SchoolGirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem and the Confidence Gap
By: Peggy Orenstein
Inspired by a study by the American Association of University Women that showed girls' self-esteem plummeting as they reach adolescence, Peggy Orenstein spent months observing, interviewing, and getting know dozens of girls both inside and outside the classroom at two very different schools in northern California. The result was a groundbreaking book in which she brought the disturbing statistics to life with skill and flair of an experienced journalist. It continues to be read by all who care about how our schools and our society teach girls to shortchange themselves.
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
By: Mary Pipher
Here are girls' unmuted voices from the front lines of adolescence, personal and painfully honest. By laying bare their harsh day-to-day reality, Reviving Ophelia issues a call to arms and offers parents compassion, strength, and strategies with which to revive these Ophelias' lost sense of self.