A 9-year-old author tells us ‘How to Talk to Girls’
By Marjorie Kehe | 10.13.08
Yes, he’s only 9, but Alec Greven already has a good handle on relations with the opposite sex – and he has a contract with a major book publisher.
It all started last year in Ms. Dupree’s third-grade class in Castle Rock, Colo. The class had a writing contest. All winning entries were sold at the school fair to raise money for charity. Alec’s book, “How to Talk to Girls,” was the bestseller. It earned the school more than $200, all of which Alec donated to the track team.
That wasn’t the end, however. “How to Talk to Girls” had attracted attention. A local TV station did a story. Within hours, Ellen DeGeneres’s assistant was on the phone, asking if Alec could fly to L.A. to appear on her show.
Anyway, long story short, Alec’s book “How To Talk to Girls” is being published next month by HarperCollins. (Alec actually has a two-book deal. “How To Talk to Girls II” is already in the works.)
Alec says he picked up all his information simply from being observant on the playground. Among his tips:
– You’re better off with a “regular girl” than a “pretty girl.” (Alec defines pretty girls as the ones who wear “fancy earrings, fancy dresses, all those shoes.”) According to Alec, “about 73 percent of regular girls ditch boys, 98 percent of pretty girls ditch boys.”
– If you’re shy, you want a talkative girl.
– Don’t be the class clown.
– Impress girls with your skills but don’t show off.
– Call her but don’t keep her talking too long on the phone. (Two hours, for instance, is too long. Your mother will call you for dinner and you may have to hurt the girl’s feelings by abruptly breaking off the conversation.)
– If a girl ditches you, move on, life is hard.
Alec has stressed in interviews that his generalizations apply to the Soaring Hawk Elementary School playground and he can’t be sure about the world beyond that. But I’ve got to say, it sounds pretty good to me!
Comments
2. Ian | 10.13.08
“If a girl ditches you, move on, life is hard.”
I find it disturbing that a nine year old is writing a line like that. I thought childhood was supposed to be a time of wonder, excitement and imagination, not breakups. 9 Year olds writing books on relationships. We send kids to school for what reason again?
3. Lou | 10.14.08
Way to go! I’m sure this is a How to Deal with the Stresses of Relationships in a Healthy Way. School is not just a place for Academic Studies, but a place to develop & deal with Friendships & Relationships. It’s part of the Learning Process.
6. Peter Gibbons | 10.14.08
If this book gets boys and girls reading and discussing it will have served a very useful purpose. (I’m 78 and I still have problems talking to girls, even those my age.)
7. mary | 10.14.08
I admit I’m disturbed that elementary kids are actually dating and calling one another. China and India are ahead of us educationally in part because their kids focus on studying education, not pom pom squads, sports,proms and fraternities and leave the dating until they’re financially ready and able to marry. Until that time they socialize with family and family friends.We have a lot to learn from them.
8. walterrhett, Charleston, sC | 10.16.08
We had crushes and curiousity at nine! Just is so cool! Fro the rest of you, get ovetr it!!
9. Deborah | 10.17.08
What a thoughtful young man, **** probably grow up and be one of our peace negotiators!
10. Emily | 11.27.08
Well, I babysit Alec all of the time. He has never actually HAD a girlfriend and just wrote this book for pure amusement of his audience. Only the immature children (which are NOT Alec) are fooling around with the opposite gender. He is a brilliant young man who wrote a great book. How many people at age 9 are published authors? He is a very cool guy.
12. Katie Smith | 12.03.08
People just chill out. A kid wrote a book that got noticed and published, well who cares? The kid is proud and people associated with him are proud too. Just leave it alone. Everyone knows that no one knew much about the opposite sex when we were all nine years old, but still. The kid just wrote a book about things he saw on the playground. In elementary school I was married to a kid for maybe two days before we got “divorced.” And we were married by a kid one grade ahead of us. We all did weird things and this kid is just expressing what he think would work through a book saying it would be easier if guys just stop being idiots and ask the girl out. And it shouldn’t be a big deal if the kids call each other. Are you saying that you NEVER called ANYONE when you were little? Please. Stop lying to yourself and stop giving the kid a hard time. No one knows everthing and I think its great that a KID got a book published even if its about dating advice.
14. Linda | 12.03.08
these people who are being judgemental against alec are just jealous because what he wrote is so simple and pure genious for a young man, besides being thoughtful and considerate. Someday this young man may grow up to be a kind, caring, counselor, husband and father because he is so brilliant already.
15. someone | 12.04.08
Please I could write a book if I wanted. He got lucky, so give the kid a break. He dosent know anything about relation ship. It wasnt supposed to be serious. He took the time to do what we all should. WRITE A BOOK. He just started early and on a subject he knew nothing about
17. Julie | 12.06.08
Wow that’s really good for him. Whoever is saying,”I could write a book anytime.” or “He just got lucky.” Your probably just jealous. So he wote a book on what he is interested in at the current moment. He probably did not know, at the time, that it would be published in the near future.So cut it out, it is not “disturbing”, though he is young to think about it, we all did some crazy things when we where younger. No one said that it was not possible to publish a book at 9 years old or even younger.
18. Tom | 12.07.08
Haha, India and China are ahead of us academically because we focus too much on relationships and pom pom squads, sports,proms and fraternities huh? Perhaaaaaps you should take a hard look at your pre-conceived notions of other countries, friend. The need to socialize and be accepted is basic humanity.
No, getting something published is not easy. Heck, making $200 bucks off a book at a school fundraiser isn’t even easy. I’m sure there’s a fundraiser coming to a school near you, I encourage you to try it. This kid noted simple, intelligent and honest observations about how people interact with each other. That’s why it was so successful. The vast, vast majority of book proposals get turned down. The ones that don’t are the honest ones. I applaud and envy him.
And for people saying its disturbing that this kid is trying to pick up girls. Did you delve a little? He said he’s “too young to date” and that guys should pick up “regular girls.” He also mentions that girls like “smart boys” and said that he doesn’t know if this works beyond his playground. Sounds like this kid has his stuff together.
19. anon | 12.07.08
I don’t know where this fable that childhood is a “time of wonder, excitement and imagination” comes from. Children are more aware than you think. I still remember being 9-10 and questioning catholicism,morality, and whatever else that doesn’t make sense in the adult world. Maybe you’re too old to remember what it feels like being young and observing everything, more in confusion than wonderment.
Or maybe this boy and I are just more thoughtful than the average kids. But isn’t that something to be encouraged considering the prevalence of temptations nowadays?
21. Hannah | 07.03.09
ok all i wanna say is that my high school boyfriend was a class clown, then after college we got married, so being a class clown isn’t so bad
22. Agape | 07.21.09
I am a nine year old girl. And my talent is telling and writing my own stories.
23. Trisabel | 07.21.09
I am a nine year old too. I am a girl. And here is stuff about me. Talent: Telling stories and drawing pictures of the stories. What I want to be when I grow up: an author Fact: I want to be a christian. 
THANKS FOR READING THIS.
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1. josh treacher age 9 | 10.13.08
thankyou but please tell your readers more.