American Girl Advice & Activities books are packed with ideas to help girls do and be their best at school.

Get prepared

You can help your daughter prepare for the best year possible by talking with her about her hopes and concerns. Homework is often a worry, especially for those in the middle grades or starting middle school. Helping your daughter manage her time and responsibilities may be the best thing you can do for her—and there’s lots of help available for both of you. Here are a few tips from some of our School Smarts books that will help her get started on the right foot:

• Get it together. Use a planner or notebook for assignments and write them down as soon as they’re assigned. Use different-colored labels for each subject.

If messes seem to follow your girl everywhere, Clutter Control can help.

• Create a homework zone. Find a quiet and comfortable spot for homework and stock it with supplies, including a dictionary.

• Take BIG assignments one step at a time. Map out the steps needed for a big project and set mini deadlines for each step. Work backwards from the due date to figure out what has to happen when.

• Take a brain (and body) break. Stay more focused by taking regular breaks. A healthy snack, a walk around the block, or stretching and relaxing before sitting down to work again can make a big difference.

• Ask for help. Ask the teacher for clarification, find specialists who can help with specific projects, or turn to study buddies when stuck. No one needs to go it alone.

• Get enough sleep. A routine bedtime and wake-up time is the best way to stay rested and alert.

Ease into a new year

Look for fun ways to ease her transition from summer to school. If a whole book of advice feels like too much, a magazine might be just right.

American Girl magazine’s 2009 Back to School Special Issue is filled with lively and helpful advice—from packing more exciting lunches to creating better book reports (here’s a hint for girls: find a book you really love and that fits your style). Plus, there are puzzles and advice to girls from girls—about everything from school style to recovering from embarrassing moments.

American Girl historical character Julie Albright played basketball in the 1970s, a time when girls were just starting to play team sports.

Beyond the classroom

Is your daughter into sports? Being active is a great way for girls to stay fit and healthy, whether it’s through organized team sports, hiking, or just riding a bicycle. Pursuing other interests, such as scouting, playing an instrument, or reading for pleasure, will also help your girl relax and be a more well-rounded person. As she prepares for the new year, she might enjoy reading the school stories of the American Girl historical characters to see what schooling was like in the distant and not-so-distant past.

You can also share your own stories about what school was like when you were her age. Did you walk to school or take the bus? What did you have for lunch each day? How much homework did you have? Talk about what you did after school every day and what was so great about your favorite teacher.

Most of all, keep talking—and listening. By sharing your own school stories with her, you are reinforcing the importance of school and giving her the chance to tell you what’s on her mind and in her heart.