Boyology: A Teen Girl's Crash
Course in All Things Boy
by Sarah O'Leary Burningham

    BOYOLOGY by Sarah O'Leary Burningham
    Illustrated by:  Keri Smith
    Category:  Non-Fiction
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  4/15/09
    Publisher:  Chronicle Books
    Reviewed by:  K. Osborn Sullivan
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Just like the title says, BOYOLOGY is a "crash course," although it's more of a crash course in dating, rather than
    boys in general.  For instance, if you want to know what a "safety" is in football so you can have a conversation with
    your brother on a Sunday afternoon, then this book is not what you're looking for.  However, if you want to figure
    out whether your brother's friend is flirting with you while you're all watching Sunday afternoon football, then this is
    the book for you.

    Before we go any further, I must offer a clarification: Where I’m from, teenage males are not referred to as "boys."  
    They are "guys."  For me, the word "boy" conjures up images of dimpled 5-year-olds with gaps where their front
    teeth should be.  The only people around here who call teenagers "boys" are school principals.  This is doubtless just
    a regional difference, so if you're from Chicago like I am, just mentally substitute the word "guy" for "boy" when
    you're reading BOYOLOGY (i.e. GUYOLOGY).  Please don't let that little objection turn you off from this book,
    because it has a lot of good advice to offer about boys or guys or whatever you call them.

    BOYOLOGY contains a great deal of useful information for teenage girls who are trying to find their way around
    the confusing world of crushes and dating.  While much of the advice might be things you have heard before in one
    form or another, it's nice to have it reinforced by a neutral third-party (i.e. someone who's not your mom or your
    minister).  For instance, the book tells girls to be themselves and establish their physical boundaries before things get
    hot and heavy.  There are also plenty of things that you probably haven't heard before, including fun date ideas for
    couples or groups, step-by-step instructions on how to kiss, and a quiz to see if you're a good date or not.

    The book is optimistic, by which I mean that it spends relatively little time on the "What if he's not into you?"
    scenarios, and many more pages on successful flirting, dating, and becoming a couple.  The author balances her
    approach by offering not only the fun side of dating, but also worthwhile safety information.  She points out the
    importance of letting your parents know if you're "seeing" someone online, as well as how to avoid and, if necessary,
    deal with sexual assault.  I recommend her tip on taking a minute to program a taxi service phone number into your
    cell phone so you can always get home safely.  The book even has a chapter at the end about breaking up.  You
    might never need tips on maintaining your dignity when running into the ex and his new girlfriend, but when you do
    need them, they're worth their weight in gold.

    The book doesn't just offer the author's perspective.  It has words of wisdom from celebrities, like Daniel Radcliffe
    and Zac Efron, and it provides advice from actual teenagers (lots of them boys/guys) who have "been there, done
    that."  Even the author's husband (who used to be a boy/guy) chimes in from time to time.

    About the only problem I ran across in BOYOLOGY is the same problem that other books like this can't really
    avoid.  Books that rely on current culture become outdated quickly.  There is so much time between when a book is
    written and when it's finally released, that there's no way for authors to be up-to-date on fads and popular
    expressions.  For instance, this book discusses texting, but there's no mention of Twitter.  It mentions MySpace, but
    not Facebook.  In fact, this review itself will be outdated in a few months because Twitter and Facebook will
    probably have been replaced by something new.  Other than that minor complaint, this is an interesting and useful
    book for teenage girls.  The advice is pretty timeless and the celebrity quotes are an interesting addition.  

    So my advice is: Pick up a copy, have fun, and good luck out there!