What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Talk to Girls
Are you smart enough to take over a girl's heart? Leave it to a nine-year-old to get down to the basics about how to win victory with a girl. How to talk to girls is for boys of all ages—from eight to eighty—and the girls they like. So read this book and then you're ready. Good luck! Comb your hair and don't wear sweats
Control your hyperness (cut down on the sugar if you have to)
Don't act desperate
Control your hyperness (cut down on the sugar if you have to)
Don't act desperate
48 pages, Hardcover
First published November 25, 2008
31 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Alec Greven
18 books3 followersAlec Greven, 9, is a fourth grader from Castle Rock, Colorado. Alec Greven wrote a book called,”How To Talk To Girls.” Alec Greven impressed Ellen DeGeneres so much that she invited him to be on her show. Then, DeGeneres took Alec Greven to New York to meet HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins loved Greven’s book on “How To talk To Girls.” HarperCollins decided to publish Alec Greven’s book.
Alec Greven said he wrote his book based on observation of the interactions of girls and boys at the playground. Alec Greven does not have a girlfriend yet.
Alec - who just finished a children's book on the Watergate scandal - said he wants to be a full-time writer when he grows up, with a weekend job in archaeology or paleontology.
Alec Greven said he wrote his book based on observation of the interactions of girls and boys at the playground. Alec Greven does not have a girlfriend yet.
Alec - who just finished a children's book on the Watergate scandal - said he wants to be a full-time writer when he grows up, with a weekend job in archaeology or paleontology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 14, 2021
Bought this book for $0.25 at McKay’s as a joke at first with Dake and Charlie. Turned out to be a very funny 5-10 minute read and honestly life.
Forgot to mention the author is 9 years old.
Forgot to mention the author is 9 years old.
April 17, 2009
I bought it on impulse at Borders, and read it while waiting for my spaghetti to boil. It's not bad at all - most of the advice seems quite sound. Like Proust and many other authors, he considers romantic love a disease.
The single best tip: when in doubt, think about what Mom would like. Remember that she's a girl too! But on reflection, I began to wonder whether this didn't give away an important clue about the true authorship of the book. OK, I'm prepared to believe that a smart 9 year old could have written a fair amount of it himself. Some parts are just too slick though. Would someone that age really suggest that you should cut down on sugar if you're too hyper? Or phrase it that way if he did?
So I think Alec got some help, and I'm even prepared to guess who his co-author is. I think it's a girl. A somewhat older one...
The single best tip: when in doubt, think about what Mom would like. Remember that she's a girl too! But on reflection, I began to wonder whether this didn't give away an important clue about the true authorship of the book. OK, I'm prepared to believe that a smart 9 year old could have written a fair amount of it himself. Some parts are just too slick though. Would someone that age really suggest that you should cut down on sugar if you're too hyper? Or phrase it that way if he did?
So I think Alec got some help, and I'm even prepared to guess who his co-author is. I think it's a girl. A somewhat older one...
May 2, 2009
I hated this less than I (frankly) wanted to. There's some reasonably sound advice here (don't be a big show-off; be friendly and don't say anything mean), and some of the advice is downright strange, coming out of an elementary school: "Girls always like the smart boys. ... If you are the smartest kid in the class, you are like a magnet and girls are the metal."
But the good and strange are both mixed with some strangely misogynistic ideas--strange because they're (ostensibly) coming from an 8-year-old but aren't "make sure your cootie shots are up to date." Things like "About 73% of regular girls ditch boys; 98% of pretty girls ditch boys," a statistic he says at the beginning is based on observation on his school playground. The anti-pretty-girl propaganda continues: "Many boys go for the pretty girls. It is easy to spot pretty girls because they have the big earrings, fancy dresses, and all the jewelry. Use caution! ... The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are coldhearted when it comes to boys." A few things here: first, we're apparently confusing "pretty" with "rich." Second, combined with his earlier "statistics," there's an implication that boys should go after the plain girls, because they're desperate enough that they can't be picky.
Overall, there's an odd vibe to this book, one that implies that girls exist to be won over by boys. Granted, the kid wrote this when he was 8, but still, this title goes out of its way to present girls as alien beings with no interests besides lording their power over boys. (And we girls apparently do have power, because "girls win most of the arguments and have most of the power. If you know that now, things might be easier." Because we are all shrieking harridans, I guess.)
I don't mean to sound like I'm calling a nine-year-old out on his unevolved gender views. I disagree with a lot of the advice and the concept of this book as a whole. I'm more curious why HarperCollins would publish this how-to-bag-a-girl title, and why Ellen DeGeneres (of all people!) made that happen. The idea that elementary-schoolers need a how-to on attracting mates doesn't sit well with me, and that this how-to is filled with such "it's okay, girls really ARE incomprehensible and mean" messages sits doubly poorly. If we're going to give our kids dating guides, shouldn't we be steering them toward more gender-balanced viewpoints?
But the good and strange are both mixed with some strangely misogynistic ideas--strange because they're (ostensibly) coming from an 8-year-old but aren't "make sure your cootie shots are up to date." Things like "About 73% of regular girls ditch boys; 98% of pretty girls ditch boys," a statistic he says at the beginning is based on observation on his school playground. The anti-pretty-girl propaganda continues: "Many boys go for the pretty girls. It is easy to spot pretty girls because they have the big earrings, fancy dresses, and all the jewelry. Use caution! ... The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are coldhearted when it comes to boys." A few things here: first, we're apparently confusing "pretty" with "rich." Second, combined with his earlier "statistics," there's an implication that boys should go after the plain girls, because they're desperate enough that they can't be picky.
Overall, there's an odd vibe to this book, one that implies that girls exist to be won over by boys. Granted, the kid wrote this when he was 8, but still, this title goes out of its way to present girls as alien beings with no interests besides lording their power over boys. (And we girls apparently do have power, because "girls win most of the arguments and have most of the power. If you know that now, things might be easier." Because we are all shrieking harridans, I guess.)
I don't mean to sound like I'm calling a nine-year-old out on his unevolved gender views. I disagree with a lot of the advice and the concept of this book as a whole. I'm more curious why HarperCollins would publish this how-to-bag-a-girl title, and why Ellen DeGeneres (of all people!) made that happen. The idea that elementary-schoolers need a how-to on attracting mates doesn't sit well with me, and that this how-to is filled with such "it's okay, girls really ARE incomprehensible and mean" messages sits doubly poorly. If we're going to give our kids dating guides, shouldn't we be steering them toward more gender-balanced viewpoints?
November 11, 2012
Reviewed by Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" for TeensReadToo.com
It's very rare for an eight-year-old boy to write a book. It's even rarer that the same boy, at nine, gets that book published by a major company. And it's even more rare that said book, HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS, is laugh-out-loud hilarious, instructional, and something that everyone, regardless of age, can use and relate to.
Some of my favorite things from the book:
About 73 percent of regular girls ditch boys; 98 percent of pretty girls ditch boys. (Don't we know it!)
Don't act desperate. Girls don't like desperate boys.
Most boys in elementary school can hold on to a girl for only 30 days.
When you see a pretty girl, don't let her tractor beam pull you in.
Go for a talkative girl if you are shy. Then you only have to say one sentence, and she will do the rest of the talking.
Don't brag or she will ditch you.
Don't scream if you can't get the girl even after you've tried everything. If it doesn't work out, just let it go.
Alec Greven is a smart boy, and if he puts to use all of his tips and tricks from HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS, he's destined to be an even smarter man!
It's very rare for an eight-year-old boy to write a book. It's even rarer that the same boy, at nine, gets that book published by a major company. And it's even more rare that said book, HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS, is laugh-out-loud hilarious, instructional, and something that everyone, regardless of age, can use and relate to.
Some of my favorite things from the book:
About 73 percent of regular girls ditch boys; 98 percent of pretty girls ditch boys. (Don't we know it!)
Don't act desperate. Girls don't like desperate boys.
Most boys in elementary school can hold on to a girl for only 30 days.
When you see a pretty girl, don't let her tractor beam pull you in.
Go for a talkative girl if you are shy. Then you only have to say one sentence, and she will do the rest of the talking.
Don't brag or she will ditch you.
Don't scream if you can't get the girl even after you've tried everything. If it doesn't work out, just let it go.
Alec Greven is a smart boy, and if he puts to use all of his tips and tricks from HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS, he's destined to be an even smarter man!
November 25, 2011
AWESOME. Girls, get ready. ;D
August 3, 2018
Advise for reading this book: have a friend read it out loud to you. So funny. So honest. Not bad for a nine year-old. Not bad for a twenty-nine year-old.
July 10, 2021
5/5
Cute. And now I think I can get a girlfriend now, wish me luck.
Cute. And now I think I can get a girlfriend now, wish me luck.
Read
May 24, 2022I really liked it but it was a really short book so I finished in one day
April 26, 2025
Peak literature
September 12, 2016
This is a cute response/book on a subject from a child's perspective, but it took mama goggles to publish it. (You know, the feeling of complete content when your child makes your proud or otherwise leaves you in awe. This feeling tends to be extremely personal though and people outside the immediate family don't have the same appreciation that you do as a proud mama/papa.)
I won't be too critical of the content, statistics, backtracking, but I will say that I wish it was the smart boys that got the girls, even in elementary school.
I won't be too critical of the content, statistics, backtracking, but I will say that I wish it was the smart boys that got the girls, even in elementary school.
February 15, 2010
I was in a toy store with my kids (9 & 10) and read this while they looked around. So as it turns out, a nine year old boy has it down pat about girls. Then my 10 yr old son walks up, see's what I'm reading and snickers. He says, "Uh, you should buy that dad". Right, I thought. Laugh now, but just wait and see what book you're looking for in about 15 years.
Cute book.
Cute book.
May 15, 2025
Funny, cute, and sometimes wise, How to Talk to Girls was written by an 8 year old boy, Alec Greven, who is wise way beyond his years. His best advice is that “girls win most of the arguments and have most of the power. If you know that now, things might be easier” (10). The most troubling piece of advice is as follows: “Pretty girls are like cars that need a lot of oil. And if you fail with a pretty girl, it mostly drives you crazy. If you are really confident, go for it! But the best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are cold hearted when it comes to boys. Don’t let them get to you” (21). That explains so much! When I was single, boys were intimidated by my exceptional beauty! Poor pretty girls. It’s just not fair.
August 31, 2018
Interesting quick read
This book is quick is and fun to read. The amount of wisdom contained in these few ages is amazing when you know the author is an elementary-school kid. I sure wish I did but unfortunately did not know that much about attracting girls even when I was in high school. :-)
I highly recommend the book to boys and men of all ages.
This book is quick is and fun to read. The amount of wisdom contained in these few ages is amazing when you know the author is an elementary-school kid. I sure wish I did but unfortunately did not know that much about attracting girls even when I was in high school. :-)
I highly recommend the book to boys and men of all ages.
September 15, 2018
A book written by someone under 15:
Yooooooo I was laughing so hard while I read this book! Here's my favorite excerpt:
"Some girls are wild.
Most girls like polite boys--but not the wild girls.
...
Some girls are talkative. Some girls are shy.
Go for a talkative girl if you are shy.
Then you only have to say one sentence, and she will do the rest of the talking."
Yooooooo I was laughing so hard while I read this book! Here's my favorite excerpt:
"Some girls are wild.
Most girls like polite boys--but not the wild girls.
...
Some girls are talkative. Some girls are shy.
Go for a talkative girl if you are shy.
Then you only have to say one sentence, and she will do the rest of the talking."
September 8, 2017
I feel so enlightened
The struggle is real. The best advice I've ever read came from this book: "if it doesn't work out, just let it go. Whatever happens, don't let it make you crazy." Excellent advice.
The struggle is real. The best advice I've ever read came from this book: "if it doesn't work out, just let it go. Whatever happens, don't let it make you crazy." Excellent advice.
July 21, 2021
As a part of book challenge I was suppose to read something written by a child. I was really surprised how solid it actually was. An enjoyable fast read with age appropriate tips. I even chuckled a few times 😊
July 5, 2023
Wow can’t wait to give this to every boy I know!!! Such important wisdom for our time! Specifically this line:
“If you like a girl, comb your hair and don’t wear sweats. You don’t have to try too hard, but just try to look kind of clean.” So wise
“If you like a girl, comb your hair and don’t wear sweats. You don’t have to try too hard, but just try to look kind of clean.” So wise
June 16, 2017
I wish that he wrote one for girls!
His young beautiful mind spoke to my heart.
I only wish I had this book when I was young. Great read!
His young beautiful mind spoke to my heart.
I only wish I had this book when I was young. Great read!
January 28, 2018
Lent this book to a wall flower friend a year ago and a few months later he was married! I ran into him at CostCo yesterday and he credits this book. Could work for you, too!
March 31, 2018
4/5
Simple and refreshing.
Simple and refreshing.
November 30, 2018
I know this was written by a nine yr old, but things like, "it is easy to spot pretty girls because they have the big earrings, fancy dresses, and all the jewelry" make me want to throw up.
December 8, 2018
Adorable and mostly true. This is a wise kid author.
March 31, 2019
The fact I am still single is not the fault of this book. Highly recommend.
July 15, 2019
Anonymous
November 2, 2019
10/10 would recommend.
December 22, 2019
Simples mas interessante.
March 29, 2021
Cute dating mannual for middle school heterosexual boys, written by a middle school boy.
July 16, 2021
It was funny
September 14, 2021
Hilarious book, but most of the tips are sound. Girls are very much painted as flighty though.
September 27, 2022
Ok, it's a novelty book, and he already has two more in the works, but it is a pretty funny read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews