How to Talk to Girls

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 show more 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? show less

Kudos to young Alec for publishing his first book. There are some nuggets of raw truth here, quite perceptive for a nine-year-old (will be interesting to see if he remembers his own advice as a young man) but in the end this comes off as some editor's vanity project. Look for it on remainder tables soon.

Reviewed by Me 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 show more 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! show less

Ok, it's a novelty book, and he already has two more in the works, but it is a pretty funny read.

Brilliant....just brilliant. And...yes, it is a guide to talk to girls written by an 8 year old.....brilliant....again...just brilliant.

Simple straight talk about talking to girls....but really shares being true to yourself.