Book Club: Book Review of Braver, Stronger, Smarter

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page. Thank you.

I was very excited to read and review Braver, Stronger, Smarter: A Girl's Guide to Overcoming Worry & Anxiety by Sissy Goff. I had read and reviewed the companion book for parents, Raising Worry-Free Girls, so I was very happy to see how Goff would relate her advice and wisdom to girls.

Sissy Goff is the director of child and adolescent counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee. Being director there provides her with valuable firsthand experience of the worries that girls and young ladies have and how to best attack their Worry Monster. While Braver, Stronger, Smarter does contain as much anecdotal evidence as Raising Worry-Free Girls, I can see how her time with real girls suffering from real worries and anxieties has helped to shape this book.

Braver, Stronger, Smarter is an 8.5" by 11" paperback book 96 pages long with black and white illustrations. It is divided into three sections (Understanding, Help, and Hope) that mirror the companion book for parents. Before the book proper starts, there is a note for parents and caregivers and rules for reading the book for your daughter. I like that Goff sets forth three very simple rules for her readers:

1. Go Slow.
2. Don't Give Up.
3. Have fun! 

I could see girls who have worries and anxieties wanting to rush through the book or giving up when things get hard so this simple set of rules will be helpful for those girls and families as they seek to fight their Worry Monster. 

Throughout Braver, Stronger, Smarter there are questions and prompts for the reader to answer such as "write down five words that describe you and that you want to write on your mirror to remember" as well as a place to draw their Worry Monster. This makes the book really a workbook that will hold meaning for your daughter as they read through the book with you. 

What Do I Think? 

I really think Braver, Stronger, Smarter will be of great use to girls and young ladies who are anxious and worrisome. There are so many things that impact our daughters but sometimes as parents we have no idea how to help them. As many times as we tell our own daughters that they are brave, strong, and smart, they may not believe us. Reading a book where the author knows they are brave, strong, and smart, a book that directs them towards God, can only help our daughters fight their Worry Monster. 

I recommend Braver, Stronger, Smarter by Sissy Goff for parents of girls and girls who are suffering from anxiety. I can also see the book being of use for counselors who minister to the needs of young ladies. This is the perfect book to recommend to families with anxious daughters. I would also recommend parents check out the companion book, Raising Worry-Free Girls.