Book Review by Midwest Book Review
"We Are Girls Who Love To Run is a bilingual English/Spanish children's picturebook, told in first-person perspective by young girls who enjoys running for health and for fun. "I am beautiful. When I smile, my eyes sparkle, and my spirit glows for the world to see. Freckles parade across my face. My arms and legs are graceful as I circle the track." Far more than a standard picturebook, We Are Girls Who Love To Run encourages finding joy in life through exercise, and impresses the value of self-confidence rather than allowing oneself to become obsessed with unrealistic Hollywood ideals of beauty. The colorful illustrations, done in a soft yet realistic style, show young women from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds experiencing a shared joy in running. A wonderful and uplifting story; the final page has an assortment of true-life quotes from women young and old who love to run."
- Midwest Book Review
Book Review by Kristin Armstrong of Runner's World magazine
"We are Girls Who Love to Run is a brilliantly beautiful chronicle of the awakening of a runner's spirit. Being a runner has helped me improve and grow as a woman, and has blessed every aspect of my life...my faith, my family, my friendships and my fitness. It is precisely this message, that Brianna so eloquently conveys, that I want to model for my daughters and for other women everywhere. She tells the story of health and wholeness in three languages...English, Spanish, and the universal language of the heart. Lea y goce...read and enjoy!"
- Kristin Armstrong, mother of three children, marathon runner, author, freelance writer, and Contributing Editor for Runner's World magazine
Book Review by Carol Goodrow on www.kidsrunning.com
"If you are a runner, you will read We Are Girls Who Love to Run more than once. Through a young girl's voice, Brianna K. Grant tells of the beauty of running. She starts with, 'Some days I run quickly, my feet carrying me like lightning racing the wind. Other days I walk, soaking in the world around me.'
But this book is so much more than a tribute to running. It's an essay of comradeship, family, patience, and fun. It's a heartfelt composition of the emotions of strength, wisdom, and goals.
Highly recommended for any girl, from the youngest to the adolescent, to the high school kid who still loves picture books.
BONUSES
We Are Girls Who Love to Run is fully translated into Spanish: line-under-line. The artwork has a folksy multi-cultural flair. The paintings often surprise you, making you stop to enjoy each picture with a smile.
We Are Girls Who Love to Run is endorsed by Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run. She writes, 'I invite you to celebrate the joy of running, the wonder of being a girl and the strength that comes through, daring to try, by reading this book.'"
- Carol Goodrow, author/illustrator & educator
Book Review: We Are Girls Who Love to Run
May 2nd, 2008
Running was what gave me the confidence and toughness that I have today. We athletes have similar threads in our dynamic make-up: mental toughness, goal-setting, confidence, and perseverance. Wisdom that can be offered by an adult to a child based on what we’ve learned from our athletic experiences is priceless. The opposite is true as well…we adults can learn much from our enthusiastic children.
This leads me to We Are Girls Who Love to Run written by Brianna Grant.
“I wrote We Are Girls Who Love to Run to help our girls discover the power of running, see how FUN it is, and show how the lessons of running can really spill into all areas of our lives. I also want girls and women to remember that females are STRONG and have much to offer the world. The book celebrates living in the moment and treasuring the relationships and activities that make our lives rich.”
My children and I have read this book several times and although it’s not their favorite, we still enjoy reading it. (Disclaimer, I have two boys who are under the age of five and don’t understand a lot of the concepts yet.) They love the pictures, especially the girl swimming with the fish. We spend a lot of time on this page! I’ve particularly enjoyed this book because it offers insights into what you can learn from running: social skills, fitness, flexibility, enthusiasm for life, and having a positive attitude. We Are Girls Who Love to Run is a book you will come back to time and time again because of the lifetime skills offered in it.
As a former physical education teacher, I would for sure read this to my students. From the student’s perspective, they need to see other girls who love to run. I think the biggest battle young children face is not having a model to look up to. Whenever I participated in sports events, I always shared my experiences with my students. I wanted them to see a fit female doing events because it was fun. Teachers and Parents have a huge impact on how our children experience life. How they approach things in their life… if they are going to be athletes, creators, scientists, lawyers or doctors- it’s up to us.
Brianna is currently training for the Duvall Days 10K race and currently lives in Duvall Washington. She has two energetic kids and has future plans to write more books! She also has a blog called Girl Who Loves to Run which I found very interesting and you can read it here.
I highly recommend this book to all of you! It should have a place in every child’s home as it is a source of inspiration to all young girls (and boys) to get outside and run!
Book Review by Jeana Durst of Her Sports & Fitness
April 21, 2008
 This week an interesting book came across my desk. We Are Girls Who Love To Run by Brianna K. Grant is a book about running specifically aimed at young preteen girls right before they enter the living hell that is middle school.
Chock full of positive self-affirmations that girls can repeat, this book is deemed "an antidote" to the unattainable female images perpetuated by Hollywood. Thoughtfully, the author has chosen to write it in dual English and Spanish text and has included illustrations that depict many types of girls.
It made me think about what shapes our attitudes when we are young--how some of us go on to develop a positive self image and engage in sports, while others fall prey to unhealthy stereotypes that cause us to loathe our bodies and seek approval in negative ways. Thankfully, books like these and great organizations like Girls on the Run are starting that conversation early to help young girls learn to develop high self esteem through sports and goal-setting.
It occurred to me that we are all responsible for leading this conversation and pointing young women toward positive role models. Without a lot of resources and books like these, you might feel at a loss for examples, as every other TV channel and blog seem to be spewing something about the next top model or the latest celebutante to land herself in jail.
But there are positive women role models making news. Just look at Deena Kastor, the amazing 35-year-old runner who just won the Women's Olympic Marathon Team Trials on Sunday with a time of 2:29:35, almost a minute better than any of her competitors. She's bound to get plenty of media coverage during the months leading up to the Olympic games. So why not share Kastor's story with your daughter, sister or niece?
Kastor endorses the philosophy promoted in We Are Girls Who Love To Run:
"Brianna Grant's message for girls to take time to dream and stay connected with others who share their passions is one that I take to heart. Goal-setting, teamwork and celebration of successes with those who helped me are central to my own training."
To read more about Olympic medalist and American record holder Deena Kastor, pick up a July/August issue of Her Sports + Fitness magazine. In this issue, we talk to Kastor about her road to the Olympics, her incredible training schedule and what keeps her motivated. --Jeana Durst
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This week an interesting book came across my desk. We Are Girls Who Love To Run by Brianna K. Grant is a book about running specifically aimed at young preteen girls right before they enter the living hell that is middle school. 