This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Do Girls Know Best?

Have you ever laughed so hard that it made you snort? Forgotten to zip up your pants all the way? Zoya Ahmadi, 14, feels your pain. Says Zoya: "I know being embarrassed in public is one of the worst things girls have to face." But rather than bury her face after slipups like those, Zoya wrote a chapter of advice to help other girls avoid embarrassing moments.

Zoya's chapter is one of 26 in a new book called Girls Know Best. All the chapters are written by girls, ages 7 to 16, chosen through a national writing contest. Michelle Roehm, editor of Girls Know Best, says the book "encourages girls to speak out and be heard. It's a way for them to talk to each other."

Girls across the country had a lot to say. Sisters Rebecca and Melissa Rushing, 13 and 7, sounded off about surviving sibling battles. Friends Kyra Borg and Katie Arnold, both 13, co-wrote a chapter called "BIG Words to Use to Impress Friends, Parents and Teachers." "Kyra and I like using big words because they help on reports," says Katie. "And it's fun to use them on each other."

The book's 38 young authors have visited stores around the country and autographed hundreds of books--mostly for girls. "This book kind of gets a camaraderie going among us girls," says Kyra. "Sometimes girls are afraid to speak up, compared to boys."

Another Girls Know Best book is already in the works. And for boys who think they know best, your turn is coming: a boys-only book is on the way.

If you have ideas for either book, send them to Beyond Words Publishing, 20827 N.W. Cornell Road, Suite 500, Hillsboro, OR 97124.

Next: Top 5 Halloween Costumes