Leading Expert Provides Guide for Teen Girls
NEW YORK, NY (rushprnews) 02/20/2007 — For Debra Beck, being a teenager was anything but pleasant.  From anxiety about school, friends, peer pressure, family life, not liking – or even knowing – who she was, to worrying about not fitting in, Beck’s teen years were fraught with feelings of confusion, frustration and self-doubt. It wasn’t until her own daughters entered their teens did Beck realize that her experience wasn’t the exception, but the norm: times may have changed, but teen girls everywhere – her daughters included – were grappling with those very issues she had faced.  To provide a guide for teen girls, Beck created My Feet Aren’t Ugly: A Girl’s Guide to Loving Herself From the Inside Out.
My Feet Aren’t Ugly (Beaufort Books, April, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-825305-42-9, $12.95) is a comprehensive guide to navigating the rough terrain of the teen years. Beck maintains that one of the most difficult issues a teen faces is trying to figure out who they are:  “The teen years are a time of great and rapid change.  Teen girls in particular often get caught in-between – they are no longer children, but they are not yet adults. Too often, teen girls struggle with a variety of issues that stem from not being able to clearly define who they are.” 

Centered on Beck’s theory that many teen girls lack a clear sense of self, My Feet Aren’t Ugly explains how teen girls can learn to love themselves from the inside out. Cleverly illustrated and peppered with personal anecdotes and true stories from other teens, My Feet Aren’t Ugly is an interactive guide filled with quizzes, tips, and journaling entries. Resplendent with good advice on myriad topics, My Feet Aren’t Ugly addresses such pertinent issues as not succumbing to peer pressure, treating people well, finding friends who treat you well, being kind to your body, developing healthy habits, finding enjoyable hobbies, personal responsibility, and confidence.  Moreover, My Feet Aren’t Ugly tackles tough issues, such as eating disorders, suicide, and physical intimacy.

The book’s catchy title, My Feet Aren’t Ugly, was borne of an incident from Beck’s youth:  “When I was fifteen-years-old, I was standing out in front of my house talking to a guy I was crazy about. It was a hot summer day and I was in shorts and bare feet. All of a sudden I noticed he was staring at my feet. He said, ‘You have the ugliest feet I have ever seen! You should never go barefoot.’ I didn’t go barefoot for a long time. I knew that my feet maybe were a little wide but they didn’t seem ugly to me until then. From then on, I was self-conscious about my ugly feet. When my girlfriends were buying cute, strappy sandals, I was buying sneakers. It took years for me to realize that my feet really aren’t ugly.  To me, this is a fitting example of what it is like to be a teen girl.”

Part road map, part mentor in a book, My Feet Aren’t Ugly may well be the best friend a teen girl ever had. With expert guide Debra Beck leading the way, teen girls everywhere will learn how to make turn those formative years into transformative years.

The founder of Spirited Youth, an organization which provides help, support and encouragement for young women, Debra Beck is a devoted mentor, sought-after presenter and leading expert on the issues facing teen girls. She lives in Sedona, Arizona, and no longer shies away from open-toed shoes.  Beaufort Books is an independent book publisher headquartered in New York.  My Feet Aren’t Ugly will be available in better bookstores nationwide in April, 2007.  Members of the news media wishing to request an advance review copy of My Feet Aren’t Ugly, or an interview with author Debra Beck, are kindly asked to contact Maryglenn McCombs by phone – (615) 297-9875, or by email – maryglenn@maryglenn.com.
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