Q Is for Queen Bees and My Favorite Book About Them

You've seen Mean Girls, right? But have you read the book Mean Girls was based on? No? Well, what are you waiting for, fellow reader?

Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence is a must read for anyone who wants to write about teen girls. The whole book made me look back (sometimes not so fondly) on my teen years and look ahead (with more than a little bit of panic) on what my two daughters will have to go through.

The author categorizes the roles girls play in the teenage social hierarchy as follows:

• The Queen Bee. This one is pretty self-explanatory. She runs the show. Her friends do what she wants.
• The Sidekick. She's the Queen Bee's right-hand girl. She dresses and acts just like the Queen Bee who will pretty much tell her what to do. She also shares in the Queen Bee's power.
• The Banker. This is the girl who stores up information on people and uses it to her advantage. She may be secretive. Other girls rarely get mad at her because she has leverage over them.
• The Floater. This girl doesn't run with just one clique. She has different groups of friends and can be herself around them. She may actually stand up to the Queen Bee, too.
• The Torn Bystander. She's just that -- torn. She won't stand up to the Queen Bee. She wants everyone to get along. She feels pressured to "take sides" in fights.
• The Wannabee. She will do anything to get in good with the Queen Bee and her court. Her opinions change constantly. She is desperate to have the "right" look and lifestyle. She's always in the middle of a conflict and she loves gossip.
• The Target. She is the victim of other girls' abuse. She feels helpless with no allies or anyone to back her up. She usually won't open up about this to her parents.

Understanding the different types of girls that the author described has helped me understand the motivations of my teenage characters a lot better. I've started categorizing them. Some of them seem to drift between different categories at times, which I think is right. My main character started out as a Target and wound up as more of a Torn Bystander or Floater. Her best friend is definitely a Wannabee. And the Queen Bee... well, she gets knocked down a few pegs by the end.

What do you think? Do the categories seem accurate? What type of girl were you in high school?

-- Lisa