Girl X for Gen X

Aimed at Year 10-12 students, Creating Girl X is an original, powerful and extraordinary piece of work. Young people in their own voices and in their own way, have created a beautifully illustrated diary of an imaginary student, Girl X, to express their despair, courage and creativity.

The diary captures a revolution in the thinking and emotions of the current generation of young people - a revolution about commitment, friendship, relationships, sex, depression, drugs, grief, racism and the future. It's about staying healthy in an unhealthy world.

As Dr. Norman Swan said in his Foreword:

The fact is that the friendship, teamwork and the opportunity to prove competence and talent that projects like Creating Girl X deliver, are worth more than all the self esteem programmes in the country put together.

This book promotes perseverance through difficulties - and how helpful it is to talk about them to someone you trust; it helps us understand the concerns of younger people unfiltered by fearful old fogies; it will provoke discussion between young people and those a bit older and offer a variety of strategies.

Above all though, it promotes the notion of hope. Not some do-gooding, wishy washy, pretentious preaching that things can be better, but hard nosed, tangible ways we can make our lives happier.

Although Creating Girl X is written by young people for young people, parents must also read this book. It is a rare window into the secret world of adolescent thinking and explains why despite a supportive family and school, teenagers sometimes experience "unexplained" sadness and anger, "think depressed" and do not readily seek help. Parents will also be inspired by the resilience of Girl X and the messages of hope.

Girl X started as a small Geelong community project, but it has developed a national profile and the sequel, Creating Girl X International, The World Book of Hope, will include contributions from people of all ages from all over the world. Messages of hope may be sent to Girl X for possible inclusion in the next book via the Girl X Website.