Growing Up in Public: The book you need right now
Best back to school present you can get yourself now 🔥 🔥 🔥
Just got back from 36 hours in New Orleans where I spoke to parents, educators, and students. So much fun! Pre-pandemic, that used to be 80% of my life, and it’s moving back in that direction.
One of the most common parent comments after my talks is:
“This is reassuring, Devorah, but I’m still so grateful that every thought, outfit, dance move, and pose I tried in middle school, high school, and even…college isn’t OUT THERE.”
These heartfelt comments started me down the path of wondering what it’s like for our kids to grow up so exposed.
So shared. So compared. How does it feel?
And kids told me. And their parents told me. I’ve got stories. Stories about sexting. About posts gone wrong. About Life 360. About families figuring out how to move forward when things get uncomfortable.
Lots of research and writing later, I’ve got a new book!
Thrilled to finally have a cover to share. The first one was--not a fit. I cried. It was Facebook blue (you know that app where all the teenagers have long since fled?) And it had clip art of emojis on it. My eighth grader was very clear that it would NOT work, and so was I.
Very relieved that the new cover looks like this.
How can I get my hands on this, Devorah?
I was hoping you would ask! You can order now and the book will be there for you in September, right as you are dealing with all the back-to-school fun (whee!) and launching your kids into new adventures and routines.
If you know you will want to read this with your brain trust of fellow parents or educators, I’ve got free discussion guides that you can use.
Plan a book club with treats! I’m there. Literally. I’ll pop in pro-bono via Zoom for a 20-minute Q & A if you organize it with me and get at least a dozen folks to buy copies and meet up.
OK, but why should I buy it *right now?*
Preorders are the signal my publisher is looking for to decide
How many copies of this book should we print?
What portion of our resources should go towards marketing and PR efforts for this book?
How hard should we try to get this into bookstores?
Most important: There are a lot of people fear-mongering about kids and social media, trying to ban TikTok, or looking at extreme laws to lock down kids. Buying my book is a way to hear what actual kids and parents have to say about their experiences. Plus a ton of incredible experts I interviewed. (I’ll share more from those folks in a future Substack.)
For all the buying options, check out my website. Wherever you buy it, I’m super excited for you to get your hands on this book.
The pre-order stage is when books succeed—and by succeed I mean—find readers and empower them!
Since I’m not a celebrity, this is THE way for folks to learn about the book.
So…if you pre-order my book today, I will be super grateful.
Tell your dad friends! Tell your mom friends! Your teacher friends! Buy it for your sibling who has two middle schoolers. Buy it as a back-to-school gift for yourself.
You will thank your past self when you are busy with back-to-school and this shows up right when you need it!
But can you speak it into my earbuds?
Yes, there is an audiobook, too. And yes, I’m going to be the voice-over “talent” for that. I’m pretty jazzed that they picked me (it is not a guarantee.)
Planning events? Reach out to my team and we can make it happen.
Growing Up in Public is the definitive book on helping kids navigate growing up in a world where nearly every moment of their lives can be shared and compared.
I can’t wait for you to read it. Thank you for being awesome.