A Smart Girl's Guide: Knowing What to Say. Patti Kelley Criswell

      25 questions to know

      someone better

      Now imagine that you’ve talked to this girl a few times before, and you

      think you have a lot in common. Try these questions to get to know her

      even better.

      1. When is your birthday? 2. Have you ever tried

      out for a sport? 3. What’s your favorite color? 4. Have you

      ever won anything? 5. Are you nervous about middle school?

      High school? 6. Do you like to cook? 7. Have you ever lived in a

      different state? Country? 8. Who is your favorite teacher? Why?

      9. Do you collect anything? 10. What’s your biggest fear?

      11. Do you know what you want to be next Halloween? 12. Do you

      have any vacations coming up? 13. Where’s your favorite place

      to hang out with your friends? 14. How many people are in your

      family? 15. Do you have a favorite singer? 16. Have you ever got-

      ten lost? What did you do? 17. Do you have your own computer

      at home? 18. What’s your favorite thing to do? 19. Do you have

      your own room? 20. What’s your favorite show? 21. Do you have a

      dream job? 22. Do you like to ride on roller coasters? 23. Do you

      ever write poems or stories? 24. What kind of books do you like

      to read? 25. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

      what to say

      when you’re the

      new girl

      Starting a conversation takes courage. But here’s the thing—it only takes

      one sentence to get the talk going. So start with your name and an easy

      question. Then see where things go. It looks like this:

      If you’re new in school

      and want to meet girls

      at lunch:

      I’m Angela. How’s

      it going? OK if I sit here?

      If you just arrive at camp and

      walk in the cabin to find three

      sets of eyes staring at you:

      Hi! I’m Christina.

      So are the bunks first come,

      first served?

      If your teacher puts

      you on a committee to

      choose library books:

      Hi, guys! I’m Olivia.

      I love to read, so this

      should be a lot of fun.

      If you join a club, and you’re

      asked to tell everyone a little

      about yourself:

      I’m Samantha,

      I’m 11, I have one sister,

      and I play the violin.

      Take it slow. Never share private information until you know the

      person better.

      Share your point of view

      Sharing your thoughts, feelings, and opinions about things will help your

      friendship grow. By giving your point of view, you’re letting others get to

      know you, and by speaking up, you’re allowing your confidence to shine.

      I love the new

      school mascot!

      What do you think

      of the new colors?

      This is the best book

      I’ve read this year. I’d

      love to know what you

      think. Would you like

      to borrow it?

      BIG IMPORTANT POINT

      Part one of being confident is having a point of view. But

      part two is really caring about what others think. So after you’ve shared, invite others to share, too.

      what to say

      when someone

      else is new

      Take the time to talk with someone new. If you’ve ever been “the new

      girl,” you know how much it matters. So when you get the chance to

      brighten someone’s day—take it.

      If you want to meet

      a new girl, and she

      looks really shy:

      Hi, I’m Bethany. Are you

      finding everything OK?

      If you want to meet the new girl

      on the soccer team, but you’re

      not sure what to say to her:

      Hi, I’m Leigh.

      What position do you

      like to play?

      If you want to invite the new

      girl to get together outside of

      school for the first time:

      Do you want to go with me

      to the school carnival this

      weekend? It’s always fun.

      If you want to welcome

      a new girl to your

      scouting troop:

      Hi, I’m Kasia. Today we’re making

      raffia flowers. Would you like

      to sit with Ella and me?

      If the new girl in class

      is assigned as your

      science partner:

      Nice to meet you, Alex.

      Have you ever had to make

      invisible ink before?

      Chitchatting Clues

      Having a tough time getting the conversation started? Try this: Look

      around you and find a person, place, or thing to talk about. Now, strike

      up a conversation. Check out these examples.

      I’ve never been on

      an airplane before.

      Have you?

      I love horses.

      Do you like

      to ride?

      Nice racket.

      Hey, would you

      like to play

      sometime?