Becoming You for Girls: Everything You Wanted to Know About Growing Up!

Darby A. Strickland, MDiv, is a faculty member and seasoned counselor at the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF). She has written books for adults and kids on walking with God through both everyday life and hard times. She is the author of the Comfort for Children in Hard Times series, Becoming You for Girls, and Becoming You for Boys. She loves helping families grow in God’s wisdom and care for one another. Darby and her husband, John, have three children. 

The Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) has been teaching people how to understand the wisdom and depth of the Bible and apply its grace-centered message to the problems of daily living since 1968. A biblical counseling and educational ministry located in suburban Philadelphia, CCEF operates a robust biblical counseling ministry in their home office as well as on-site training for others with a heart for discipleship. CCEF also teaches several accredited counseling programs both on-site and through distance learning in conjunction with Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. As an extension of the local church, CCEF accomplishes its mission through a unique synergy of counseling, training, publications, and conferences.

Lourdes Navarro is an illustrator of children's and young adult literature. She completed her higher studies in illustration and graphic design and has spent ten years working in the children’s illustration market. She is currently a freelancer in the Spanish market, with a vision to expand internationally.

“I’m not sure I can give a higher endorsement to this book than this: My pre-teen kids actually wanted to read it! With the care of a trusted mentor, Darby Strickland guides kids—and their parents—through the challenges of puberty with gospel wisdom, practical insight, and the kindness of Jesus.”

Laurie Krieg, Director of Parent Programs and Discipleship, The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender

“Winsomely written, with eye-catching graphics and illustrations, the Becoming You series on puberty and growing up by Darby Strickland is an informative, conversation-sparking resource that, I hope, gains broad use by families in the church. Throughout each book, Darby highlights that puberty is a time for growth and maturation, not only bodily, but also spiritually. Parents and children nearing puberty will find it warm, down-to-earth, refreshingly honest, highly practical, and eminently Christ-centered.”

Michael R. Emlet, Faculty and Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF); author of Saints, Sufferers, and Sinners: Loving Others As God Loves Us

“In a culture where conversations about puberty are often marked by confusion, embarrassment, or competing messages, this resource offers something far better—biblical wisdom, practical guidance, and genuine hope. With remarkable warmth and clarity, it equips parents to walk alongside their sons and daughters through one of life’s most significant seasons of change, and helps them see their developing bodies, not as something to fear or be ashamed of, but as a beautiful part of God’s good design.”

Julie Lowe, Director of NextGen Counseling

“Like many parents, I don’t always feel confident navigating conversations with my daughter about her changing body. What should I say? How much
detail is helpful? Darby Strickland comes alongside both parents and maturing children with wisdom, warmth, and clarity. She speaks directly to girls in an age-appropriate way, which helps them understand the changes they are experiencing. She grounds every conversation in the truth that the God who made them, knows them, and loves them designed their bodies for these developments because becoming a woman is a deep, wondrous good. Parents, read this book alongside your children, and let Darby be a trusted guide as you begin these important conversations
together.”

Lauren Whitman, Faculty & counselor at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; author of When Parents Feel Like Failures: How Jesus Quiets Our Distress