Family

These are the lessons that would have been passed on had there been a few more hours in the day. This book at once reassures, encourages, enlightens, and amuses, and is the perfect gift is the perfect gift for any teenager whose parent didn't quite have enough time to impart all their worldly wisdom before they left home.

Including amusing guides on how to curb bad habits and invaluable tips on keeping a plant alive, the book is illustrated throughout by celebrated artist Laura Quick, with her characteristic drawings both poignant and comical.

Life is full of valuable lessons, yet none more so than those passed from parent to child. While mothers and fathers always mean to pass on their esteemed nuggets of wisdom, time and practicalities often get in the way. The time to fly the nest comes around quickly, and some of those lessons will come in handy.

The French have a name for the uniquely hellish years between elementary school and high school: l'âge ingrat, or "the ugly age." Characterized by a perfect storm of developmental changes--physical, psychological, and social--the middle school years are a time of great distress for children and parents alike, marked by hurt, isolation, exclusion, competition, anxiety, and often outright cruelty. Some of this is inevitable; there are intrinsic challenges to early adolescence. But these years are harder than they need to be, and Judith Warner believes that adults are complicit.

With deep insight and compassion, Warner walks us through a new understanding of the role that middle school plays in all our lives. She argues that today's helicopter parents are overly concerned with status and achievement--in some ways a residual effect of their own middle school experiences--and that this worsens the self-consciousness, self-absorption, and social "sorting" so typical of early adolescence.

Tracing a century of research on middle childhood and bringing together the voices of social scientists, psychologists, educators, and parents, Warner's book shows how adults can be moral role models for children, making them more empathetic, caring, and resilient. She encourages us to start treating middle schoolers as the complex people they are, holding them to high standards of kindness, and helping them see one another as more than "jocks and mean girls, nerds and sluts."

Part cultural critique and part call to action, this essential book unpacks one of life's most formative periods and shows how we can help our children not only survive it but thrive.

Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another's lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they've become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship--its joys and its pitfalls.

Aminatou and Ann define Big Friendship as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a Big Friendship is making the decision to invest in one another again and again.

An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society's most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.

What is my son doing behind his constantly closed door? What's with his curt responses, impulsiveness, newfound obsession with gaming, and . . . that funky smell? As pediatrician and mother of two teenagers Cara Natterson explains, puberty starts in boys long before any visible signs appear, and that causes confusion about their changing temperaments for boys and parents alike. Often, they also grow quieter as they grow taller, which leads to less parent-child communication. But, as Natterson warns in Decoding Boys, we respect their increasing "need" for privacy, monosyllabic conversations, and alone time at their peril. Explaining how modern culture mixes badly with male adolescent biology, Natterson offers science, strategies, scripts, and tips for getting it right:

- recognizing the first signs of puberty and talking to our sons about the wide range of "normal" through the whole developmental process
- why teenagers make irrational decisions even though they look mature--and how to steer them toward better choices
- managing video game and screen time, including discussing the unrealistic and dangerous nature of pornography
- why boys need emotional and physical contact with parents--and how to give it in ways they'll accept
- how to prepare boys to resist both old and new social pressures--drugs, alcohol, vaping, and sexting
- teaching consent and sensitivity in the #MeToo culture

Decoding Boys is a powerful and validating lifeline, a book that will help today's parents keep their sons safe, healthy, and resilient, as well as ensure they will become emotionally secure young men.

Praise for Decoding Boys

"Comforting . . . a common-sensical and gently humorous exploration of male puberty's many trials."--Kirkus Reviews

Esther Wojcicki--"Woj" to her many friends and admirers--is famous for three things: teaching a high school class that has changed the lives of thousands of kids, inspiring Silicon Valley legends like Steve Jobs, and raising three daughters who have each become famously successful. What do these three accomplishments have in common? They're the result of TRICK, Woj's secret to raising successful people: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness. Simple lessons, but the results are radical.

Wojcicki's methods are the opposite of helicopter parenting. As we face an epidemic of parental anxiety, Woj is here to say: relax. Talk to infants as if they are adults. Allow teenagers to pick projects that relate to the real world and their own passions, and let them figure out how to complete them. Above all, let your child lead. How to Raise Successful People offers essential lessons for raising, educating, and managing people to their highest potential. Change your parenting, change the world.

In an era of online mom-shaming, Carissa Bonham likes to keep things authentic when discussing the struggles of modern motherhood. One popular meme shared on Carissa's website, Creative Green Living, says "Some days I make beautiful dinners from scratch. Today my kids had cereal and ice cream for dinner. At least it was organic." This is motherhood today.

Carissa's charming mix of inspirational and aspirational quotes mixed with real-life mom moments will make The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom both encouraging and inspirational for moms of all ages, including millennial and Gen X mothers. Explore the journey of motherhood, the life-giving power of mothers, mom instincts, and cultural parenting through the quotes on these pages. Receive advice from crunchy moms, mothers of differently wired kids, and mothers of teens and adult children.

This charming mix of inspiration and aspirational quotes mixed with a dash of reality about modern motherhood has something for every mom.

"Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation." ―Robert A. Heinlein, Have Space Suit--Will Travel

"Having a child flips your concept of love upside down into new depths, otherwise unknown to the human heart." ―Julieanne O'Connor

"By loving them for more than their abilities we show our children that they are much more than the sum of their accomplishments." ― Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Smart Parenting for Smart Kids

"This tender book should be required reading for grandparents everywhere."--Booklist (starred review)

"I am changing his diaper, he is kicking and complaining, his exhausted father has gone to the kitchen for a glass of water, his exhausted mother is prone on the couch. He weighs little more than a large sack of flour and yet he has laid waste to the living room: swaddles on the chair, a nursing pillow on the sofa, a car seat, a stroller. No one cares about order, he is our order, we revolve around him. And as I try to get in the creases of his thighs with a wipe, I look at his, let's be honest, largely formless face and unfocused eyes and fall in love with him. Look at him and think, well, that's taken care of, I will do anything for you as long as we both shall live, world without end, amen."

Before blogs even existed, Anna Quindlen became a go-to writer on the joys and challenges of family, motherhood, and modern life, in her nationally syndicated column. Now she's taking the next step and going full nana in the pages of this lively, beautiful, and moving book about being a grandmother. Quindlen offers thoughtful and telling observations about her new role, no longer mother and decision-maker but secondary character and support to the parents of her grandson. She writes, "Where I once led, I have to learn to follow." Eventually a close friend provides words to live by: "Did they ask you?"

Candid, funny, frank, and illuminating, Quindlen's singular voice has never been sharper or warmer. With the same insights she brought to motherhood in Living Out Loud and to growing older in Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, this new nana uses her own experiences to illuminate those of many others.

Praise for Nanaville

"Witty and thoughtful . . . Nanaville serves up enough vivid anecdotes and fresh insights--about childhood, about parenthood, about grandparenthood and about life--to make for a gratifying read."--The New York Times

"Classic, bittersweet Quindlen . . . [Her] wonder at seeing her eldest child grow into his new role is lovely and moving. . . . The best parts of Nanaville are the charming vignettes of Quindlen's solo time with her grandson."--NPR

From the dad who created the viral tweet supporting his son wearing nail polish, this essential parenting guide shares 36 parenting tips for battling gender norms, bringing down "man up" culture, and helping sons realize their potential.

Our boys are in a crisis. Toxic masculinity and tough guy-ism are on display daily from our leaders, and we see anger, dysfunction, violence, and depression in young men who are suffocated by harmful social codes. Our young sons are told to stop throwing like a girl. They hear phrases like "man up" when they cry. They are told "boys will be boys" when they behave badly. The "Girl Power" movement has encouraged women to be whoever and do whatever they want, but that sentiment is not often extended to boys. Just watch the bullying when boys try ballet, paint their fingernails, or play with a doll.

But we can treat this problem--and the power lies in the hands of parents. It's not only possible to raise boys who aren't emotionally stifled and shoved into stereotypical gender boxes; it's vital if we want a generation of men who can express their emotions, respect women, and help nurse society back to a halfway healthy place. We can reframe manhood. From Aaron Gouveia, who gained viral fame after tweeting his support for his son's painted fingernails (and who knows toxic masculinity very well), learn practical and actionable tips such as:

The only sex education book you need to start a conversation with your kids about sexual harassment, consent, #metoo, and more

Being a teen in today's world can be hard. Raising a healthy, aware, and sex-positive teen can be even more of a challenge. When it comes to sexuality in adolescence, harassment, autonomy, advice, and consent, it's crucial that teens be able to ask hard questions about how to take care of themselves, make decisions that reflect their values, and stay safe. Enter: Sex, Teens, and Everything in Between, by veteran teen sex educator and mother of three Shafia Zaloom, which acts as a conversation starter to discuss a wide variety of sex-related topics with your teens, including:

Talking to your child about sex and realizing it's perfectly normal is step one. Having proactive and engaged discussions about all that comes along with teen sex is step two, and that's where this book is here to help. Approachable, engaging, and with real-life scenarios and discussion questions in every chapter, Sex, Teens, and Everything in Between is a must-have resource that gives parents and educators the tools they need to have meaningful conversations with teens about what sex can and should be.

"An invaluable read for anyone who has girls, works with girls, or cares about girls--for everyone!"--Claire Shipman, author of The Confidence Code and The Confidence Code for Girls

Though anxiety has risen among young people overall, studies confirm that it has skyrocketed in girls. Research finds that the number of girls who said that they often felt nervous, worried, or fearful jumped 55 percent from 2009 to 2014, while the comparable number for adolescent boys has remained unchanged. As a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with girls, Lisa Damour, Ph.D., has witnessed this rising tide of stress and anxiety in her own research, in private practice, and in the all-girls' school where she consults. She knew this had to be the topic of her new book.

In the engaging, anecdotal style and reassuring tone that won over thousands of readers of her first book, Untangled, Damour starts by addressing the facts about psychological pressure. She explains the surprising and underappreciated value of stress and anxiety: that stress can helpfully stretch us beyond our comfort zones, and anxiety can play a key role in keeping girls safe. When we emphasize the benefits of stress and anxiety, we can help our daughters take them in stride.

But no parents want their daughter to suffer from emotional overload, so Damour then turns to the many facets of girls' lives where tension takes hold: their interactions at home, pressures at school, social anxiety among other girls and among boys, and their lives online. As readers move through the layers of girls' lives, they'll learn about the critical steps that adults can take to shield their daughters from the toxic pressures to which our culture--including we, as parents--subjects girls.

Readers who know Damour from Untangled or the New York Times, or from her regular appearances on CBS News, will be drawn to this important new contribution to understanding and supporting today's girls.

Praise for Under Pressure

"Truly a must-read for parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors wanting to help girls along the path to adulthood."--Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult