The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) is now in all major bookstores in China in an English/Chinese version. Here is the beautiful cover. The title in China is: How an American girl grows up.
September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein discusses The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) with several Girl Scout troops from Ocean Township.
September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Discussion with Girl Scouts
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein discusses The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) with several Girl Scout troops from Ocean Township. It was a lively discussion. We chatted about lots of topics brought up by the girl in the book. Some included moving, parents fighting, growing up, sibling annoyances, friendships. All the girls were very interested in the second book in The Truth Series for Girls, which Dr. Holstein has just finished.
The ‘Girl’ goes to CHINA!
September 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Most of you know by this time that The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) is about to be released in China in an expanded version. It will include both English and Chinese and over 35 Diary entries that have never been seen in this country! The title there will be: How an American Girl Grows Up. Having my book appear in a major country, such as China, for kids and adults to read is a true blessing.
Over the past year so many moms, kids, teachers, grandmas and others have given the book great endorsements and also wonderful feedback, support and wisdom. I have listened carefully to all of you. In fact, already in the Chinese version I have incorporated aspects of what you have been saying. And there will be more changes when The Truth is reprinted and of course your feedback has influenced the second book which I have just finished! Look for it within six months. In the second book, Secrets, the girl is a year older. Lots of adventures and challenges happen. So stay tuned.
Meanwhile, I thought you would enjoy reading one of the excerpts from the Chinese version of The Truth, NEVER seen before in this country.
“My mother took me over to my new school. It is gigantic. I never saw such a big building except the hospital.
The principal was very nice to me. His name is Mr. Palmquist. He is old. I think about 55. I can’t imagine him being mean to the kids. He showed me the classrooms and the lockers in the hallways. Then we went to see the cafeteria that had beautiful paintings on the walls. He said that long ago when artists didn’t have any work, President Roosevelt had a plan. Let them all paint beautiful paintings on public buildings and the government would pay them.
So a bunch of them came to this school and decorated the cafeteria and some of the hallways.
I can’t wait to eat in the cafeteria.
Mr. Palmquist said that he had picked a very nice homeroom teacher for me and I should be very happy there.
I hope I will be happy. Right now I’m just scared and I miss everyone and I wish we had never moved. And that’s the truth.”
As you can see, this excerpt deals with the girl starting school in a new town. She is scared, as most of us are, when new things are happening. As you can see, there are many issues in the above short episode for mom and daughter to talk about. Adjusting to new circumstances is an universal situation we all face. From my point of view, as a positive psychologist, the ‘girl’ is a fictional character in and of herself, but she is also a jumping off point for really important topics, that have lots of feelings and issues surrounding them, that we all need to process at one time or another.
Keep sharing your feelings and ideas! After all, the third book is already on the horizon.
The Truth Official Book Launch
August 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Girls between 8 and 12 can and do everything. However, adolescence can be very hard on girls and years later many a woman has lost touch with her earlier talents, strengths, potential or what makes her happy. I worked to develop a companionship with the 10-year old inside myself. Suddenly, getting to know myself as a child again was serious psychological business.
That’s when I wrote a journal-style book, The Truth (I’m a Girl, I’m Smart and I Know Everything!) If you are a woman, it will make you want to dance with your inner 10-year old and make her energies a part of yourself again. If you are an adult, you will see the child in your life in a much more profound light. You will want to help her hold on to her wisdom, wit, sense of competency and self-esteem. If you are a kid or a ‘tween, you will feel understood and connected to this fictional girl. After all, she is like you. The girl sees so much and knows so much as we all did at 10 or 11. And wouldn’t it be great to hold on to the energy and confidence that can go with that stage of life?
Women and girls of all ages, kids, tweens, teens, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles thank me for bringing this book to them. It opens the door to communication, and they see themselves, their daughters, nieces and granddaughters in the girl. Girls feel she is speaking for them while women remark that they wish this book had existed when they were growing up.
Now, this book is available on Amazon and those who buy it will also receive nearly $6,500 in free downloadable gifts! Check it out here: or
Enjoy!
Your friend,
Barbara Becker Holstein
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, positive psychologist and author, speaking at the Norwalk Community College, fall 2008, at the annual Writer’s Conference.
August 3, 2009 By 2 Comments
Reflection
July 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Barbara and book club
Summer is here, but I am still basking in the memories of the fun time I had at the Brielle School Girls Night Out. Here is a picture of me with a bunch of the girls who had read The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything). And here is part of the note I received from The G.I.R.L. Club: “We loved when you talked about your book with the club! We also enjoyed when you talked about your inspiration and it gave us an eye opening experience to get us to do whatever we want to do in life…”
HOW DID THE TRUTH (I’M A GIRL, I’M SMART AND I KNOW EVERYTHING) COME TO BE?
June 23, 2009 By 1 Comment
As a positive psychologist, a school psychologist and a former teacher, I began to think, how could I write a book that will spark just everyone? If you are a kid, a tween or a teen, you will feel understood and connected to this fictional girl. After all, she is like you. She thinks about many of the things you think about and she makes promises about what she will be like when she grows up, just like you do.
If you are a woman, it will make you want to dance with yourself and with your inner 10 year old and make her energies a part of yourself again.
If you are a mom, you will see your child in a much more profound light. You will want to help her hold on to her wisdom, wit, sense of competency and self-esteem
If you are a grandparent you will want your child and her child to read the book so that they will both have a chance to develop to their fullest and to stay communicating through all the tough years ahead.
If you are a teacher you will want girls to read the book so they will feel strong and resilient and see that they can hold on to the best of themselves!
So the character came alive. I felt a fictional diary was the way to go. The girl, as many fictional characters do, helped me write the book. She shared her frustrations and her competencies, and she even managed to solve a little around how she could hold on to the best of herself as she grew up. How she solved the mystery is so endearing, but I can’t give it away because I want you to read the book.
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein talks about her Book “The Truth (I’m Girl I’m Smart and I Know Everything)” on “A Fresh Start with Sallie Felton”!
June 15, 2009 By 1 Comment
Fun at Girl’s Night Out at Brielle School and the Girls Club in Manasquan School.
June 12, 2009 By 1 Comment
The picture is of me, Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein at the Girl’s Club that meets in the Manasquan School. Soon I’ll have a picture of me at the Girl’s Club Girl’s Night Out at the Brielle School, which is located just a few miles away. Both visits were such a treat for me. In Manasquan I got to chat with the girls at the fifth grade level and again another day at the sixth grade level. All were reading The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything). At the Brielle School, the kids were sixth graders and they had finished reading the book. I learned so much from the girls. I’m very happy to report that the diary format appealed to all the girls and that they felt that the girl in the book really thinks in her head like a fifth or sixth grader. All were interested in a second book in the series. So many of the girls wanted to know how I started to write and was the girl from real life. I explained that I myself started keeping a diary in the fourth grade and that certainly helped me practice writing. (Even if the spelling was awful). I also shared that some of the events that happened to the girl happened to me or clients of mine, or friends. She was really a merger of all of us. As she should be to share universal truths. One compliment I received was that the book stayed true to the very end in tone and quality, rather than rushing to a conclusion that felt artificial or lacking.
Why as a positive psychologist I chose to write fiction: The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything)
May 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Lots of time people ask me why I started to write fiction as a positive psychologist. It is a good question. I started writing fiction because I wish to communicate information about how to grow up safe and strong to kids and their parents in a way that they can HEAR me.
Lots of time we have great information to share, but nobody takes it in. Why? Sometimes it is too dry, sometimes the timing is off, sometimes it is the speaker’s manner. So to avoid all of those potential set-backs I have chosen fiction. The information is not dry! It is exciting and yet familiar to all of us. All of us were 10, 11 and 12 once. I don’t use my voice, but the voice of a girl who we fall in love with from the first page when she talks about her crush. And I know the timing is right, as every year their are millions of kids getting a year older who have universal concerns about their feelings, their friendships, crushes, bullying, home life, etc.
Let’s take a look at The Truth (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything):
Feeling safe to communicate feelings and thoughts, no matter how personal and/or negative, rather than acting them out, is very important in child and adolescent development.
vThe Truth helps move girls, tweens, teens and their families closer to honest communicating. Every page brings to light feelings and thoughts so universal in nature that almost any page can be used to stimulate family members moving toward a more honest and open place with each other.
v The Truth gives a platform for kids to work through negative feelings about conflict and gives parents a new way of seeing conflict from the vantage point of how it affects their kids.
vThe Truth helps to prevent “mean girls” from developing by showing tweens how to express feelings using words, rather than anger or violence.
v The Truth helps girls see that they are not alone, by being able to so easily identify with the ‘girl’ who is sharing her most personal feelings and thoughts with them directly, via diary form. If Mom also reads The Truth and shares more of her thoughts and feelings while also listening to her daughter’s ‘real’ voice, than a family correction will be made and indeed, the girl will be less alone
vThe Truth also helps kids come to terms with growing up in a less than perfect world. The ‘girl’ is able to do this using many skills that the reader can emulate, such as finding ways to hold on to the best of herself, even as she comes to terms with a world and a set of parents that are less than perfect.
Family Relationship Award of Excellence