About 30 percent of eighth- and ninth-grade girls were excessively worried about their weight, compared with less than 10 percent of the boys.

Li Yafeng, a ninth-grade girl at the same school, giggled at my question.

As many as 7 percent of ninth-grade girls have used steroids, Goldberg said, explaining that this can lead to stunted growth and emotional problems.

A ninth-grade girl wearing a black leather jacket said she often had severe headaches and stomach aches in class.

Twice a week, she schedules an art class and lunch with a group of ninth-grade girls.

At a yard sale, where she tries on a mink stole to amuse me, two self-conscious ninth-grade girls are shopping.

High school changes things, they say, making ninth-grade girls "bait" for older boys.

"I do believe that ninth-grade girls are better endowed than they were a generation ago."

At dusk the chickens take to their roosts, as my wife says, like ninth-grade girls at the high school basketball game.

The entry-level choir for ninth-grade girls, Park Singers, is the starting choir for most students.