Girling Up: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular

by Mayim Bialik

Mayim Bialik, star of The Big Bang Theory, puts her Ph.D. to work as she talks to teens about the science of growing up and getting ahead. A must-have book for all teenage girls.

Growing up as a girl in today's world is no easy task. Juggling family, friends, romantic relationships, social interests and school sometimes it feels like you might need to be a superhero to get through it all! But really, all you need is little information.

Want to know why your stomach does a flip-flop when you run into your crush in the hallway? Or how the food you put in your body now will affect you in the future? What about the best ways to stop freaking out about your next math test?

Using scientific facts, personal anecdotes, and wisdom gained from the world around us, Mayim Bialik, the star of The Big Bang Theory, shares what she has learned from her life and her many years studying neuroscience to tell you how you grow from a girl to a woman biologically, psychologically and sociologically.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Self Help, Feminism, Middle Grade, Parenting, Science

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

Mayim Bialik is best known as Amy Farrah Fowler on America’s #1 comedy, The Big Bang Theory, a role for which she has received four Emmy nominations and a Critics’ Choice Award. She also starred in the early-1990s sitcom Blossom. Mayim earned a BS from UCLA in Neuroscience and Hebrew and Jewish studies, and went on to earn a PhD from UCLA in Neuroscience. She is the author of Beyond the Sling and Mayim’s Vegan Table.

Mayim founded GrokNation.com in 2015 as a platform for sharing her writing on everything from religious observance to women’s issues to politics to maintaining modesty in Hollywood. She seeks to present herself as a normal, imperfect mom trying to make everything run smoothly in a world that often feels out of her control. Mayim lives in Los Angeles with her strong, smart, spectacular sons.

You can visit Mayim Bialik at groknation.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MissMayim. Watch her videos at youtube.com/mayimbialik.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book that could have easily been handed to tween Carol and been completely relevant and easily understood. This is a bad thing, as tween Carol existed in the year 2000.

This is a book that should reflect the modern struggles of female puberty, but no where is there even a glimmer of an allusion to queer relationships, safe sex within that type of relationship, or the trials these LGBTQ+ teens might face and resources available to them for support outside of their school or family environment.

There is also a slightly yucky moment in this book where she talks about how boys are going to want to look at your boobs and they just can't help it, it's their hormones telling them to do it. That's just where that ends. There is no follow up that lets girls know that if that makes them uncomfortable they can say something to a trusted adult, teacher, or confront the ogling weirdo about not being a piece of meat, here for the male gaze.

There are more cringe worthy moments, a section on "modesty," talk of social media/internet safety, that is missing some depth, and so on. In short: This book is brand new, yet somehow dated. Rant over.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clocking in at just under 170 pages, GIRLING UP packs a powerful punch. Bialik pens a handy guide for finding your way through puberty & believing in yourself.

I really appreciated that there are both scientific & personal standpoints in here. The puberty section is basically what you'd expect from something such as THE CARE AND KEEPING OF YOU, just with a bit more medical background. (Bialik never makes this difficult to understand & just keeps it at a basic level.) There are also a couple of other things in here that you won't find in the American Girl library, such as masturbation, transgender & gender stereotypes; they are just little blurbs but am glad they're put in. Bialik assures that nobody is the same & nothing is wrong with us numerous times throughout the book & believe it will heavily resonate with even the most sensitive of readers.

The other sections include things such as: mindfulness, what do to after high school, healthy coping mechanisms, volunteering, etc. There are tips on healthy eating, including a mention of gluten-free & vegan eating; discussions on sex, including birth control & condoms; what is emotional stress & how to deal with that & so much more! Nothing goes into deep detail, enough so that the audience will understand but is clear to mention when it is time to ask your doctor. And honestly, when there's so much information out there & it's easy to access anything, most likely readers will already know the basic gist of things, but Bialik sets the record straight for what is what & how to get from point A to B in a healthy, productive fashion.

I think what I love most about GIRLING UP is that Mayim never talks down to her audience & explains things in a fun & firm way. This would make an excellent resource for the middle-school age & I would not hesitate getting a copy for those that fit this age group.

*I received a copy through Goodreads First Reads. Thanks for the opportunity!*

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book this morning and am finished now on the same day.
I am sixteen and a lot of the things she talked about I already discovered myself and of the biological aspects I knew everything as well, but I think it was great anyway.
It is not a really long book and it is easy to read and if I imagine I would've had this book let's say 4 years ago, maybe I wouldn't have felt so ashamed of me and knew some or a lot of things earlier.
For me this is a book I would definetly give my daughter to read if I had one and she was about the age of 12/13.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great and factual book. The author provides information clearly and concisely. An excellent book for teaching young girls what they need to know to make it through puberty.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up because Mayim is the bees knees.

I'm a middle aged guy with sons, not exactly the target audience for this book. Why did I read it? Well, honestly, primarily because I admire Mayim and was curious to read her writing. I also think it's a good thing for males to be aware of the challenges women face. With a few obvious exceptions, most of what Mayim writes about can also apply to adolescent/teen boys. It's certainly geared more towards preteen girls, but again, awareness is a good thing.

As to the writing, I admit I found it a bit simplistic for the young double-digit crowd. The writing seems geared more towards the very young adolescent - 10 years or so. However, it can certainly be argued that the simpler writing makes it more accessible to a wider audience.

Mayim's own world views certainly come through in the book (vegan, on the liberal side of many issues, etc.), but I also felt that she does a good job of balancing openness and respect for all cultures and viewpoints. Very conservative parents will probably not approve of this book, but that is their (and more sadly, their daughters') loss. The one pleasant surprise "exception" to her more liberal views is her discussion of modesty. It's an interesting stance and a brave choice for inclusion in the book. Kudos to her for her integrity.

Topic-wise, the book covers quite a range - biological changes, emotional changes, periods, reproduction, self-worth, body image, respect, charity, career paths, dating, love, intimacy, depression, therapy, boys staring at boobs (which she treats very gently, in my opinion), religion, friendship, etc. She handles all of these and more with a very straight forward style - just a caring adult wanting to share her experience, strength, and hope with girls and young women everywhere.

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mayim Bialik (AKA Amy Farrah Fowler from the Big Bang Theory) is an actress that plays a neuroscientist on tv that also happens to be one in real life. I picked this book specifically because she wrote it. Targeted for young girls starting their teenage years, this book was informative. Bialik´s style of writing was straightforward and honest with a soft touch. Being older than the intended audience, I was not as taken in but still did very much appreciate the chapters about self acceptance. The advice she gives might not be new but its tangible and delivered as if in conversation with the reader. Overall, a nice book.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of what Mayim covers has been done before but her name will draw teen readers, especially fans of Big Bang Theory--and that's a good thing as it does have a lot of good information for teen girls.

[❄️✨ Kat ✨❄️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is no way to tackle Girling Up without including every aspect of us.
Because we are not just a book on a shelf about a topic that has to be pieced together with a half dozen other books about other topics that are also us. We aren't just what we should be eating or who we are dating or what we are wearing or why we like science or don't. We are all of it.
We are our DNA, and we are the hormones that course through us.
We are the vitamins and minerals we eat, and we are the fears and concerns we have about what we eat.
We are the insecurities we have about not looking right and the things we do to try to feel right.
We are the books we read and the ones we don't want to read, too.
We are the love we feel when we hug our best friend, and we are the tears we cry when someone we love won't love us back.
We are grief and sadness, and we are the things we do to try and make sense of a difficult world.
We are the actions we take to change the things we see that are unjust, and we are as many possibilities as there are stars in the sky.
We are bodies that work, brains that learn, hearts that love, souls that struggle, and women who matter.
We are strong, smart and spectacular.
We don't have to be superheroes to be all of the things we want to be. We just have to be us."

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Mayium Bialik is a neuroscientist, and an actress on the Big Bang Theory, and for those of us who grew up in the 90's she will forever be Blossom. In her book Girling Up, she covers puberty, managing stress, planning for education beyond high school, including college and trade school, and finding ways to give to others.

What I liked about this book was her matter of fact style. She doesn't mince words, but there is also a sense of familiarity and compassion in her author voice. I love that she challenges girls to think about the impact their behaviors now might have on the future. Overall, I think this book gives a good overview of the transition from girlhood to womanhood. I like the fact that Bialik does not just focus on boy-girl relations or puberty. Instead she tries to focus on many aspects of maturing.

However, Parents should know that this book features basic talk about sex and a discussion on birth control methods. This book is targeted to girls twelve and up. Know your kids and plan accordingly

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is spectacular! If I had children I would read both of her books with them. She has one for the boys and the girls. She is very honest here about all of her own struggles from not fitting it growing up, being a late bloomer, and unpopular. She writes with kindness and compassion. I listened to the audiobook which she reads. Mayim covers it all, sexuality, all things puberty, healthy eating, drugs (don't). She brings her neuroscience background into it and I learned a few things that I plan on using for myself. (breathing, meditation, journaling, stress relievers like sunshine and walking, talking to a friend).

I wish I had had something like this to read when I was growing up. I highly recommend it for teens and adults alike. Something here for us all. Something we can pass along to the teens we know and love but also things we can use to feel happier in life. Her narration was extremely good and easy to listen to.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's why this book was great; It was straight to the point, factual and yet not boring. She was sensitive yet, didn't beat around the bush about really important issues. I realize this was a children's book. (Though I did find it at B&N under "New Teen" section) but regardless, Mayim Bialik is my Super Girl Hero (lol) and reading this book actually gave me great ideas of how to approach topics with my own daughter. I found it especially refreshing that the content was completely relevant to today's Tween. Don't get me wrong, every girl should be given "Are You There God it's Me, Margaret" but times have changed and let's face it when is the last time you used a BELT to secure a sanitary napkin? Haha. Yes, times have changed. All in all, it is definitely a book every growing, tween girl should read.

[Ericka Clou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for young girls, probably around the time they go through early puberty. Most of it is also applicable to boys and I'm not sure why she only focused on girls. I have a son and a daughter and this would be a handy little guide for discussion but the bent of the book would make it a little strange for my son.

One nice thing is that it briefly touches on transgender issues though strangely I don't think there was any mention of homosexuality. She also discusses being a late bloomer a lot which kept making me think of asexual people who won't develop sexual feelings later on despite whatever other "blooming" they might do (and ironically probably what the Sheldon character really is on the Big Bang Theory). I know it's a short book and she can't cover everything but these seemed like notable oversights given the topics she did cover.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Big Bang Theory version of The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls. I guess I didn't realize going in that this was a health book for tweens...and nothing more. Nothing too objectionable, but if I had a daughter I wouldn't give it to her. But that's personal, I sense it is fairly standard to give all this information at the same time.
Overall, I found the tone condescending. A sort of, "You've seen me on TV, but I'm just like you!" I hoped it would treat pre-teen girls with more intelligence.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book without reading the publisher's description so I had no idea this was specifically for teenage girls until I started listening to it. I simply purchased it because it was written/read Mayim Bialik. Whoops! But, I will say this would be a great book for people who have tween/teenage daughters to help them navigate the world they are about to enter. I think she tackles topics such as nutrition, education, puberty, dating and sex with thought and compassion. And, since she has a PhD in neuroscience, she can provide a lot of insight into how the body reacts to certain situations.

[Bridget]

I didn't love the tone of this. And when I got to the chapter on breast development where it talks about how boys just can't help staring at boobs because they're evolutionarily hard-wired to do so until they learn control, I gave up. You can be fascinated by something and still be held accountable for your actions, and this sounded too much like it was telling girls to put up with being ogled because guys can't help themselves so just get over it. Which is gross. DNF.

[Faye*]

Honestly, I only listened to this because I think Mayim Bialik is a remarkable woman and I was curious about what she had to say. It's obvious that I was not really the target audience anymore; the language is very simple and I thought we’d get just a bit more science. It was still enjoyable, though, and can imagine recommending this to younger girls.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to criticize a book written specifically for tween/teen girls because I'm not one anymore, but it's an empowering read that mixes a legitimate dose of science, as Bialik can do with her PhD and encouraging girls to be, explore, do, and live as "strong, smart, and spectacular". It runs along the lines of the math books written by Danica McKellar (famous kid-actress with a real-life degree in a STEM field that many girls still don't see themselves doing/being).

I liked the no-holds barred conversations and extensive look at being a girl and growing up. Bialik speaks directly to her audience in an authentic way.

[Randee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim at the library and I'm so glad I did. This would make an excellent gift for especially a pre-teen or teen. Mayim, who has a Ph.D in neuroscience has both the background and common sense to write a guide as to what it entails to grow up female. She doesn't mince words or sugar coat reality. Everything from chromosomes, puberty, menstruation, birth control, nutrition and mental health is covered in a manner that seems like an older sister giving the goods on all the questions a young female might have. I couldn't help but think I would have loved to have been able to read this book when I was around 11. I enjoyed it as an adult, but I needed it when I was a kid entering puberty. This is the first book I've seen that tells it like it is to be female and doesn't come off as a cold textbook of facts. I wish I knew a pre-teen in which to gift this.

[Joood Hooligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of who I am as a person, I absolutely didn't read anything about this book before putting a hold on it at my library. I liked the title and I respect many of the beliefs of Mayim Bialik, so I just grabbed it on a whim. Turns out this is a book for young woman, explaining many of their body’s emotional and physical developments. And I am not ashamed to admit that I learned a few things about my own body from reading this.

Read more here:
http://www.platypire.com/j-hooligan/g...

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming and sensitively written, with solid information which covers a broad swathe of topics related to growing up. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a book for a daughter 10 to 14 years old. I rather doubt many girls would pick this up on their own, but I could be wrong. I obviously am not the intended audience for this book, so I think I may not have appreciated it as well now as I could have had it been available 30 years ago.

[Marina Stavropoulou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though I like Mayim Bialik and I occasionally watch her YouTube clips, this book seemed a bit too didactic for my tastes. It's full of advice on how a girl should grow up. She makes many points that I agree with but her overcautious tone reminds me of a wise old auntie - I can't imagine how a young girl would respond to this book.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book never failed! It was everything I wanted in a book about growing up and I absolutely loved everything about it. I love Mayim Bialik's work and I'm even more impressed by her after reading this. Amazing!

[LillyBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a good 20-30 years older than the recommended target for this book, so I only read it because I have a lot of respect for Bialik (and I'm a huge fan of her work). I liked that the overall message to pre-teen and teen girls was "it's all okay" - meaning how their bodies are changing, how they feel about those changes, etc. It was a very reassuring, a "you're awesome and normal just the way you are" message. I appreciate that the book dove into weightier topics like sexting and consent. However, perhaps those 20-30 years have made me jaded. The tone and language of it seemed so oversimplified and childish to me. I cannot imagine a 18-year-old girl (the oldest target age Bialik has mentioned on her press tour) reading this and not rolling their eyes on every page at the simplistic phrases and even vague-bordering-on-prudish descriptions of some things. Either that or I have a very poor memory of myself or I had a very large vocabulary as a teenager. However, for pre-teen girls, I think that it could be a useful tool to help start a lot of conversations.

[Horror Sickness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating this book is complicated since I am not in the age range that is targeted. However I still wanted to get this book and read it. This was based in several reasons, the biggest one being all the admiration I feel for the author, Mayim Bialik. Reading this book brought me back memories of all those first times and changes I could not understand back then. I wish I would have had access to this book on those scary years of puberty when you start girling up and need sometimes to know more about those changes. More people should let their daughters read this, even if it is real and graphic. It might help them way more than you think. And yes it touches the topic of sex, but keeping them away from information and the words sex or penis is not going to help. Quite the contrary.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayim Bialik talks about the different hurdles that young girls face as the are growing up, or girling up for that matter. She tackles these things in a way that makes one feels like she is talking to a friend rather than an adult, which sometimes makes going through these different things a little bit easier.

I gave this book a four star rating more for the fact that it is very well written and I believe it will be very helpful for preteen girls. There are a lot of books for parents to talk to their kids on this subject, but I think it is also important for young women to have a book they can reference to themselves.

I wish there was a book like this when I was Girling Up. I believe it would have helped me tremendously get through my preteen years a little bit better.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts are quite good--the section on learning--other parts are too basic. For instance, she dedicates only two sentences to the actual human sexual response, but reiterates over and over and over again about not getting pregnant. *Sigh* This would be a good(ish) book to start the discussion about sex with an elementary aged child who is nine or ten years old. My fear is that a parent will hand this book over to their child and cease discussing any of the content with them. It is the parent's responsibilty to educate themselves further about all of these subjects and have important much more detailed conversation with them.

[Penny Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a calm, factual tone, Bialik describes puberty, dating, social issues, school, and other topics at the top of the minds of many tween girls. The narrative has a nice, conversational aspect that will make this easy going for many tweens who have questions; plus, even somewhat conservative families can appreciate Bialik's emphasis on talking to a trusted adult (such as a parent), and the fact that sex should be saved for later. Only the drawings are subpar. Even though the author is an actress ("Big Bang Theory") she is also a neuroscientist and knows what she is talking about. Very useful, factual, nonjudgmental, and helpful.

[Kari Youngblood]

I thought this book was going to be more autobiographical and how Mayim went to school to earn her degrees and got into acting. There is a touch of that, but it's mostly a book about hormones, the big change, and other issues that teen girls experience. That being said, if you have a young girl in that age range, this book did a really good job of explaining bodily changes in a way that is easy to relate to and touched on some other social issues-body image, dating. I quit after 4 chapters.

[Angie Sachs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this thinking it was a memoir, but instead it was actually more of girl how to guide. It was very well done and would be very helpful for pre-teen teen girls.If I had a daughter I would definitely have her read this. Being a women can be tough it’s always nice to see that others have the emotional rollercoasters as we all do.

[Aurora Fitzrovia · Rating 2 out of 5]

wow, ich hab tatsächlich nicht damit gerechnet, dass das Buch so cis- und heteronormativ ist :/
und manche Kapitel fand ich durchaus sehr fragwürdig (z.B. dass "Jungs" gerne auf Brüste starren und dass das eben Biologie ist und sie ja nichts dafür können. <_<)