Hopscotch and Handbags : The Essential Guide to Being a Girl

Just what does it mean to be a girl? Why is it not like being a boy? And why is that a good thing? "Guardian" columnist Lucy Mangan lifts the lid on being female.

From your place within the family ('It's a girl! What a pity!') through the intricacies of what not to wear and who not to talk to, everything you need to know about losing your virginity, how to get along with your mother and get ahead in the workplace, this is a full and frank account of how it really is different for girls.

This is a book for readers of "How to Walk in High Heels" and "Where Did It All Go Right?" Part memoir, part journalism, it's a clever, funny romp through all things female.