I read part of this book and skimmed the rest. I read enough to be depressed about how marketing influences girls in our society.

I'm checking out on this one. I wanted to like this book more - but I am struggling to get through it.

The advice seemed very repetitious just a few chapters in. No rocket science here...if you care enough about raising girls to check out this book - then you are probably already on a good path. ( )

I am sort of torn on this book. I really like the information presented and have been reading other books in this same genre. Since I've read a couple of similar books to this in the recent past, I'm pretty sure that's why I found it sort of difficult to read through. It was much drier than the other books.

I do like the information that was presented and agree that the media and large corporations are really messing people up, especially girls. I have started to really notice things more after reading this and others, but that I think can also be attributed to being pregnant. You don't notice a lot of things until it'll somehow effect you.

This book was nice because I think it allows for better dialogue between parents and their children. This particular book has some really good resources and suggestions on how to approach conversations. Overall, I like it although it can have some really tedious sections if you are familiar with the subject. ( )

Summary:
This book concentrates on the effects of media and pop culture on girls. It specifically analyses how media and consumerism affects what they see, hear, read, and play. It looks at popular movies, songs, books, magazines, and games. This gave it a unique perspective. The goal is to teach girls how to reflect on their world and see how society is affecting them.
The majority of movies and programs girls watch promote gender stereotypes.

Personal Reaction:
I like how it incorporates pop culture into the lives of girls and explains the images and perceptions it feeds to girls and describes the effect this has on them. This book has a lot of great information and statistics.

Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. I would use this book for an "all about me" day where the students are able to share the kinda things they like.
2. I would use this book to teach lessons on stereotypes. ( )

From the preface: "we've been told our world empowers girls by offering them anyting they want, including infinite sights and endless ports of call. In reality, it's a world designed by media and marketing executives that targets children as consumers, channels girls' desires, and entices them into predictable types: 'pretty pink dolls,' 'cute little shoppers,' and 'hott teens'."

Packaging Girlhood covers the influences on girls from roughly ages 3 through 17. The chapters cover shopping (the products available and how they are marketed), TV and film, music, books and extra-curricular activities. The final chapter gives sample conversations for parents when discussing culture with their daughters.

Although I was familiar with a lot of the authors' concerns, and they did repeat themselves quite a bit, I found this to be an extremely interesting and inspiring read. I think what made this book different from others that I've read on this topic is that there was always a psychological POV involved (including what it is about these products that appeals to the girls, but also the psychology of the marketers and of parents). I especially enjoyed the chapter on books, and the literary critique from a psychological approach.

I borrowed this book from the library, but I am ordering my own copy to keep as a reference.

Recommended for: obviously the parents of girls, but also anyone who works with girls, and anyone interested in cultural studies or consumerism. The authors have also written Packaging Boyhood: Saving Our Sons from Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes. ( )