps them understand budgeting, the accruing of interest in a savings account, the effectiveness of completing work before play, and how to avoid potential time-wasters such as watching television and worrying. By becoming effective managers of themselves, girls will be better able to take action on important matters, such as dreaming of and creating their own businesses, writing their own thoughts and stories, and telling the media and corporations what kinds of images of girls and women they will and will not tolerate and support with their time and money.

Brave New Girls is a marvelous tool for pre-teens, their parents, guardians, and teachers to help girls understand themselves and their own power. Were all young girls to read and apply the suggestions in the book, a whole new generation of confident, successful, and assertive women could be created!