Nine-year-old relationship guru

“The world’s newest relationship guru doesn’t date,” said Diana Zlomislic in the Toronto Star. “I’m a little too young,” admits 9-year-old Alec Greven, whose just-published How to Talk to Girls nevertheless includes wisdom gleaned from observing both school recess and the adult world. Aspiring Casanovas, he writes, should toot their own horn (“Show off a skill, like playing soccer or anything else that you are good at”) but also know their place (“Be aware that girls win most of the arguments”). Don’t be discouraged by rejection, either. “Sometimes, you get a girl to like you, then she ditches you,” he writes. “Life is hard, move on.”

The book began with an assignment from Alec’s third-grade teacher, said Jennifer Fermino in the New York Post. School officials were so impressed by Alec’s advice that they sold copies for $3 at a school book fair. Eventually, a copy found its way to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who hooked the Grevens up with a literary agent. Alec’s now working on three more books, and has sold movie rights for How to Talk to Girls. Unruffled by the sudden turn in his career, he’s taking his own advice about fear of failure. “It doesn’t just apply to girls—it can apply to everything,” he said. “Like, if you fall down the stairs—life is hard, move on.”

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