Expectations for Women: Confronting Stereotypes

VOYA - Lynn Evarts

This new series looks at various aspects of what it means to be a woman in today's world. In these two books, the authors examine the positives and negatives of being a woman in various relationships and dealing with the misconceptions in society. In Expectations for Women, the author addresses such topics such as plastic surgery, body image, growing up too fast, and how to age gracefully. In Relationships, everything from friendships, dating relationships, and stressful relationships are studied. This is an appealing series for teens because of the accessible format, brightly colored photographs, and easy-to-read text. The topics are applicable to today's teens, and the entire series is very current, with references to decisions that the Obama administration has made recently, as well as a nicely balanced historical view. Particularly appealing is the fact that these will be comfortable books for students at lower levels or those who are reluctant readers/researchers. Students will pick these books up to browse, as well as for reports. Reviewer: Lynn Evarts

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up–These books explore some of the challenges facing modern young women. Facts are shared in a conversational tone, creating the sense of a chat with a big sister. In Relationships, a chapter on being your own best friend demonstrates the empowering mindset of this series. Reproductive Rights features an even-handed look at the pro-life/pro-choice debate along with a vast amount of information on contraception. Though the volumes are designed for personal reading and browsing, the data provided are accurate and also lend themselves to use in reports. This series will be of great interest.