Dying of Boredom

This blog is so funny. When tween girls are bored, you do NOT want to be the person, place or thing that causes their boredom! This blog is from a tween girl who calls herself skittles8:

"Over the weekend, I went to the Dean Martin Festival w/ my mom 'n my gramma in Stebunville, Ohio. let me give U guys a tip, NEVER GO THERE. IT SUCKS. its sooo boring. but let me give U the details...i didn't want to go from the start, but there was no one 7:30, which sucked because i usually wake up at ten. The drive there is two hours because Stebunville is right by the Ohio River, which is at the bottom of Ohio. the car ride was better than the festival! well, it is comfy in my mom's car. LOL. okay, so we got there, and we had to go to the church where Dean Martin went. If you don't know, dean martin was a famous singer way back when. okay, the church was boring. then we went to the parade. it was okay. then we went to this place called the Spot Bar, and behind it there was the place where people who looked and sounded like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Minroe were singing. And then Deanne Martin (his daughter) sung a few...BOREDOM AGAIN. Then we went to our hotel in West Virginia which was right across the Ohio River. I went in the pool which was the best part of the trip, i thought. After that we had to go to the night part of the festival. it was just like the afternoon's part. I was TOTALLY DYING OF BOREDOM. even my mom and gramma were. we wasted 30 dollars a seat on it! we went back to the hotel, fell asleep, woke up, drove back home, and that's it. Intreging, isn't it? SO NEVER GO THERE!! PLEASE DON'T. IF YOUR PARENTS THINK OF GOING, BEG THEM NOT TO. I wrote this blog for your own good."

I have one thing to say, I am so glad she's an AllyKatzz.com fan!

Posted by Denise Restauri

Tween Girls SUMMER READS

The books that the AllyKatzz gave TWO PAWS UP! for this week. Tween girls are kicking off the summer with these books:

LBD books
It is a 3 book series about 3 BFFs living in London and facing normal problems. they are really good. one of the LBD (that what they call themselves), Fleur, has this wacko dad and his antics are funny. Claude is the best charcter b/c she is like every girl u love 2 hate at first, but then u see what a gr8 girly she is. And Ronnie...she's probably like every one of you that are reading this blog. Reviewed by 11-year-old

The tail of emily Windsnap
This book kept me busy 4 days!!!!!! … about a girl {emily} who discovers she is human out of the water and a mermaid when her legs get wet!!! P.S Tail is spelt like that because she has a mermaid!!!!!!! Reviewed by 12-year-old

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover Or Title!
during summer we had to do a book report for the book TANGERINE BY EDWARD BLOOR! I looked at it and thought! omg this is going to be so boring. SO i started to read it.....then i started to understand the book! It got interesting and more interesting and i couldn't put it down! So just because the title or cover of the book looks unappealing it could stil be a GREAT BOOK! SO READ ON THIS SUMMER!!! Reviewed by 12-year-old

Clique … it's about these rich bratty teens that hate their leader's Dad's, Friend's, Daughter named Claire. Avalabile at Target, Walmart, Barns-n-Noble, your local book store, or you local library. Reviewed by 10-year-old

From the Files of Madison Finn
This is a great series!! It is about a girl named Madison Finn who is a commited blogger and web site surfer (just like us!) and her 4 bff's. They go through adventures and mishaps all along the series! 2 paws up! Reviewed by 14-year-old

Elsewhere is this new book im really love. Its a bit sad but unless u are like really sensitive to books then u wont cry… its about this girl who dies and goes to this place called elsewhere where everyone gets younger until they are young enough to become reborn. Reviewed by 11-year-old

You know how sometimes you read a book, and it's like, wow, that's a one of a kind, it was totally awesome? Well, Maureen Johnson writes those kinds of books. I've read The Key to the Golden Firebird and 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and they rock! Reviewed by 13-year-old


Quick Rates: More AllyKatzz 2 Paws up Winners for this week:

SASS Girl Overboard - soooo good it had jus the right amount of love, friends,and excitement…

What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows - wonderful book that is great for girls that are about to hit their teen years!

This is a must read too! Twilight and New moon by Stephanie Meyer…I just Love EDWARD!

The Warriors – one of my fave book series

Now You See Her and Milkweed…Also, I'm a HUGE fan of the Princess Diaries books and the TTYL books.

THE FINAL SUMMER OF THE TRAVELiiNG PANTS♥

Uglies-Pretties-Specials!! The best books!!!

All american girl and ready or not … these are two FAB books for the teenage soul!!!

goose girl byshannon hale! it is totally awesome, and i would read till 12 pm cuz i couldnt put it down!! it is a must read!!

Chew on This. It's all about fast food. If you want a motivation to stop eating so much junk, I recomend this book!

For all publishers and authors... please check out the AllyKatzz Book Club and the AllySTREETKatzz special book review mission. If you want AllyKatzz girls to read/review your books, please send an email to lindsay@allykatzz.com. The girls will be forever grateful!!!

Tween Girl Vote: No Way!

Paris Hilton is out of JAIL ALREADY!!! DO you think it's fair she was in for only 3 DAYS?

That's what we asked the AllyKatzz girls today.

Here's the tween girl vote:
No way! She broke the law! - 60%
Not really, she should be treated like everybody else - 23%
Well, it's ok if he learned her lesson - 2%
Of course, she doesn't belong in a jail! - 3%
Hello? WHO CARES? - 12%

Tween Girls and Revealing Outfits

We asked tween girls: “Would You Let Your Friend Leave The House Like This?"

Here’s the AllyKatzz tween girl Pulse-Check Research results:

Of course – 6%
NO! – 74%
Yes, but I would let her walk ahead of me – 7%
Why not? I love this outfit! - 13%






Some of their comments:

"is that michel jackson???"

"wHATS SO BAD ABOUT IT???"

" um i dont like the outfit its kind of...reaveling up top there but yhe bottom half is totally cute and wud walk next to her..mabey"
"that would be the meanest thing ever"

"OK, my friend is not an...YKW"

"i have NOTHING against letting my friends show thier own style, but unless ou're going swimming or something, theres no need to show that much skin!! i would just suggest a less revaling versoin of that outfit!!"

"ewwww never"

"no way it shows 2 much skin i would be a horrible friend if i let her out of the house like that duh!!!!"

Posted by Denise Restauri

Is Her Weekly Reader REALLY People Mag???

Article in NYT on Sunday, May 27:
Grade-School Girls, Grown-Up Gossip
What happens when her weekly reader is People?

The article is about tween girls - how they get grown-up gossip and what they do with it.

In the article:
Picture #1: 5 tween girls. Each girl is engrossed in one of these magazines: People, InTouch, Life, US and Star.

Picture #2. 2 girls reading an adult celebrity tabloid. The caption: READ ALL ABOUT IT Arielle Urvater, left, 11, and her sister Jessie, 8, of Manhattan are quite aware of the tabloid antics of Paris, Lindsay, Britney and their ilk, but that does not mean they approve. “We’re well educated,” Arielle explained. “We know that drugs aren’t good and that smoking isn’t good.”

Is this reality or is this about a handful of girls that make a story for a holiday weekend?

Last night, we posted a pulse check poll on allykatzz.com… a community of 30K tween girls from across the nation - to find out where tween girls REALLY get their celebrity gossip. The results:

1. Tween/Teen Magazines including Twist, J-14 and Tiger Beat: 55%

2. Adult Magazines including People, US, Star and InTouch: 29%

3. Online: 16%

Here are samples of the comments the girls posted along with their votes: These sample comments are from tween girls ages 10-13… from NYC, Oregon, Ohio and Washington.

“Yeah I picked Tiger Beat/Bop. It tells me info on stars I like, not just a million ones I dont know that well. Plus, its not as big of a gossip thing as the other teen magazines. People, US, and mags like that talk about adults I dont know, so i dont read those! And the Internet lies a lot...~~CiAo”

“PEOPLE! all the way!!”

“watz STAR??”

“J-14, I have a subscription. It has good posters, a calender, and plenty of news on people I actually know. So what if it's not the most accurate, it's a good read!”

“im not that into celeb gossip. but when i want to hear it i get it online or on the news. it can be interesting sometimes!”

Posted by Denise Restauri

TOP BOOK PICKS FOR THIS WEEK

This week's AllyKatzz Book Club Review - what tween girls are reading and loving NOW. Definitely great reads for this holiday weekend. For more of their top picks, check out last week's review below- May 18 posting.

Sharon Creech. Review by “punkrockrules” age 11, NY
Sharon Creech is one of the best authors out there!She has inspired me so much!If you havent read any of her books i suggest you read them.SOME of her books are: Walk Two Moons (which i loved),The Wanderer (which i loved too),Love That Dog (it was sweet and nice), Totally Normal Chaos (which was pretty good,though it has mature content),Pleasing The Ghost (which was a nice and interesting book) and TONS more!check your library or bookstore for some of her books!You will LOVE them!Write back and tell me what are YOUR favorite books and authors and what you think about Sharon Creech!

The Westing Game. Review by “mileyfan95” age 12, California
I just finished a gr8 book called The Westing Game! It was like, the best mystery book I hav ever read! This is what it said on the back: (A bizzare chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samual W. Westing's will. And although no one knows why the eccentric, game loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger-and a possible murderer-to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead....but that won't stop him from playing one last game!) So, if u think this book sounds interesting, plz plz plz let me no cuz if I think enuf ppl like it, then I will start posting the chapters. Trust me, this book is vey unexpectable so evry time u read a chapter, make sure u let me no who u think is the murderer!!!

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Review by “cheerygirl” age 10, Florida
Its a wonderful stry thats about a girl who moves fro new york to new jersey and has to make new friends and i give this book a two thumbs up.

Uglies. Review by “its_me!” age 13, Colorado
my FAVORITE books in the HISTORY of the WORLD are Uglies, Pretties, and Specials by Scott Westerfeld. they are a trilogy and they are FANTASTIC!!! i highly reccomend them.

More Uglies: "I started reading the Uglies. It is totally the BEST book ever. I finished reading it and started the 2nd book called the Pretties. They also have a third book which is called the Specials. When I read the books, I can't stop. Uglies is about a girl who lives in Uglieville and when the people there turn 16, the get an operation that makes them pretty and they get to party all the time! I'd tell the whole story but I don't want to give anything away... "Review by Balerina, age 12, Utah

I'm a FAiLuRe

Pressures girls put on themselves to be super girls.
Where do they get it from? From their teachers? From their parents? Safe bet: they aren’t born thinking, “I must get into Harvard!” They get mixed messages from the adults in their lives every day. About their weight, their looks, their accomplishments. So the next time you tell the tween girl in your life to “Just do your best!... mean it and STOP there. Hopefully this AllyKatzz blog from a 13-year-old girl from Alabama, will make us all think twice before we add, “Because you aren’t going to get into Harvard with YOUR grades.”

"I'm a Failure. I feel lyk a failure right now. Okay see at my school at the end of each year we have an award ceramony. Well today was the last day and all year I work on my grades cuz I wanted to make straight A's.I QUIT BASKETBALL FOR IT!!!!!!! Well 2day the principal was giving out the A-honor roll awards. I DIDN'T GET IT!!! I got on the A-B honor roll award. Now I feel lyk a failure. Y? Cuz I did my best!! I DID MY HARDEST!! And my hardest. My best isn't good enough!!! How in the world am I supposed to get in to SOSU and Alabama Crimson Tide. If I'm on the A-B Honor Roll?? They look back all the way to the 7th grade. THATS THE GRADE I'M IN!!! So now I know what a failure feels lyk. I'm sooo sad. Any advice??? bye. and no I'm not saying PEACE OUT! Cuz I'm not at peace right now. so goodbye."

Responses from AllyKatzz girls:

“Thats REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!! You shouldn't flip like that!!! Its still honors! I got a F in math a few quarters ago because of the teacher. Its a long story but I promised myself it wouldn't happen again. Now I get strait "A'S"!!!! I have a 100 in math class now! So don't juge yourself so harshly from one grade. ~~~ They look back to 7th grade??? OMG! R U sirious? I wanna get into YALE!!! Shoot... ANyway. Think about it. ” By a 12-year-old girl from Connecticut.

“You are so not a failure! Some kids do terrible! Getting c's, d's and f's! This one kid at my school flunked 7th grade, you are not a failure!” By a 12-year-old girl from Nevada.

“trust me you are not a failure. Think of how much worse it could be you could be one of the people that tries their hardsest and still only comes up with a C. I'm an A-B student too and all my friends are A's so I feel really low on the totem poll when we all get our math tests back but trust me it will get better I can guarantee it. Also if you want to get into a good college I suggest doing lots of extracurricular stuff or find a sport that you really excel at.” By a 14-year-old girl from New Hampshire.

“Hey, that's not being a failure. A failure is straight F's! An A-B honnor is good, really good. At least you're not trying out for Hartford!” By an 11-year-old girl from Wisconsin.

Posted by Denise Restauri

I HAVE PROBLEMS

This tween girl's blog shows that you can't judge a girl's happiness by her cover. Leda Siskind, allykatzz.com's Advice Pro, gives girls and US great advice. Leda is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist AND the mom of a teenage girl.

Dear Leda, I have problems. My life is not very good. I have friends and I'm an overly hyper person, well most of the time. At school and when I'm talking to my friends, anywhere...anytime, I'm relaxed and carefree. It's a whole different story when I'm alone. I can just be sitting there reading a book or story, and out of nowhere I think everyone has a better life than me. I think about how a lot of people are skinnier than me, how I'll probably never get a boyfriend(I may deny that I want one, but I truly do), and what I really want to be when I grow up is nearly impossible for me to be. I've tried suicide. I just can't do it though. I've yet to try and cut myself. I can't take this anymore and I just want to cry. I need to find a solution, and fast. Please don't just tell me that "Suicide is not the answer." or "You need to think of all your good qualities." I hear that suicide is not the answer from my friends all the time. I've tried thinking of my good qualities and I can't seem to find any. I have self-esteem problems, and I know this. I think I need to stop naming of my bad qualities so I won't go and try suicide again. Please help me with this problem. I need to know what to do. Thanks for listening.

Leda's Advice:

Dear My Life, I think, sweetie, that you feel very uncomfortable about who you are and what life has in store for you. You would be surprised how many girls feel just as you do now…But life is just not that black and white – all or nothing! You state you have friends – so you already know how to keep a friend (including, some day, a BF), you state that you know how to be “carefree” and you even mention reading – so you have some positive skills you are overlooking because everything is seen as “never” and “always” – in the negative. And you also know that hurting yourself is not going to help you. I think, deep down, you would like to feel better about yourself, yes? So here are two choices for you:
1.) Ask your parent to see a therapist. You can tell them you have self-esteem problems or it’s about school or whatever you feel comfortable with. A good therapist will help you look at how to cope with all this sadness.
2.) Talk to a C.A.R.L.A – a CARLA is a Caring And Responsibly Listening Adult. This can be an aunt, a counselor at school, a teacher, the mom of a BFF. Sometimes it really helps to have an understanding woman who’s been a teenager (and somehow survived) help you out.
And one more thing: If you feel like hurting yourself ever again, tell a BBF to stay with you until the feeling goes away and then tell your parent and seek professional help. Feeling depressed should not lead to self harm – ever! Good luck – you can get through this. You are worth it.

OH BOYZ

BOYFRIENDS AKA BFs (not to be confused with BFF = Best Friend Forever - that can be a girl or a boy, but not a boyfriend!) make our tween girls crazy! On AllyKatzz.com, we started a club that the Girls LOVE... it's the BF club. Sounds so simple ... and it is... it's a place for tween girls to talk about what they love and hate about boys. The girls are trying to figure out what's going on in those fuzzy boy brains. And it starts young... Today's Top Blog is from an 11-year-old-girl...

"There are 2 boys that I like and I'm scared to ask either of them out. One kid I sit next to in science and ILA and Math and we have a connection but I'm not sure if he wants to have a friend connection or more than that.. The other guy is only in my homeroom and Spanish class but he is the same (friend/connection wise). My friend says me and him look cute next to eachother ( Which makes me Smile Secretly ) LOL! I need to know if either of them like me but im shy and I dont know how to find out..i think they'll reject me :-'("

Girls sent her backatchas aka comments... here's their advice:

from illfeily, age 12
“first off, don't say that you think they'll reject you. have some confidence in youself! And if they do, it just shows that they're not good enough for you if they don't like your awesome personality! Don't take it too hard if they don't want to go out with you. Maybe they're just not ready for that yet, and want to see how things go. Second, try to hang out with each of them and find out what qualities they have. Whichever one you feel you have more of a connection to, then you should go for it with him.”

from chellybelly, age 15
“That's what I'm Scared and pretty much every girl is scared about... Beign Rejected and Gettin Hurt... I'm always scared of getting hurt. But If You don't take risks... You mite as well just stay home. Live Your Life With No Regrets. Life goes on. And Pain goes Away. But Havin Memories is the best. If Your not gonna risk it all you Mite as well just give it up... But That's What I think... And mayb i should take my own advice kus I'm scared... But I'm rele weak. And You shouldn't be scared of gettin hurt. Kus life goes on and eventually u'll get over it... Good Luck tryin to get My advice... I'll try to take it too...”

Posted by Denise Restauri

ARGGGH!!!

A top blog of this week from allykatzz.com is from a 13-year-old girl from New Jersey who calls herself phunki837. The end of the school year fun is being replaced by stress. Many girls blog about the same issues and many say their parents only add to it by pushing for those final A grades. Could your tween girl be phunki837?

"yeah so lately i have been like so down on myself. i mean, i don't know shrimp about science these days becasue i've been so exhausted this week that i couldn't even pay attention. science is my last class, so you get what I'm saying. And like, my friends keep asking me the SAME questions like 500000 times. that gets so annoying. And another friend is being so pessimistic, it's bringing me down. I am just SO happy and excited for Unity day on thursday though cuz like, i get to go do what i want to do w/ ppl i don't get to see much. SO glad bout that. So much training ,I'm being drained, and i have a huge project for SS. The teachers are trying to shove all this stuff into the last few weeks of school. AAARRGGGHHHH!!! @@@!!!"

Posted by Denise Restauri

EMO Part 2

Continued from yesterday's Who's Emo? What's EMO?
From a girl who calls herself EMOtions in my glands:
“here is a something about me..like you would care: i have short black choppy hair that covers one eye, black eyes, white pale skin and i am not tall. or short. i am average. like my pathetic life. my parents do not support me. ever since i turned away from pink dresses and frilly bows..they have hated me so. now in my boring life i mourn me. i dress in black and sit around and cry and be EMOtional. My parents decided to neglect me. they work every day for 12 hours. they go away often to peru, germany, and syberia to train horses and host horse shows. they make alot of money from it too, but have decided since i have rebeled against them, they can not give it to me… my glands feel the emotions. i dont slit my wrists, because if i did they would notice. i have not a white tip on any of my nails..i have no friends. i dont see a need to trust anyone in this dark world. now i must go. my microwavable dinner calls to me…”

Sometimes what sounds like EMO, may not be EMO:
“I just want to be like the other girls. Pretty and normal but I know that’s not going to happen. I just want to be noticed. I just want to be liked. But as I just begin to think maybe if I try my hardest. My mom walks in the door telling its time to go to school. Aw school the place of where all evil drama unfolds. School the place where one day you can be super cool and the next your shoved into a garbage can. School is a place for humiliation and for the jocks to date the cheerleaders. School is the place for the popular girls to awww about the schools hottest football player. The place I don’t belong. And as I pull up to school I prepare my self for my day that lies ahead. I prepare my self for whatever may comes my way. Though I don’t really fit into a clique I believe I’m in all cliques except I’m not with the loners and geeks. I just want to fit in one day. As I head to my locker I drop my books. But as I rush to my locker and open my door what else could go wrong but my photos all falling off? I pick them up and shove them into a corner. I get my gym bag and put away my jacket and lunch. Then I rush to homeroom noticing that I’m 15 minutes late.But that’s just a regular day for me thinking and day dreaming. Shoving school work aside. I soon relies the bell for the end of the day has already rang and I have to rush to pick up my baby brother. Since my life is filled with drama its ok if I walk alone sometimes you have to. I still think I don’t fit in at school or at home or in the world. I think that the world I want to be in is filled with whatever I want. But that can’t happen now can it ? I want the world to work my way but it wont because that isn’t possible is it. I just wonder if I’m ever over day dreaming? Am I over dreaming ? Am I too into my world and not enough into this world ? I don’t know I just don’t. I don’t seem to understand anything , not even myself. This is just how I feel dont think Im emo cuz Im not !and IM not a loner dont worry .. Im just going through a hard time right now”… by XoTeenyBopper


Many of these girls do not want to be EMO. They want to be popular. But they are the outcasts, the unpopulars and the loners. EMO is where they landed - not by choice, but where their own insecurities and mean girls sent them. The first step in helping our girls is to talk to them and let them know that they can count on us to help them or a friend.

One thing we know about most girls – EMO or not – they do not tell adults everything because they are embarrassed or scared. Therefore, we always want to give them ways to help themselves and their friends. We post the following hotline information on the site. Please share it with your girls:

If you or a friend needs help that is way too big for other girls to answer or if you need help NOW, these hotlines are here for you 24/7. The calls are free and they won't tell anyone you called.

Suicide and crisis: 1-800-273-TALK
Cutting: 1-800-dontcut
Everything: Children of the Night: 1-800-551-1300

Posted by Denise Restauri

Who's EMO? What's EMO?

Tween Girls are talking about EMO. What’s EMO? Is it music? Is Britney Spears EMO? Is it a style? Attitude? What is EMO?

Here’s a 12-year-old girl’s definition…
“have you ever heard of emo people? well my sister is emo and they are really wierd. emo is short for EMOtional! they get really sad and dress kinda wierd, well that is all i can say.”

A 13-year-old tween girl says…
“i have 3 emo friends and i think they are the coolest people. people steriotype emos as cutting freaks. but most of them dont even cut. all my emo friends dont cut, they are christian emo. [emo] roks and you have the best clothes style anyways. i dont like preps.”

And this from another 13-year-old girl…
“cutting: when girls cut their arms legs or any other part of ur body to relieve EMOtional pain. and its real, VERY real. and i should know, i used to do it and it was horrible. i always cut when i was sad.”


So, What is EMO?

Originally EMO was a form of punk rock that was loud and EMOtional. EMO still means EMOtional, but it has gone way beyond music and has become a lifestyle and a culture of young people who wear their tortured hearts on their sleeves.

Who’s EMO? EMO is not based on age, race, religion, gender, sex or income. Bottomline: Some tween Girls are EMO. Many of these girls are scared, depressed and hurting, and their pain can be hurtful to people around them:

“I am realllyyy... depressed right now. I finaly found a really good friend whos house I can even walk to! So last night I was at her house. And I an white and she is african american. and this boy was giving us (mostly her) trouble about it. And she ran up in her room and i went up there to try and cheer her up and found her in her room cutting herself. It was the worst thing I have ever whittnessed in my life. so, I was like bawling crying and i found out that she lives with her foster-mom because her dad abuses her. If you dont know what cutting is, it is where some1 hurt thereself physically because emotionaly they are hurt. in her case, she broke a cd case and was scraping herself with the sharp parts. I feel so sorry for her. I have tried to be very nice to my parents lately. so, every1 should try to think about how even though are parents can be strict it could be worse. I dont know what to do about her cutting problem i have nervous/anzity problems and today i have been really panic. my friend wont call 1-800-dont-cut so i just dont know what i can do if anything.” by fashionguru7703

“my friend cuts her self! i asked her if her mom knows and se said her mom thinks its from kittens!i want her to get help but i am scared... any advice?” by kaneolani


Here’s three days in the life of EMOskater, a 13-year-old tween girl from Florida. Does she want to be EMO?

Day 1: EMO
“Hi. I have no friends and i am okay with that. I am what they call a skater-emo type person. ohwell,life goes on. Am i right?”

“people think emo people are werid and they want to do bad things 2 themselves. I like the way my life is. I could wish 4 anything better. Just b\c I don't fit in with the normal peeps or the popular peeps doesn't mean I'm weird. Does any one agree with me?”

Day 2: Mean girls
“2day @ skool these girl told me something that super mean. I almost cried. I was thankin the great God that it wuz only a half a day.i wrote a poem. rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. I don't care if u say1 b/c i can take bad critisism very well.
‘mean girls are mean, the teachers never can tell.
mean girls are mean, and they make your heart swell.
Mean girls don't care if you are emo, nerdy, or normal.
Every thing they say causes termoil(Chaos).
Mean girls are mean b/c they are jelious.
And that my friends is simpy how it is going to be!’”


Day 3: HELP ME!!!
“Alright I'm going to try and be preppy for at least a day. To trick these popular girls at school. One of my friends has a preppy older sis that is the same size as me. She has something called aeropstale, uh abercrmby, um hoillster, and american eagle. I hope I spelled that right. How does this soung or look... Ready, okay (valley girl accent)?? I'm a cheerleading! Go team! RAH,RAH, BOO,HISS.!! i DON'T GET IT! SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

To Be Continued Tomorrow...

Posted by Denise Restauri

Look at these Books...

This week’s book review… In our allykatzz.com book club, tween girls rate books:
2 Paws Up = Fabulous!
1 Paw Up = So-So
No Paws Up = Skip It

Here are some of their top “2 Paws UP”…


Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
“This is the best book ever!!! any one who loves romance should read it !!!!!! it's about a grl named bella and she falls in luv w/ a hot vampire ! and stephanie meyer is now my new fav author, besides Meg Cabot! READ IT!!!!!!” Review by Rehobothgrl1, age 12

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
"there is this book called star girl by Jerri Spenneli. it's about this wierd girl who tries to fit in with every one else.she also changes her name ALOT. one was Pocketmouse. she has a RAT name cookie. but anyway, she get's a makeover and everyone hates her more! so she goes back to being her plain old selph..... for more GR8 details, read the book." Review by gothgirl, age 14

Chicken Soup for the Girl’s Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen and Irene Dunlap
"This is an AWESOME book that helps girls understand other people's life and how they get through it. I read it cover 2 cover and it made me cry." Review by redcarpetwalker, age 15

Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
"has anyone read the book? it's SO good. it's about this girl who goes to boarding school after her mother's death. and she starts having these strange visions that take her to another realm. she takes along these other girls: felicity, pippa, and ann into the realms too. a great book,though it can get alittle freaky at some parts, 2 paws up!" Review by smartgirl, age 12

Posted by Denise Restauri

Think You've Had a Bad Day?

When you think you've had a bad day or a bad week, try to remember that our tween girls have a lot to deal with in their worlds. We really need to LISTEN to what they are saying... like these stories... straight from their allykatzz.com blogs...

"i dont feel good... ok yeah well i went to the doctor and they made me wait in there for a hour and a half and then they looked at my ears and it was all red and crummy and so they made me wait another hour for something and then they gave it to me and then it took about another hour in cvs to get my medicine and so i was like all worn down and whiny. and then we got home and amy wouldnt stop gripping at me, and my stepdad is in the worst mood. he is like, IM SO SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE NOT DOING WAHT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO! YALL GIRLS ARE SO IRRESPONSIBLE! WHHEN I SAY CLEAN THE POOL AND LIVING ROOM U CLEAN IT! THATS IT UR GROUNDED! And i am like HUHLLLOOO IM SICKKK!!! and so im extremely grumpy and my mom wont listen to me becacuse "she doesnt have time to listen to me grip, because she has billls to pay and why must she carry all this weight on her tiny shoulders" ugggh!!!! im tired of all this! i wish everything was perfect! and then like my real dad wont answer his phone! and so i dont have anyone to vent to and i mean kaci wont listen cuz she is like somewhere and amy is weird and jace is gone and my older brother is in collage! agggggggh!!"

Are tween girls picked on for their smarts? "It's fun to be smart, right? Knowing that you'll always do your best and have friends in your classes and such. But then there's the kids who are 'less smart' or just don't try as hard as they could, and that usually leads to [smart kids] getting picked on and made fun of, because you're 'brainy'. Has this ever happened to you? I know it has to me plenty of times, and it doesn't help that I wear glasses, either. But I enjoy school, and I think they should too, so just ignore them, or 'kill them with kindness' my mom always tells me, and eventually they'll bug off."

My life sucks... "i really need some advice on cheering myself up. cuz i feel like giving up on trying. my friends aren't in my class and at lunch ppl just randomly look at me and whisper to each other. i don't wanna hear ppl say to just ignore it, caz i just can't. almost every night in my bed i just break down and cry. i don't know what to do. and it's not just school it's at home too caz my grandpa alwayz teases me and i just can't take it (plus he critzices me and my dad all the time). nobody likes me and i only have two frndz and i barly ever see them. i reely need advice on living life, caz i wanna quit.help me plz (i've even gone goth inside)."

Boys confuse our tween girls big time. "One day they like you the next they dont... How are you supposed to know??????????????? This guy that i like my best friend likes to and he is so complicated and its like OMG can he make up his mind because one day he likes me the next he likes her...We both call him Mr. complicated!!!"

Mi~own~lil~lalaland. When your tween girl appears to be in LaLaLand, listen closely… she may actually be there!
"at my school, appearance was everything. what you wore, what you looked like, your weight, your bffs and your bfs, thats all that mattered. no one cared about anything else. you were always judged by your appearance, and if you didn't make a good impression, people would look down on you. now i'm the kinda girl that would be looked down upon. i wasn't pretty, i was nerdy, hung out with the smart kids, a band geek, had no guy friends. i was not near popular at school. one day i hear an announce ment that the first school dance was next friday. "ok," i thought. "nothing big." but then i get asked to the dance by a jock. whoa. i was in total and complete shock. i could not believe my ears. of course i accepted! so i met him at the dance, and he had bought a rose for me. i had never had anything like that happen to me before, and i was already in high school! soon enough, a slow song came on and he asked me to dance. i was like, "omg im dreaming this, someone wake me up before i actually think its true. " i never woke up, so i danced all night and partied with my date, and finally when it was time to leave, i got a kiss from him. my first kiss ever. i could not wait to tell my friends about the dance! but then again this all happened in mi~own~lil~lalaland"

Posted by Denise Restauri

GOTHIC LOLITA is NOT for U.S. Tween Girls

This is great for tonight's dinner conversation… ask your daughter what she thinks about the “gothloli” look. Some tween girls were blogging about this Japanese Street Fashion so we showed 1,000 allykatzz girls this photo and asked them to give us their pulse check. Here’s what they said – be fun to see what YOUR tween girl says…

12% - Love it, Want it!
19% - COOL, I might wear it sometimes
40% - Cool, but not for me!
29% - ICK! No Way!

A 12-year old girl from CA says: “subtract the stockings, shoes, and bag and give her knee-high stilleto boots w/a boho bag in pink it will be a VERY cute outfit.”

While a 14-year-old girl from CA has this take: I wouldn’t wear it but I love the person with the guts to do it!”

And this 15-year-old girl from Wisconsin thinks like a mom: “psshh over my dead body!”

Posted by Denise Restauri

FAB AllyKatzz.com Safety Review

Ken Cooper, creator of Family WebWatch gave AllyKatzz a great review... including: "College students are hired to monitor every bit of information that is being transmitted on its site. So you won’t find any photos with provocative poses or trash talk. Finally, a site that gets it!" Please check it out!

Posted by Denise Restauri

To IM or NOT to IM?

An email from a parent to me: “From a parent perspective this IM stuff is really disturbing and a bit out of control. It is hard to know how to exercise appropriate controls.”

I can so relate. Ally, my tween daughter, was IM and text message obsessed. She was texting on her sidekick3 and IMing on her laptop… sometimes she did both at the same time, to the same person. I’m not making that up. Then the “friends of friends” started to appear… and one of those friends wasn’t the 14-year-old friend’s cousin that he claimed to be and that lead to my declaration: “NO IM or texting for the next month.” At first, Ally wasn’t sure how she could survive without her lifeline to the outside world. I made a suggestion, “Talk on the phone and have a REAL conversation.” She looked at me like I just dropped in from Pluto. She insisted that NO one talks on the phone. But within a few days, a strange thing happened…the phone actually starting ringing – Ally’s friends were calling her. Fast forward 30 days: Ally wasn’t bugging me to get her texting and IM rights reinstated. Here’s her take on IM, texting and talking: “it’s so much better to talk to my friends… but I never knew what I was missing because ever since 6th grade, IM and texting are our lives.” They're tweens... they only know what they know.

We asked the tween girls on allykatzz.com to tell us if they could live withOUT IM and texting. Results were mixed. Just wait til they hear about the 13-year-old Teen Texting Champ… she won $25,000 for having the fastest texting fingers in the nation.

Posted by Denise Restauri

Tween Girls Blog About VT

How are tween girls making sense out of the senseless Virginia Tech massacre? Should we talk about it with our girls? What do we tell them?

Here’s a reality check: If you think you’re protecting your tween girl by NOT talking about it, you’re so wrong. Girls are talking and thinking about it and if you don’t talk to them, they’ll go to their favorite information source… their friends. Think about the telephone game that goes like this: Girl #1 says, “Betty and Veronica are best friends.” By the time it gets to Girl #10, the message is, “Betty plays the harmonica and she stinks!” Imagine what happens to information that is mind boggling to start with. Tween girls need to hear it from YOU.

Here’s what tween girls are saying – straight from their allykatzz.com blogs:

“wow. to horrible for words. i bet this whole thing could have been prevented too. Colombine could have been. You know why that happened? Bulling. Im sure that some days, we all feel so bad that we just want to pick on other weaker kids at our school, but.....one thing leads to another.....which leads to another. Then, before you know it, the whole school is picking on that one kid… seriously girls. if you are being bullied,IGNORE THEM!!! and to all you bullies out there, stop. immediatly. You are to weak to take the conciquenses. Yes. I did just call you weak bully. Bullies are increadibly weak. In fact, in 5th grade i was bullied so much. When i went to middle school, those bullies went from being popular, to having no friends at all. I was more confident too. Maybe the shooter at VT was bullied too… stop the bulling NOW. Do you want your school to be the next massacre of innociount people?” age 13, CA

WARNING: before talking to your tween girl, you must deal with your own angers and fears. This is from a 10-year-old girl from VA. Not the message we want to give our tween girls:
“My mom sent an E-mail to one of the radio dudes and she told him that my sisters and I would not go to college unarmed that we would have a gun with us and that she would rather have us expelled than killed”

Bad information gets worse when it includes bad messages like the one in this blog: dump your boyfriend and he may kill you. (We didn’t post this blog on allykatzz.com.) This is from a 15 year-old tween girl: “A south Korean guy killed 32..yes THIRTY-TWO people...He was a senior at Virgina Tech and can you guess why he killed 32 people? Becuase his GF dumped him for sum1 else!! Yep...crazy isn't it...then he killed himself! He first killed his ex-GF and her friend in the dorms then went across the campas which is half a mile to look for the guy. He culdn't find him so he killed 30 other people.”

Posted by Denise Restauri

Mean Boys????

We know how “mean girls” can destroy the self-esteem of our tween girls. But what about “mean boys?” Here’s a story from a 12-year-old girl from Wisconsin – could this girl be someone you know? “So I was in science today… and I was by my friends. There was a boy sitting by them...like one of the "popular" boys...and he was doing a worksheet on genes. he had to check his pulse rate for one. he tested it for 5 seconds and said he had 6 beats. I tested my for 5 seconds and i had like 9 or 10. and i said that outloud. and this is what he said to me..."That's because you had body fat and it takes more energy to pump your blood." he said it in one of those "thinks he's funny voices." I'm like..."I'm not fat!" Then my friend...MY FRIEND...was laughing but saying that's not funny and that's not nice...but still she was laughing. the other girls were not laughing and telling him that that was mean. I'm not kidding...I almost started crying...I just wanted to run into the bathroom. I've never been called fat before and i just felt sick and bad. so now just a few hours after i'm like watching what i eat and i don't know what to do...see I'm in perfect shape. I'm a dancer and very active....i just can't keep my mind off of him saying that. what should I do?"
Posted by Denise Restauri

A Day In HER Tween Life

This is a great way to strike up a fun conversation with your tween daughter. Read it together and share your favorite parts of this tween girl's day.

“2day waz national gay day at school and we actually observed it!!! isn't that crazy!! also my dad got in a car accident(so show some love) but i'm pretty sure he's alright!!i hope!!!! also my friend katie got grounded 4 chipping her tooth isn't that STUPID!!!!so yeah...that stinks!!!lets see what else...oh i like failed my math quiz but doesn't everybody every now and then!!but anyway i like stink at math...and tommorow i have a math test like i hate math big time but my mom says that as long as i try my hardest she doesn't really care!!!isn't that showing signs of being an awesome mom...of course it is!!! why cuz she jus is an awesome mom!!! i actually have a pretty cool brother too...SERIOUSLY!!!he's awesome!!well that's about it for today!!love yall!!” … age 13 from Pennsylvania
Posted by Denise Restauri