Book by suburban beauty queen teaches self-esteem for tweens

Everyone praised Lisa Dean for the "Girls of Greatness" self esteem program she created at a local Boys and Girls Club a few years ago.

One staff member chuckled and told her, "Too bad you can't take your message to the masses."

And that's when it hit her.

"I thought, huh - maybe I can?" Dean said.

The former Naperville resident, who now lives in South Barrington, started working on a book which would share her insight on how to build self-esteem in girls ages 9 to 13. It would include chapters on everything from manners to community service, and address topics like gossip and body image.

The goal was to write something that would resonate with young girls and help them learn to feel good about themselves, regardless of their looks, material possessions or talents. Dean named the book after her program, "Girls of Greatness."

"Greatness to me is an individual that has a positive self image and embraces who they are. Greatness comes from the inside," Dean said. "Girls will say, 'I don't have what she has.' Or, 'I can't sing like she sings.' But you know what? You have other gifts. And you can use those gifts to make a difference in the world. Success and money aren't the goal. If you're not focused on others, that diminishes everything else you've accomplished."

In July 2008, while "Girls of Greatness" was in the process of being published, Dean was crowned Mrs. Illinois. The book debuted in January.

The crown and book weren't meant to happen all at once, but "God just brought it all together," Dean said.

When it comes to doing for others, Dean doesn't just talk the talk. She recently sold her South Barrington home and moved her family into a nearby townhouse, using the proceeds from the sale to build an orphan home and hospice in South Africa.

Dean's 10-year-old daughter Kennedy is doing her part, too. After seeing her parents' videos of poverty and disease in South Africa, she wanted to do something to help. Since she loves making jewelry, the fifth grader decided to sell some of her pieces at school and use the money to buy school uniforms for South African children. Her idea gained so much momentum, she now sells her jewelry to people across the country at www.kekecreations.com.

So far, Kennedy's made enough money to buy 150 uniforms.

"She is a girl of greatness and an inspiration to me," Dean said, smiling.

As the reigning Mrs. Illinois, Dean tours the country doing motivational speeches and appearances. She's also working on plans for an online networking site, where tween girls can encourage and support each other.

"Girls hear a lot of messages from their mom, but sometimes they need to hear it from someone else for it to latch on," Dean said.

Also in Dean's future? Perhaps a sequel.

"'Boys of Greatness' seems like a natural choice," she said.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60604-168-0">Girls of Greatness publisher's info</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>