Debra Beck

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

For over a decade, Debra Beck has served as a mentor for young girls, doing workshops and working with girls' groups to provide them with positive and supportive guidance. Drawing upon her own experiences as both a woman and a mother of two daughters, she's combined that with the real-life experiences of the girls she's worked with to write MY FEET AREN'T UGLY. This is a self-help, interactive book designed to help girls love all aspects of themselves.

Broken down into nine main parts -- Let's Learn to Like Ourselves, What Are You Afraid Of? Oh, the Dark. Me too!, Are You Creative? Yes, Everyone Is!, Being Healthy - Both Physically and Spiritually, Who is Doing Drugs?, Kids on the Edge - Teen Suicide, Becoming a Woman - But I'm Still a Kid!, Sex! Is There a Price to Pay?, and Have You Started the Healing Yet? -- this is a guide to growing up, and taking control of your thoughts and actions.

Ms. Beck manages to provide guidance without sounding preachy, and providing opportunities for internal dialogue and "journal" space to work through scenarios that girls will find easy to relate to. This is a great guide for both pre-teens and teenagers, and would be a great gift for any girl in your life.… (más)

The teenage years are a time of exploration, growth and change. There are many influences on this process, so many detours and bumps on the road to adulthood. It is a very difficult time of transitions and developments in body, mind and soul. For teenage girls it is a time of fear and confusion. To get out of it whole and unscathed takes help from all sides. In My Feet Aren't Ugly Debra Beck uses real situations to explore the multiple influences that can affect this time

Many different topics are covered from decision making to health, sex and drugs. They are addressed with personal anecdotes from the author's, her daughters' and their friends' lives which lend it an edge of realism that rings true for readers, both teenagers and their parents. The first person voice, using "I" and "we" brings the readers into the discussion while eliminating the lecturing or preaching tone that could have occured. This is an interactive book that gives space for teens to "Think it over...and Journal" on specific suggested topics. It is a chance to reflect on the pages and make them personal for each reader. The illustrations of Maggie Anthony add to the friendly atmosphere that will appeal to teens. It also includes various web sites to turn to for more information on many subjects.

This book would lend itself well to a seminar or workshop for teenage girls. It would also work well for a book study group or reading group that could talk about the different topics and use the journaling pages as discussion questions. Since it is so comprehensive, addressing a wide variety of topics with a light, friendly style, it would be a good workbook for such sessions. Teens are not always willing or able to use the format themselves so a helping hand would be useful in making the most out of this book. It could also be an effective parent/daughter activity to read and work through the book together. It might encourage real conversation at a crucial time in teen's life.… (más)