Open this book to all the joys and troubles, the triumphs and disappointments, of being an American girl. Here is the chance to read selections from private diaries and look at the portraits of real girls across two centuries. From best friends to boyfriends, hair problems to homework problems, it seems there will always be some things only girls can understand.

Maybe you’ll be surprised at how similar these girls’ diaries are to your own. They took walks in the woods and read novels, had trouble learning English as a second language, wrote essays about George Washington for history class, experienced their first kisses and first periods, and struggled to prove they were just as good as boys.

But you’ll probably also find that a lot of things were very different for girls who lived a century or more ago. For instance, have you ever named your bedposts after boys you like? Is the word pants considered improper at your school? Do you wear a skate key around your neck on a string, or shop for calico at a dry goods store?

In these excerpts and images, girls of all ages will find surprises and revelations and meet some new friends along the way. Here are American girls from a vast array of backgrounds: wealthy and poor, from urban and rural areas, both famous and not-so-famous. Be there as they share friendships, school days, get into mischief, have fun, fall in love, and become real American women.