Author Interview Sarah Burningham- Girl To Girl

I want to welcome back to the blog Sarah Burningham. I first posted about her new book Girl To Girl back in November when it was first released, and I'd like to re-post her interview today to celebrate the national launch of the book.

Take it away Sarah!!

• ISBN-13: 9781452102429
• Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
• Publication date: 11/26/2013
• Pages: 136
• Age range 8-12 years

Overview:
Being a girl isn't always easy, and growing up is far from a walk in the park. This time of transition is particularly confusing without a confidante to help. Meet Sarah O'Leary Burningham, a real-life big sister here to coach preteens through all of life's big moments, from first bras to first periods.

Praise for Sarah and her books:

Kirkus-This relaxed guide, full of useful information and sound advice, would be good company throughout the journey.

Girl to Girl leaves girls feeling understood and self-assured."-Alan Greene, MD, Pediatrician, father, speaker, and author of Feeding Baby Green and Raising Baby Green

LINK: http://www.webmd.com/alan-greene

Real girls inhabit these pages and share what readers will want to know-and what they'll need to know."-Pepper Schwartz, PhD, Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington and author of Ten Talks Parents Need to have with Kids about Sex and Character

LINK: http://faculty.washington.edu/couples/

Sarah Burningham has put together an important resource for girls who will find answers to all of their questions about what's happening with their bodies as they grow up. An added bonus is the wonderful illustrations which help ease your discussion about some sensitive topics."—Sue Scheff, Founder of Parent's Universal Resource Experts, Inc. (P.U.R.E.T) and author of Wit's End: Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-of-Control Teen

LINK:  http://www.suescheff.com/index.php

“What a marvelous book for girls 8-12 years old. This accurate, reassuring, and clearly written guide is one of the best presents that we can give to the young girls in our lives—especially in an era where they read so much misinformation on the Internet.”

- Judy Norsigian, Executive Director, Our Bodies Ourselves

Please welcome multi-talented Sarah Burningham to The Reading Frenzy

Sarah Hi, welcome!
Tell us a little about Girl To Girl

Imagine if your big sister was a doctor, nurse, psychologist, nutritionist, dentist, and makeup expert. She’d be the best advice-giver ever! That’s what I want GIRL TO GIRL to be—a stand-in big sister to be there for girls ages 8 to 12 as they grow up. It covers everything from finding the right bra, to getting your first period, to picking out glasses and braces, and even creating healthy habits and getting enough sleep. I included everything that I wanted to know when I was a girl (and even as an adult!) and also pulled from the hundreds of interviews I did with girls, parents, doctors and other experts to make sure I covered all the things girls really want to know in a helpful, positive way. It was a lot of fun to write and I’m so thrilled that it’s already received glowing praise from doctors and parenting specialists!

Sarah in the description of your book it mentions advice and myth-busting.
Can you bust one myth for us?

The Myth Busters are one of my favorite parts of the book! They were inspired by real questions I got from girls and cover everything from whether or not your hair really grows back darker and thicker after you start shaving to if you can still go swimming when you have your period.  I think one of the best Myth Busters is about how oil isn’t all bad. We all hear about how oil on our faces makes us break out but the truth is, oil is actually a good thing for your skin and hair. You want to wash your face, but not too much, because the natural oils are really important for health skin.

Sarah this is not your first book written to help pre-teen and older girls. I wish they were around when I needed questions answered.
Was there a certain catalyst for you writing these books?

When I was sixteen I had a life-altering experience—I came home late for curfew, and while fighting with my parents about what my punishment should be, I saw that they had a book about raising a responsible teenager on their nightstand! I told them if they had a book on how to deal with me, I needed one on how to deal with them. Right then and there I decided I was going to write about a book on raising parents. That book, HOW TO RAISE YOUR PARENTS, came out in 2008 and my second book,BOYOLOGY: A Teen Girl’s Crash Course in All Things Boy came out in 2009. GIRL TO GIRL is my third book and I’m so excited that it’s finally on sale! The best part of writing is the interviews I get to do with real teens and tweens, parents and experts. You learn so much by getting real-life stories from everyone!

Sarah has there been one particular personal accolade you’ve gotten from a reader that you can share with my audience?

I love that I get emails and messages from readers—both girls and parents. There are so many I could share, but one of the notes that meant the most to me was one that I received after writing HOW TO RAISE YOUR PARENTS. A girl in the Seattle area emailed me to say that after reading my book she realized how much her parents loved her and that she was getting along better with them. I can’t imagine getting a better note than that, and honestly, after reading her email, I felt like if I didn’t ever sell another book or get one more good review, it wouldn’t matter. I really just want my books to help girls be happier in their lives.

Is Girl To Girl a book you should share with you mom, or is it just for Girls?

GIRL TO GIRL is definitely a book you can share with your mom! In fact, it might make talking to your mom about certain things, like getting your first bra or wanting to get your ears pierced, easier. You can share certain pages and examples with her and use it as a jumping off point if you have questions for her. It might be hard to imagine, but your mom went through all of the changes that come with growing up when she was young and she can relate to things better than you think. She’s going to have some good advice for you, I promise!

What do you think is the one biggest complaint pre-teens have about being this age?

The pre-teen years are such an in-between stage of life. As you get older, you want to be treated more like a teenager and yet you’re not quite there, so you still get treated like a kid sometimes. It’s really frustrating and I can relate. I remember feeling like that when I was eleven and twelve years old.  I wanted so desperately to be a teenager but my parents still wanted me in bed by 9:00pm. It just didn’t seem fair! But don’t worry.  You’re getting there and all of the changes you’re going through are part of the journey. Try to enjoy where you are in the process!

Sarah you have a lot on your own personal plate with writing, being a wife and mom and a publicity expert. Is your life organized or do you live by the seat of your pants?

I’m kind of an organizational nut. I have a google doc where I keep my ongoing to do list and I get such a sense of satisfaction striking through things once they’re completed! (It’s the little things, isn’t it?)

Sarah, what are you working on now?

I have a few things in the works that I’m really excited about. – I’m working on a few other projects for tweens and teens and a children’s book. And in my other life, as a publicist, I’m working with some incredible authors and designers. It’s really fun to help others put their creativity out into the world. I love my job.

Sarah now it’s time to get a little personal.
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?

Do I have to name just one?! Well, I love to get manicures and pedicures. There’s nothing like someone rubbing your feet after a long day! And I love red nail polish. It’s really fun to wear something bright and cheery on your nails and toenails, although I definitely don’t wear it every day. Actually, my love of getting my nails done inspired an entire section on fun nail care and having fun with nail polish in the book!

Sarah thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Will there be a book tour?

It’s been so much fun for me to do this interview! Thanks for having me here, today. I will be doing some events and would love to have people come if they’re in the area. My event schedule can be found here: http://sarahburningham.com/events-2/

Thanks again! xxx Sarah

Connect with Sarah - Website - Facebook - Twitter

Check out Sarah's other books too!