How I Survived Being a Girl

By Wendelin Van Draanen

Book Overview

Carolyn is a girl with strong opinions. On being a girl: 'stupid.' Wearing dresses: 'only when forced, and then with shorts underneath.' Summer nights: 'make you feel invincible.' Girls with MaryJjanes: 'no use at all.' The boy next door: 'I do not have a crush on him ' The top bunk: 'for really great dreams.' She thought she knew how she felt about everything. But the summer before the sixth grade, though everthing seemed the same, it all felt different. In this wonderfully funny first novel, Wendelin Van Draanen perfectly captures the emotional earthquakes of growing up and growing into oneself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060266716
• ISBN13: 9780060266714
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.7" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

My favorite book of all time!

I loved this book since I was in the fourth grade (I was 10 at that time) and picked it up and got it for Literature Circles. The thing I like about it is that Carolyn, the main character, is a tomboy and by being it written in first person, you can see what it's like being in her shoes. It's the kind of book any 12-year-old girl can relate to; and make you not feel alone, and it's great for any 8-12 year old girl to read who's curious and confused about the world around her.STORYLINE: This book is about a preteen-aged girl named Carolyn, who wishes she was a boy. I guess you could say she's a tomboy because she has 2 brothers: Allen and Jack, she's surrounded by mostly boys, keeps her hair short, hates dresses, and dresses in boy's clothes every chance she gets. She loves to spy, ditch her brothers and hang out with neighborhood friends, such as Charlie, her best guy friend. She goes on fun adventures like digging underground holes, biking with her brothers, and climbing on neighbors' roof and through rocks down and shining a flashlight down their roof. All Carolyn wants is more friends, a dog, and to get away from all her brothers. When fall comes, she has to go to school, and gets in a lot of trouble, because she calls her teacher names like 'Dragon Lady.' She hates this girly-girl named Helen Lison, who always wears Mary Janes and dresses. But then, when Carolyn is really feeling down, her mother becomes pregnant with a new kid. Carolyn then gets her hopes up and wishes that it is going to be a girl. It comes out to a stunning ending: she cries when she find out it's a girl, she gets tamed a bit and stops wishing she were a boy. MAIN CHARACTERS: Carolyn's family is made up of Carolyn (of course), her brothers Jack and Allen, and her Mom and Dad, and a dog that they get towards of the Middle of the book, whom they name Kocory. At the End of the book, her mother has a baby, who they all named Nancy. Her friends are: Charlie + Will, her next-door neighbors, and her brothers, Jack and Allen.WHERE IT TAKES PLACE (AND TIME): A little more than half of this book takes place in the Summer, but some of it takes place in the Fall too, because that's when Carolyn goes back to school.To make this book more helpful, there should be a little map drawn inside to show the neighborhood, which can be found behind the contents (in my book; if you bought the version first published in 1997). Well, that was a review on my favorite book! I hope you thought it was helpful. So, would you please click 'yes' or 'no'? :)

Girls, Girls, Girls

This book, How I Survived Being a Girl by wendelin Van Draanen shows girls about tomboys and extremely "prissy" girls. (If you like to read about tomboys, every girl's day-to-day life, sibling rivalry, and troublesome activitites then you should read this book because you would love it. In this book there are 19 chapters, all with creative titles. This book tells about carolyn an 11 year old girl, who is a tomboy. Her family and her neighbors understand and accept her tomboy-ish life. On a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being the best; it deserves a 5 because of its unstoppable humor. I am a tomboy type girl. Read it yourself and judge it. "You can't tell a book by its cover."

So, SO funny!

(This book is) about fighting against the rules ofbeing a girl, not giving into them. And it's the funniest book I'veread in ages! I laughed so, SO much. You've got to read it! END

Girls Will Loove it!

If you are a girl who have older brothers, and you need your questions answerd then you should read this book. Even if you do not have older brothers you should read it!

Caroline survived

Caroline survived, How I Survived Being A Girl is about a 12 year old girl, that thinks its weird to be a girl! All her neighbors are boys, besides the girl that wears mary-janes, (shoes). The book talks about Caroline, (the main character), and what she dose in summer and in school. Caroline is a troublemaker, for an example once she put rocks down her next door neighbors chimney! At the end Caroline's mom had a baby, a girl. Caroline then realized that being a girl is all right.