Review: A Precious Window of Time: A Manual for Teaching and Nurturing Middle School Girls, by Howard Hanger and Dr. Vicki Garlock.

When Howard Hanger’s two daughters were approaching middle school age, he knew they were entering a very important developmental phase, one that could have an enormous effect on their self esteem and confidence, so he started Hanger Hall, an all-girls middle school, just for them. 

When I first learned that, I have to admit, I wondered. Isn’t that rather extreme? Is this guy a fanatic of some kind? I mean, starting a whole school for his daughters? But yes, he was that concerned about making sure they had every possible chance to be educated in a place where they could feel comfortable as girls and empowered as young women. He wanted a place where they and other girls could be understood, and where they could shine,  grow, and claim their power as they moved into young womanhood; he wanted a school where the challenges of personal  growth and academic growth would be in balance.

I am happy to report that this is a heartfelt, grounded, and very useful book, by two people who clearly understand and enjoy girls of this age. Parents of tweens and young teenage girls will find this book insightful, reassuring and inspiring. It will be of benefit, as well, to teachers, especially those new to teaching girls of this age and stage.  A Precious Window of Time is optimistic, enthusiastic, and full of vitality. That alone gives it a certain charm; so many books about teens seem to be a maelstrom of distressing problems and crises, real or anticipated, and what to do about them.

The authors do address such fraught topics as drug and alcohol use, sexuality, and moodiness, but they do so in a warm, even-handed and realistic way. I like the sections on social skills, balancing structure and flexibility, friends and community, and the ongoing importance of play. After reading this book, you will not be wringing your hands and lying awake worrying, rather, you’ll feel energized and eager to be a great parent, and/or a great teacher to your girls, in whatever settings you interact with them.

It’s unfortunate that the book is a bit amateurish in ways; it needs the shaping hand of a good editor as well as a professional proofreader. The conversational writing style relies on a lot of dashes — I don’t object to that — but the use of hyphens where em dashes should appear is awkward and confusing. However, these objections are minor compared to the good heart, solid experience, and usefulness of this book.

A Precious Window of Time is available through Lobster Books. I recommend it  to parents  and teachers of middle school age girls. Homeschooling parents in particular might find this book a game-changer and a boon. I would be very interested to hear reactions from readers. I invite you to post here, in comments section of AllGirls.