Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Compelling, relatable stories inspire girls to greatness.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
The 30 stories in LIVING THE CONFIDENCE CODE show readers how real girls have found the courage to pursue their goals, gaining confidence along the way. A short introduction covers the confidence code – "risk more, think less, be yourself" – and provides terms and definitions used throughout the book. Some girls' stories are relayed interview-style, with text bubbles that help readers make connections to other stories or give background details, and highlighted passages that demonstrate either pitfalls (called "confidence quicksand") or growth opportunities ("confidence building blocks"). A handful of profiles are captured in comic strips. The final chapter is blank, except for an invitation for readers to write their own story. A helpful "shout-outs" section lists websites related to each girl's story so readers can learn more about the issues and projects they read about.
Is It Any Good?
In this powerful collection of girls' stories of confidence-building, authors Katty Kay, Claire Shipman, and JillEllyn Riley demonstrate that there are many paths to leadership and making change. Living the Confidence Code features truly impressive girls, but their stories also cover low points, failures, or fears, as well as plain old fun information like each girl's favorite comfort food and dream destination. Readers will find it hard not to connect with at least several of the girls struggles and triumphs. The authors link aspects of each story to research-backed confidence building skills, identify potential obstacles and offer tips on how to grow from them.
The warm, conversational narration will appeal to tweens and teens, while the varied fonts on each page add interest and emphasis. Nan Lawson's grayscale-and-teal comic-strip renderings of some of the girls' stories and her decorations of all the girls' portraits lend a joyful feel to stories that sometimes cover serious topics. This valuable book definitely deserves a spot in tween and teen girls' to-be-read piles.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about which stories really stuck with them from Living the Confidence Code. Who did you relate to? How do these stories help you think about your life and experiences differently?
What are some of the concrete strategies and tools from the book that can help you or others build confidence?
The stories in this book talk frankly about topics like racism, child marriage, and street harassment, to name just a few. How do these issues (or others from the book) affect your life? What can you do to make positive change in your life, school, or community?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Emotions
- Topics : Activism , Friendship
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date : February 23, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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