Girlhood

What a great glimpse into the lives of teenage girls around the world. I think this book would serve well as a book for middle and high school Social Studies/Geography classroom discussions. It's an easy read and you will definitely find at least one girl with whom you relate to a great deal, if not many. Each entry would serve as a great starting point for discussing different cultures and countries.

I liked the quick facts that help introduce each girl at the start of their section. They made it feel a bit like a fun magazine article and will make the format accessible and very relatable to teens (especially things like discovering they share a favorite musical artist with girls all over the world... things like that). The reader then gets a brief intro about the following diary entry with helpful background info. The diary entries are quite short, about 4 or so pages, and reflect every day life for each girl. They discuss their hopes for their futures too, which I think was the most interesting for me. I enjoyed the format and especially loved the inclusion of all the photos. This isn't necessarily a book I think should be read straight through, but rather one that benefits from dipping in every once in a while. I feel it helps keep the girls distinct and unique in the reader's mind.

Girlhood let's us get a glimpse into the lives of 30 teenage girls. These girls may be teenagers and have the same fears and issues, but many suffer from adult issues they will never escape from. Masuma Ahuja shares their stories and let's their voices shine.

Ahuja begins Girlhood by sharing startling facts with readers:

About 130 million girls between the ages of 6 and 17 are not in school. This could be due to culture, marriage, or having given birth. Females are still considered property. I live in the United States and I was horrified to see that in eight years time, about 250,000 kids under 18 got married. Some of them were 12-years-old!

Females are not just prohibited from school, but from sports, voting, and getting a higher education. Forget about going after their dreams.

This does not stop girls from trying and some from succeeding.

Ahuja takes us around the world to meet these ladies. Girlhood is filled with candid photos of them living life. Showing us snapshots of the world they live in. Ahuja also shares statistical information about topics that directly affect these females.

We get to see what they like to do for fun and what their dreams are. We listen to their voices as Ahuja shares their life with us. Take a trip around the world and listen.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.