A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves - Strong Is the New Pretty

My 8yr old daughter loves this book. She loves sports and is very strong. She plays baseball, basketball and even footballl. She loved seeing other girls doing cool things. We have made a list to check things she has done/ wants to do in the book. Many Of which has checked off already

What a fantastic book for your middle school / high school daughter, niece, granddaughter, neighbor! Marvelous photography and quotations that demonstrate that it's ok for a girl to take on whatever challenge or interest she has.

What a fantastic book for your middle school / high school daughter, niece, granddaughter, neighbor! Marvelous photography and quotations that demonstrate that it's ok for a girl to take on whatever challenge or interest she has.

love, love this book! the powerful message in this book is exactly what we want our girls to know, understand and believe! the images and words are amazing and it's a must read for all parents and girls!!! give this to all the strong women and girls in your life!!!

I got this book for a friend’s daughter. I almost kept it for myself. The girls in the book are so inspiring!! I’m excited for the girl I got it for and hopeful it will provide inspiration for her to soar through her life.

I used it for a school project. A teacher friend of mine wanted people to donate a book for each of her students and the theme is mindfulness and growth and I was paired up with a young girl and thought it was perfect

This is a beautiful book, I can hardly wait to give it to my granddaughters, this will be a Christmas gift for them, it was beautifully done!
This would be a nice book for a mother and daughter to read together~

All young girls should own this book. It's a beautiful heartfelt book of young girls being themselves without worry. Everyone should be free to follow and participate in what makes them feel whole, happy and healthy.

Beautiful pictures and I love the idea of this book but I was a little disappointed. I was hoping to be able to read inspiring stories of girls who had been through tough times and who had pulled through and became stronger because of it. It wasn't this at all. I'm keeping it as I think its a good book, just not what I thought it would be/wanted it to be.

Ok, I am a little bit biased since my grand-niece is in this book (which clearly was why I ordered it). But once I got it, I loved all the pictures of gals of all ages, overcoming life situations that most of us don't experience. . Kate T. Parker is an incredibly talented photographer and her photographs caught the essence of all the captions/stories of the girls pictured. As you page through this collection of stories, you really do feel that "Strong is the New Pretty". Bravo, Ms. Parker, this is a stellar book for those of us who need to see our youth as STRONG and not entitled. . . .

My daughters and I LOVE this book. This really isn't a book to read so much as look at and peruse. It's a coffee table book, and an inspirational book. I try to teach my daughters to be strong and independent, so that they can grow up knowing, and feeling that they can accomplish anything and have no limits. This lets them know they are not alone, and girls all over the world think like them. It lets them know they always have someone to lean on and draw strength from when they feel week, and can also provide that strength for others in return. It's a beautifully put together photo essay with captions and comments that any parent of daughters would be proud to own and share with their daughters.

I saw this book in a local health food shop and pondered over it for the evening. I knew that it absolutely had to be in out home library! Fantastic the store price! My 9yo & 11yo girls just ate up this book...it is so wonderful! Very empowering! My 9yo was looking through this book constantly for several days. Then, one evening, my 11yo was saying how she was ashamed of being a stronger soccer player than a lot of the boys at recess and she mellowed down her performance. I couldn't get home quick enough to show her this book. Absolutely no worries now!!

What a great book for ladies (of ALL ages) to purchase. This book was given to my granddaughter as a gift and I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about, so I bought my own. The introductory pages (blurb, and Acknowledgements) express - from the heart - the story and reasoning behind the Authoress' choice of this subject. Great, pensive book. Every girl should be given this book at age 12 - it could make drastic changes for their by encouraging positive attitudes and win-win situations.
Great book -- the concept and the book!

This book brought tears to my eyes. The photography is absolutely stunning (as in I sat for a few moments looking at each image) and the words both made me giggle and smile with the genuine truth behind each girls statements. Buy this for your daughters, for your nieces, for your granddaughters. It's a wonderful and inspiring reminder that girls and women are unstoppable. It shows self love, self confidence, and pushing forward. I bought it for my nine year old but now I just want to put it on my nightstand. ?

This book was so much better than I had anticipated - and I was really excited to get it! My 6 year old and I immediately read as many girl's quotes as we could, and I was in (happy) tears by the second page. While I cried like a baby, my big strong girl sounded out the words of other super girls like herself and showed me pictures of girls doing awesome things just like she does. I've never seen a book like this. Wish it was around when I was a girl; so awesome to see girls as girls instead of as an character.

This is a beautiful book, and my grandgirls will enjoy it. I rated it a 3 because I felt it could have been so much stronger. My concerns are--too white, too many traditionally pretty children, and too much emphasis on the physical. I will nonetheless be happy to have it in my library.

A little more diversity in terms of race/ethnicity and body type would be good but the author does her best with the content she includes. Not a lot of text to read; more quick one-liners from those photographed. Emphasizes athletes/athletics. Got if for my 9-year old daughter and my nieces for Christmas.

Beautifully photographed book, but could have been much better and all inclusive for more minorities and kids with disabilities. I was hoping for all thru teens not just to 16. Felt it was more a week at an expensive summer camp.
Returning.

Awesome book to share with granddaughters. Removes the stereotypical shallow expectations of genetic and enhanced beauty with authentic individual depth and perseverance to develop self esteem and healthy boundaries in the contemporary exploitive culture

Kate Parker has captured the inner beauty and strength of these girls. So nice to see a book building people up in our society of tearing people down. Her message is clear Confident, Determined, Kind, Joyful... are the characteristics of true strength- inner beauty! A great message and inspiring quotes for all people not just girls. I hope my sons also get the message and appreciate the beauty in the girls of this book!

My name is Elizabeth Valentine. I am a photographer just like the author, her work is amazing as well as this book. I have three children a son and two girls. I am sharing this fabulous book with them nightly. This is one amazing way to empower children. I could not love this book enough. Great work Kate. You have inspired me to shoot photos like this of my own children and empower them with your amazing book and through my own work. SO SO AMAZING. <3

I sent this book to my Irish friend's daughter for her recent birthday. I just heard from them that the entire family loves it. (Their son couldn't put it down and even brought it into the bathroom to read it as he is interested in gender issues. The husband loves the photography.) My friend is always very honest in general and not usually effusive so the fact that she was raving to me about this book says it all. This book is a gem for girls and everyone and a great gift.

This book is filled with page after page of stunningly beautiful photographs. But that has little to do with the skills of the photographer, or the quality of the camera. It has everything to do with the subjects that fill the pages. After all, they're captured doing the most beautiful, most amazing thing of all – being themselves.

This is simply the most important book available for young girls today. Thank you Kate for bringing it into our lives.

Strong is the new Pretty is a great inspirational book that shows our strong young girls can do anything they set there minds to. Id highly recommend. The pictures are georgous with great inspirational quotes from the girls.

What an amazing book filled with inspiration! It captures candid images of so many different types of girls in this world, just being themselves. Reading the quotes in "Strong is the New Pretty", has not only inspired my daughter but built up her confidence to be who she wants to be! Kudos to an extremely talented photographer.

Kate T. Parker's photography is mesmerizing, but what is even more remarkable is the message this book sends to girls and women everywhere. Girls are not just pretty princesses, delicate flowers, sexist stereotypes. These strong young women are smart and beautiful as themselves; they are our daughters, sisters, cousins, friends, neighbors, and future coworkers, leaders, parents, bosses and presidents. Let this book inspire you and remind you and your girls that their best selves exist within them, without tutus or mascara.

If strong is indeed the new pretty, why is the cover model wearing make-up? It's confusing and contrary to the title and theme that they chose to put makeup on the girl on the cover. Wtf? Great book, pitiful cover.

My 6-year-old daughter really enjoyed going through this book with me. My only criticisms are that I wish there was a girl with a heart scar in it (my daughter was born with a congenital heart defect and has had two heart surgeries) as girls like that are definitely strong and pretty...I wish it was more diverse (definitely a lot more Caucasian names and faces than others)...and there was a lot of sports stuff in it when maybe there could have been more demonstration of female strength in other ways/areas. All in all...decent attempt at beginning the discussion of showing a variety of girls doing a variety of things.

It's a FANTASTIC BOOK! Which is why I was very excited to buy it BUT the moment I opened the box I realized this book was damaged with rips and grease stains. The book is still great but who ever sent this to me, THEY SUCK!

Though the pictures are amazing, I was really disappointed in the mostly white, athletic, and higher socioeconomic backgrounds of the girls. I am sure it is inspiring to a middle class white girl who has the money and parenting to be involved in sports and opportunities, but what about the rest of the girls struggling with bullying, weight issues, family stressors? As a public school librarian in a title one school, I would have loved to see this reflect a bigger population.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Photographing her own daughters led the author to progress to photographing other fantastic young girls, all at their best, by which I mean playing sports, playing games, running, swimming, teaming up with friends or sisters. A few words are quoted from some of them, who have overcome disability or illness, who speak of friendship, the need to be strong, the need to be gentle, sisterhood.

Young women are our future and by concentrating on them as active participants in their lives, not as passive glamour-brainwashed girls, the author demonstrates their strength and true potential.
Go, girls. Do sport for the love of it. Be fit. Be yourselves.

If you need a lift to the spirits, read/ see this book and assure yourself that Strong is the new Pretty.

I downloaded an ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

Overall, the idea and actual publication of this book is wonderful. It's very inspirational and the photos are LIFE magazine-like, making you think and absorb into the scene inside the photo.

Why the 2 stars ? I wanted so much to share this with my daughters, but the diversity of girls in the book is TERRIBLE. It seems overwhelming monocolor in terms of all the girls. Only token diversity. It would be so difficult for girls of color - black, chinese, indian, etc - to identify with this book. Yes, there are 1 and 2 photos there, but either the author seemed to have put her blinders on. I hope Kate Parker and the book's art director take this comment as an action item for future improvement.

I really wanted to love this book. The photography is wonderful. The quotes are inspirational, thoughtful and funny. The message is positive and supportive. It is clear that Kate T. Parker tried to incorporate diversity (there was likely the 20-30% photos with girls of color (mostly African American and Hispanic). Unfortunately, there is minimal (at best) photos of Indian (from India), Asian, Middle Eastern, etc. There are more pictures of girls with freckles than any of the previously mentioned ethnic groups. Are these other girls not strong, beautiful, resilient and determined? Do they not live in North America? Its disappointing to show your Asian daughter and son a progressive book that glorifies women's strength and independence, and then not have a picture of someone she can relate to. Its also reinforcing stereotypes to Caucasian girls that these "other" races do not matter. While in some books, this detail might not matter, for a picture book, it is quite noticeable.

I'm planning to give this to my twelve year old granddaughter and for her to share with her six year old sister. I read it when it arrived and I thought the messages were powerful and inspiring. I hope that my girls will feel the same way once they see it. I think they would benefit from reading it with me or with their mother so that they can share their thoughts and gain insights.

This is a photography book that celebrates the strength inherent in every little girl and young woman in the world. Whether on the field, in a studio, or at home with friends and family, these girls put the grrr in girls.

These photos are gorgeous. From action shots to candid moments, there's strength in even the quietest shots. There's something for every little girl in here, whether she plays a sport, loves to dance, or even just wants to play dress up and run through sprinklers.

Every little girl in my life needs this book.

Wish I had this book when I was a young girl. Skimming through the photographs after receiving it just now made me want to cry. Not exactly sure why the strong reaction but, along with the typical insecurities that many girls experience, may be a result of growing up in a family that focused mostly on my shortcomings.
Ordered for my 10 year old daughter but I think I'll get much out of it also. I am 51 years old and I am grateful for this beautiful book.

The underlying message of building a child's resilience & strength is wonderful. However, it seems to cater to a section of society, under represented in terms of diversity & socio-economic backgrounds & activities. Maybe include different body types with accompanying stories of what can be accomplished with strength, determination, and kindness. Lost of girls like sports & reading, science & being athletic & being an artist.

Great photographs: a mix of action shots and posed photographs
Great quotes from the girls about their beliefs, their strengths, their joys all about being girls and awesome.

A wonderful celebration of girls and their strengths

Powerful!

A Wonderful Photography Book of Girls Being Strong and not letting any obstacles stand in their way. The photographs are accompanied with inspirational quotes. Suitable for Girls of all Ages. Makes a wonderful gift. Enjoy

This is such an amazing book by a photographer with a powerful voice! I bought my first copy for my nieces to share - then another for myself and my 7 year old son to share (he loves it and relates to the wonderful images; it has cross-gender appeal). It's so inspirational I am now buying multiple copies for lots of the strong girls (of all ages) in my life, with whom I can't wait to share this treasured volume.

This book left me feeling hopeful, excited and empowered! The captions are in the girls' own words and will have you laughing one moment and choking up the next. The photos, obviously, are gorgeous. This book is everything we women want our girls to see in themselves. Must read!!

My wife (Margueritte) and I own a martial arts school and we have been following Kate on Instagram and Facebook for quite a while now. We were very excited to order the hard copy book for our lobby to share with our parents. Kate's work is inspiring and the quality of her work is amazing. If you have a daughter, grandmother, wife, friend, loved one..... we would highly recommend it.

What a magnificent gift Kate T. Parker has given us all, especially our daughters! I'm reminded of the Wonder Woman slogan: "Power. Grace. Wisdom. Wonder." But Parker's is no CGI fantasy--it's the everyday girl power all around us, seen through her keen eye.

I immediately bought three copies when I saw this a few days ago. Going to donate one to my girls' former elementary school. Probably going to buy more copies. Gorgeous pictures...and meaningful messages. Super gift for all those tween girl birthday parties!

Have the book and have shared it with my girls and my family! Great photos! Great quotes from real girls! And great message! Perfect gift for any woman in your life or for the boys you are trying to trash about what real beauty is! Strong is the new pretty and pretty is everyone! Great book for your home or for a gift!

As the cover suggests, the book is full of amazing photos of girls doing what they love. They are arranged in 9 different chapters depicting different ways of being strong. Each photo includes a quote from the photo subject describing what is really going on in the picture from her point of view.

Beautiful images accompanied by an even more beautiful message. This book will inspire you and remind you that the future is bright for our country's young women. This book should be on the coffee table in any home where positivity, individualism, and strength are the messages you want shared with your children.

I run an organization in Athens, GA called Strong Girls. This beautiful book embodies all of the messages we impart to our girls on a daily basis. This book will be a consistent gift for all of the girls in my life. It is an empowering book for girls ages 5-105 and beyond.

Bought for my girls this Christmas! Love it! Inspiring stories and photos to reach my two girls to be themselves! Brother sneaks in the room when we are reading too and loves weighing in on the strength and bravery of girls. Great book!

Have the book and have shared it with my girls and my family! Great photos! Great quotes from real girls! And great message! Perfect gift for any woman in your life or for the boys you are trying to trash about what real beauty is! Strong is the new pretty and pretty is everyone! Great book for your home or for a gift!

As the cover suggests, the book is full of amazing photos of girls doing what they love. They are arranged in 9 different chapters depicting different ways of being strong. Each photo includes a quote from the photo subject describing what is really going on in the picture from her point of view.

Beautiful images accompanied by an even more beautiful message. This book will inspire you and remind you that the future is bright for our country's young women. This book should be on the coffee table in any home where positivity, individualism, and strength are the messages you want shared with your children.

I run an organization in Athens, GA called Strong Girls. This beautiful book embodies all of the messages we impart to our girls on a daily basis. This book will be a consistent gift for all of the girls in my life. It is an empowering book for girls ages 5-105 and beyond.

This book's messages are mostly uplifting, encouraging, provoking confidence... HOWEVER, it lends too much to the confusion of Feminism, ignoring the lines between Men & Women. It ignores that part of a woman's strength that is intertwined with their Male counterparts or their own Spiritual standing.
*Men and Women were made to complement each other - not to mimic. Women Should be Strong - and they should consider themselves as strong and Know they're equal with men, BUT they should Know that they are "NOT THE SAME" as Men.... and therein lies the crux of the problem of perceived intent within these covers.

I'd parse this, rather than feeding as a whole, to a younger person - and certainly with discussion as to its merits and context.

((((Women should be strong - but they should remain Women and Not Mimic Men??? I can just hear some brains exploding.... :-) )))

And what if the girls want to wear pink dresses, play with Barbie dolls, and plan their weddings? Will they be allowed to?

As many of the reviews above demonstrate, parents are buying this for girls to indoctrinate them, so it is precisely the opposite of "girls being themselves."