Hands On! 33 More Things Every Girl Should Know : Skills for Living Your Life from 33 Extraordinary Women-GLB

"Adolescence is the ultimate buffet," says MTV host Kennedy in this companion volume to the bestseller 33 Things Every Girl Should Know. Teenage girls can pick and choose from this smorgasbord of essays on life skills by 33 extraordinary women, from the high-minded ("Aim to be Your Best") to the practical (what to do if your car overheats, how to make an omelet, or stop an overflowing toilet). Some of the contributors are famous: Miss Manners, celebrity chef Sara Moulton, gymnast Vanessa Atler, astronaut Eileen Collins, writers Lois Lowry and Norma Fox Mazer. Others are less well-known but equally distinguished for their accomplishments--a one-legged skiing champion, the founder of the First Children's Bank, the CEO of the Association of American Publishers, and other writers, editors, performers, and experts of various kinds. Some of them sound like mothers, older sisters, or wise mentors speaking from their own lives, while others come across as helpful girlfriends who know just how it is. Although some of these pieces are determinedly earnest, others are more lighthearted, especially Tina Howe's recipe for How to Make an After-Your-Boyfriend-Dumps-You-For-Your-Best-Friend Pineapple Upside-down Cake ("1/2 cup super glue, 1 cup finely ground glass..."). Any girl who needs a little help with life's big and little problems (and who doesn't?) will find this an interesting and useful browse. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell