Book Review: My Feet Aren’t Ugly, by Debra Beck

When I was an insecure pre-teen and adolescent, I don’t remember there being any “self-help” books for my age level. I read books meant for adults (such as The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale), magazines (like Teen and Seventeen), and the few age-appropriate novels available (like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume). Now, young women have a much wider variety of wonderful nonfiction books to help them navigate the often confusing and overwhelming teen and pre-teen years. One great choice is My Feet Aren't Ugly: A Girl's Guide to Loving Herself from the Inside Out,by Debra Beck.

The author -- a mother of two daughters and founder of the organization, Empowered Teens & Parents -- speaks to girls through straight talk and friendly banter about liking themselves, fears, bullies, physical and spiritual health, cyber-safety, drugs, sex, suicide, and more. Her advice is interspersed with journal pages, teen comments, quizzes, lists, and delightful illustrations. The book’s warm and friendly style will appeal to girls who don’t want to be talked down to by an adult. Samples include:

“If you want to grow, push yourself a little. Do the things that scare you a little. Take risks. Not stupid risks that could harm you; just do some small things that you’re afraid to do.”

“Allow people into your life who are up-front and truthful with you. There are a lot of people in the world who surround themselves with yes-men. Unfortunately, the ones who do are people who never grow. They remain unsure of themselves because they never face reality.”

“I think we all play such an important part in the world, and we need to be 100 percent present to create it the way we want. I personally don’t want to miss something good. … Start saying ‘no’ to things that aren’t good for you like mean people in your life, boyfriends who don’t respect you, sex for all the wrong reasons, and drugs.”

It’s important for parents to speak with their teens about the issues that confront them, such as peer pressure, harmful behaviors, self-esteem, promiscuity, and more. My Feet Aren’t Ugly is a valuable tool for opening the door to such discussions with your daughter. Visit www.empoweredteensandparents.com to learn more about this award-winning book.