Hi Pemberley,
My girls are huge fans of the American Girl books - having read them, I think reading the books *with* your dd might be a great way to get the discussion started and help you feel more at ease too. Have you looked at them? I'm wondering if they are far above your dd's reading level? My 11 year old dyslexic dd has read them - granted, I don't know how difficult it was for her or how much info she got from the books specifically vs friends etc... but fwiw, her reading level is below grade level and she *never* reads just for the sake of reading. Both of my girls really enjoyed having those books as their own, and tucked away where they could look at them and read through them when they felt like looking at them.
Another way to start a conversation is to start with more general talk about feelings, growing up etc. My brain's not awake enough at the moment to explain in more detail, but there is so much more going on with girls at this age in terms of maturing than puberty alone.
Best wishes, and hang in there!
polarbear
