Essential Life Skills for Girls

Confidently tackle tasks and everyday life with this guide to life skills for girls.

Does the preteen girl in your life know how to wash her clothes? Plunge a toilet? Leave a tip? Read a map? Manage a bank account? Do you have the time and energy to teach her? Let Essential Life Skills for Girls lead the way with the tools she needs to succeed. These critical life skills will help her become a responsible, resilient, and confident young woman at home, at school, and out in the modern world.

• Designed for girls ages 10–14 who need to learn the ins and outs of personal hygiene, clothing care, communication, school success, and much more
• Addresses kids living in a digital age; the skills include social media safety, texting with care, online communication, and other ways girls live their tech-savvy lives
• Easy to read, absorb, and remember, particularly for preteens with short attention spans
• Helps girls gain confidence and become independent (and helpful to family and friends)
• Detailed checklists let girls mark off skills they’ve learned and challenge themselves to learn them all!

“Essential Life Skills for Girls provides girls with the skills and know-how for today’s world—a modern home ec for the modern girl. With clear guidance and warm advice, this book empowers girls navigating a complex world to go forth with self-sufficiency and confidence.”
—Vanessa Kroll Bennett, educator and author of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained

“In a world where everything changes before we can master anything, we dream of a clear, sensible instruction manual. Finally there’s Essential Life Skills for Girls, covering everything from active listening to dealing with money in a way that’s easy to hear and easy to act on. This book is a game changer.“
—Annabel Monaghan (no relation), author of Nora Goes Off Script and Same Time Next Summer

“Essential Life Skills for Girls is the ultimate guide for girls! It’s an empowering handbook covering everything from practical advice to emotional well-being, physical health, and safety. Packed with invaluable tips and insights, this book is a must-have companion for navigating life’s challenges with confidence and resilience. Highly recommend!”
—Liz Woods, social media consultant, community leader, and mom of four

“Essential Life Skills for Girls offers practical tips for middle school students in language that is easy to understand. Young girls will feel empowered as they learn how to become independent and competent managers of themselves.”
—Megan Evans, teacher, former fifth grade teacher and current director of Placement and Alumni Relations at Waterside SchoolLisa Quirk Weinman is a cofounder of Middle Years Matter, an organization devoted to empowering young people with the essential skills needed to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. She served as middle school dean of students and wellness teacher at an independent school in Greenwich, Connecticut, for 22 years. She lives in Rye, New York, with her husband and two boys.

Megan Monaghan is a cofounder of Middle Years Matter and has worked in education for more than 18 years. She has taught every grade level from third to eighth grade. She holds degrees from Columbia University in child development and reading disabilities. She absolutely loves being a teacher. Megan lives in Rye, New York, with her family.

Martha Sue Coursey is a San Francisco–based illustrator, type designer, and artist. She grew up as the only child of metalwork artists in a house they built on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, where books and desert creatures were some of her best friends. She holds a BFA in painting from California College of the Arts and a postgraduate certificate from Type West. When she’s not drawing, she’s taking care of too many plants or walking the dog.