Author Naomi Wolf wrote an essay last year for the New York Times Book Review called “Wild Things,” where she critiqued some of the bestselling young adult books aimed at teenage girls. Refering to the “Gossip Girl, “A-list” and “Clique” series, she writes about how these modern heroines are materialistic, sexually promiscuous, and nasty, with parents who have clearly checked out. I thought the essay was helpful in highlighting a few things, like the fact that many parents may not be aware of the content of the books that their kids are reading, and, more importantly, that these novels are portraying unhealthy models of female behavior, where spending and sex are all-important and kindness and integrity are nowhere to be found. Personally I'm a free-speech advocate, but I also think that parents should be filters for their children in regard to adult material that may be too difficult to understand.  I also liked that she answered reader questions about her essay, which addressed concerns about censorship, social agendas, and the potential influence on teenaged readers. There is also a related article about recommended reading for girls.