Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America

"Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America" chronicles the stirring stories of American girls - often in their own words - and highlights their spirit, their will, their courage, and their contributions. Girls from all regions of this country and from all walks of life are given a collective voice in this true story of girls' everyday trials and triumphs. There are stirring stories from the wilderness and the cities, from the fields and the factories, told by girls of different races, ethnicities, religions, and classes, by girls with heartaches and girls with dreams. For all girls, from the first girls who walked across the Bering Strait to girls of the twenty-first century, growing up female has meant a combination of joy and sorrow, prejudice and privilege, fitting in and breaking molds, and struggle and acceptance. Penny Colman has dug deep into historical records and photographs, diaries, letters, memories, and advice books to glean the words and images of girls from pre-Colonial times to the present. The story of growing up female in America is the sum of many girls' stories - Native American, slave, immigrant, pioneer, rich, middle-class, and working-class.Extensive backmatter: Images, Chronology, Statues of Girls, Sources for Information and Activism, Source Notes, Bibliography/Webliography. The 2016 ebook is a revised edition of the bestselling, award-winning book "Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America" (Scholastic, 2000). "Smartly written and accessible" Entertainment Weekly "A fascinating look at a seldom-studied topic." School Library Journal "Colman has done all girlhood a great service with these amazing stories." KidsReads