It's easy to get caught up in the media frenzy of which celebrity is dating whom and what your favourite actor wore to the Oscars.
With so many tabloid magazines dedicated to exactly those things, our society has placed a lot of its energy on creating role models from "stars."
If we are to change this almost obsessive fascination, we need to educate the younger generations. That's exactly what Audrey D. Brashich is doing in her new book All Made Up: a girl's guide to seeing through celebrity hype and celebrating real beauty.
Aimed at teenagers, this fantastic resource asks us why we idolize movie stars and models instead of people who are making a difference. I clearly remember putting up magazine cutouts in my locker of models and quoting famous movie stars as people I looked up to.
Each chapter of the book ends with questions to the readers, which they can discuss on her on-line blog. The latter part of the book is dedicated to spotlighting role models who aren't in glossy magazines. Nearly all are young women who have started their own businesses, most related to empowering young women.
Along with the text are some absolutely wonderful drawings by Shawn Banner. Each is a mini-comic that speaks volumes about the issues at hand. They themselves are a good reason to take a look at this book.
I am really pleased to recommend this resource to teenagers, parents of teenagers and anyone who wants to be inspired. You can order a copy at AMAZON.
