Press & Buzz

Media Highlights for Girl to Girl

  • The Children’s Book Review – Bestselling Middle Grade Book
  • A Mighty Girl – A multi-time “Book Pick of the Day”
  • NPR’s “The Takeaway” – Interview with Sarah, “Is Bossy the New ‘B’ Word?”
  • KQED Radio “Forum” (San Francisco NPR affiliate) – Interview with Sarah about the “Ban Bossy” Campaign
  • Publishers Weekly – “Candid, clearheaded advice about handling the emotional ebbs and flows of puberty.”
  • Kirkus Reviews – “This relaxed guide, full of useful information and sound advice, would be good company throughout the journey.”
  • Booklist – “Burningham has three younger sisters, and it shows in her friendly and positive approach to explaining the ins and outs (and ups and downs) of puberty…This exhaustive resource is appealing in format, tone, and the broad scope of timely topics that it covers.”
  • School Library Journal – “A solid and sound coaching manual for preteen girls starting or approaching puberty…a clearly written and accessible resource.”
  • Ladies’ Home Journal – “Honest, friendly, and super helpful.”
  • Relate magazine – Tips for Dealing with Bras, Periods and Breakouts
  • School Library Journal –  Story on upcoming books, “[Girl to Girl] looks informative, fun, accessible, and essential.”
  • The Reading Frenzy – Interview with Sarah
  • Infinite Reads – Interview with Sarah
  • Elaine R.N. for BlogHer – “My 2014 Book of the Year is Girl to Girl”
  • Chronicle Books – New Year, New You? No Way! 3 Ways to Help a Tween Be Her Best Self in 2014

Media Highlights for Boyology

  • The Today Show on NBC-TV – interview with Al Roker
  • ABC News – interview with Annie Pleshette Murphy
  • Teen Vogue – Super Bad: Why Smart Girls Are Drawn to Bad Boys
  • School Library Journal – “Burningham’s humorous text and personal approach will make readers feel like an older sister or cousin is chatting with them…Well-written and smart, Boyology is a strong addition to books about relationships.”
  • Publishers Weekly – “This humorous guide provides insight into the elusive universe of boys, using questions, answers and quotations from real teens…The plethora of “how to” sections (an illustrated guide to kissing), lists (including mood-setting playlists featuring Avril Lavigne and Sleater-Kinney) and “Extra Credit” quizzes provide an entertaining tour of love and dating etiquette for beginners.”
  • Kirkus Reviews – “Adolescent girls seeking a deeper understanding of the opposite sex will appreciate this appealing, entertaining guide full of useful facts and sound advice. Burningham, author of the equally wise and witty How to Raise Your Parents (2008), explores a wide range of subjects…and offers sensible advice on navigating the online world of social networking. Entertaining and informative asides and sidebars feature quotes from young celebrities and regular teens, quizzes, polling results from her own MySpace page and lists like the ten best songs for the ‘I-Want-a-Kiss-at-the-End-of-the-Night Romance Mix.”
  • iVillage.com – “Though written as a crash course for girls about dating, it’s a great source to help parents understand that dating can be unsettling for teens, too. The book is filled with stories from real teen stories across the country, and gives parents an insider’s look at what their teens are experiencing and thinking.”
  • ABC-TV “Sonoran Living Live” – Phoenix, AZ
  • KSL-AM Radio “Kid’s Stuff” – interview with host Maria Shilaos
  • Q102 FM “Amy’s Table” – interview with Amy Tobin – Cincinnati, OH
  • KMPS-FM 94.1 “Ichabod Caine & the Waking Crew” – Seattle, WA
  • WKJK-AM 1080 “Life Happens Radio” – Louisville, KY
  • McClatchy News Syndicate (Nationally Syndicated) – “Boyology is here to help guide you through the murky waters of crushing, dating or just flirting with boys. It covers the basics from what “breed” of boy you’ve set your sights on, to how to navigate a first date to setting your boundaries and what to do if you break up.”
  • Daily Herald – “Burningham…is sort of like Dr. Phil for teenage girls–she knows all of the answers. And in her second book, Boyology, published earlier this year, she tackles everything from first dates to bad breath, from texting to holding hands…Anne Holman, manager of The King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, said that Burningham talks to teens in their own language. “She’s very good at writing in a way that kids want to hear,” Holman said. “She doesn’t talk down to them; she uses humor that they understand.”
  • Deseret News – “…an easy-to-read guide about things such as flirting and first dates, how to have a safe E-romance and when to kiss or break up.”
  • Teen Link / South Florida’s Teen Newspaper – feature interview with Carmindy from What Not to Wear
  • Arizona Republic – “Get the inside scoop on what to expect on your first date, boundaries and even a guide on how to kiss. Filled with pop culture references and quotes from teens about body image, hook ups and all the in-between topics. In her book, Sarah shows us how to unleash our inner diva and become a dating expert.”
  • The Day newspaper, “Parent’s Eye View”column – If you’re a ‘tween or teen girl looking for a definitive guide to the male species—or if you’re a parent that wants to get up to speed on girl-boy relationships in this new age of technology, “Boyology: a teen girl’s crash course in all things boy” fits the bill.
  • Charlotte Parent – Ages & Stages Column, No More Cooties! When Your Teen is Attracted to the Opposite Sex
  • TeensReadToo.com – “…an interesting and useful book for teenage girls. The advice is pretty timeless and the celebrity quotes are an interesting addition.”
  • “Walking on Air with Betsy and Sal” – interview
  • Jackson Heights Times – feature story
  • Woman Around Town – “Rest assured that your daughter will be in good hands with Burningham. She has a skillful way of talking to preteen and teen girls without talking down to them. Her voice is both authoritative and reassuring.”
  • Shelf Awareness – “…a fun field guide and manual to all things about boys that girls might want to understand.”
  • Alley of Books – “With a fresh new look and a pitch-perfect voice, Boyology is a must-have for teens who are already dating as well as girls who might want to know what they’re in for.”
  • Hey, Teenager of the Year – “Boyology covers a lot of information, and all the necessary bits, including the more unpleasant things, all with a great deal of tact, without once seeming condescending or judgemental…Overall, a funny, informative book, which is really accesible, easy-to-read and engaging! You’d be wise to check it out.”
  • Myedar.org – “It’s written in comfortable, friendly language and not condescending at all. It’s a unique perspective on how to help a young girl graduate into the daunting realm of womanhood. It’s a great resource, one every parent of a teenage girl should read.”
  • Prom Mafia
  • iParent
  • Chattanooga Parent magazine

Media Highlights for How to Raise Your Parents

  • Newsweek – “Eight Top Teen Health Hazards” – advice from Sarah for teens and parents on everything from tattoos to getting enough sleep
  • CBS News “Up to the Minute” – Watch Sarah talk with newscaster Meg Oliver about teen/parent negotiation and technology basics
  • Teen Vogue – Exactly what you need to know about mother / daughter relationships.
  • Los Angeles Times – “Through questionnaires and interviews with thousands of teenagers, Burningham, now 28, came up with a funny and practical guide for negotiating the minefield of parent-teen life.”
  • Seattle Post-Intelligencer – “Burningham’s How to Raise Your Parents is an ambitious 144-pager that tackles the Gordian knot that is the relationship between a teenage girl and her parents…Burningham’s book addresses the void by offering girls detailed strategies on talking to parents about boyfriends, piercings, tattoos, cell phones and curfews. She also translates parentspeak.”
  • Publishers Weekly – “Burningham starts out strong in this book of advice to the adolescent…Much of the best advice, including Burningham’s tactics for negotiation in general, presumes a natural maturity on the part of the readers – but if they can internalize her words, they’ll be set for life.”
  • School Library Journal – “The fun, magazine look of the book, which categorizes parents into five types (and provides questions for readers to determine which type they have) and decodes “parentspeak,” will no doubt connect with teens. Burningham is clearly an adult talking (“Parents don’t like ultimatums…,” “If you really want your parents to hear you, you have to treat them like real people”), but she’s a very hip adult who makes sense, and teens just might want to listen to her.”
  • New York 1 News – Watch me with parenting host Shelley Goldberg and get some advice on bridging the generation gap when it comes to music, hair dye, and driving!
  • Wall Street Journal – A profile on Sarah in the “Extra Bucks” column
  • Seattle Press – “Both mothers and daughters will find Sarah O’Leary Burningham’s newest release How to Raise Your Parents to be a must read. Burningham manages to strike a balance between the two seemingly alien worlds of being a mother and of young women experiencing the baffling but hilarious trials of becoming a teen. The overall tone is wise but appropriately witty for smart teenage girls and their mothers to read, laugh and bond over. Fostering a gentle tactic, the book will undoubtedly be easily relatable for girls everywhere.”
  • Deseret News – An interview with Sarah and her parents!
  • McClatchy News Service (Nationally Syndicated) – “[How to Raise Your Parents] offers negotiation tips and suggestions on handling the varying parent- teen conflicts such as privacy, dating, grades, driving, and even getting them to like their music. O’Leary’s writing has a very youthful tone, which accompanied by fun illustrations, includes lists ranging from thought- provoking to silly, and stories from teens, make the book very appealing to teens and will hopefully open the door to better family communication.”
  • Stamford Advocate – A “guide to negotiating trust, boundaries and the difficult process of gaining independence for teenage girls.”
  • Dayton Daily News – “…a fun (and helpful) book!” – Vick Mickunas, Book Reviewer
  • Mercer Island Reporter – “[How to Raise Your Parents] is full of straight talk and smart advise on dealing with the “difficult years” that every teen girl experiences. The guide covers everything from negotiation and bargaining tactics to surviving the report card storm.”
  • Copley News Service – Advice for teens and parents on prom night!
  • Chattanooga Parent – “The advice [Burningham] dishes out to her teen readers has an underlying message of responsibility and fairness…”
  • SmartGirlsRock.com – “This book is funny without being stupid, informative without being boring, and helpful while still being one of the best books I’ve ever read…This is something every teen needs on their bookshelf or, more likely, on the floor somewhere.”
  • Book Page – “[Burningham] delivers straight-talk in a funny and fun-to read format…Armed with How to Raise Your Parents, teens will have the inside track on effective strategies for communicating, negotiating, and compromising their way to the freedoms and privileges they’re after–skills that will come in handy whether they want their own cell phone, a new hair color or a set of car keys!”
  • Kirkus Reviews – “To a teen, the odds must seem stacked. With a zillion parenting books available, where’s the teen-dealing-with-parents book? Sarah O’Leary Burningham’s is a gingery, thoughtful retort that offers no know-when-to-hold-’em, know-when-to-fold-’em gambit. Instead, How to Raise Your Parents is an exercise in mature, artful diplomacy.”
  • Harmony Book Reviews – “I found How to Raise Your Parents a hilarious book. Many of the tatics explained seem like they might actually work and I’ve actually tried a few of them. Sarah talks directly to the teen reader as she explains everything and it’s written in a style that I’m sure every teen would enjoy. So whether or not you feel the need to train your parents, I suggest you pick up a copy of How to Raise Your Parents when you see it!
  • Yapping About YA – “How to Raise Your Parents gives fun and responsible advice to kids on everything from (gasp) skipping class to getting a bigger allowance.”
  • Page Numbered – “What this book is: a survival guide (see title) for the typical teenage girl to deal with her typical teenage parents…For instance, sick of arguing with your parents about your grades? There’s a section on that. Also sections on; dating, curfew, dying your hair, getting your license, and money stuff…The book is funny too, did I mention that?”
  • Em’s Bookshelf – “Subtitled “A Teen Girl’s Survival Guide”, How to Raise Your Parents is filled with helpful hints and clues about how to survive your teenage years without killing your parents. It’s got everything, from how to talk about curfew to breaking the news about a bad grade to learning how to negotiate.”
  • The Reading Zone – “How to Raise Your Parents was a nice break from the fiction I have been reading all day. It’s a cute book with different strategies for dealing with parents. After all, as Burningham points out, why should the parents get all the “how-to” books?”
  • Seattle Public Library – YA Blog – “[A] gem of a book…This book gives straightforward advice on all those topics while helping you keep the peace with your folks.”
  • WORD for Teens – “I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Some of the tips were obvious, some not so, and she does give a lot of helpful hints on how to quickly get yourself out of deep water…”
  • Publishers Weekly
  • Y-Pulse
  • M-Teen magazine – “Great Book to read for 2008!”