The Facts of Life for Twenty-first-Century Kids

Many questions about puberty and sex are ageless, but it’s clear that young people growing up in this complex, media-saturated century are facing a greater need than ever before for straightforward facts that will help them make informed, healthy, and safe decisions. This list offers a good place to start. 

Books about Puberty

Girl in the Know: Your Inside-and-Out Guide to Growing Up. By Anne Katz. Illus. by Monika Melnychuk. 2010.  Gr. 4–8.

Like Lynda Madaras’ excellent Ready, Set, Grow!, listed below, this reassuring title is aimed at girls who want clear facts about puberty but who may not be ready to read in-depth specifics of sex and birth control. The author, a sexuality counselor and professor with extensive clinical experience, offers a holistic guide that covers the body changes puberty brings as well as tips about maintaining physical and emotional health. The warm, straightforward, useful advice on a broad range of topics—from bra sizing to crushes (including a brief section discussing “what if your crush is a she, not a he?”) to exercise and food labels—will capture both upper-elementary and middle-school readers.

It’s Not the Stork! A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends. By Robie H. Harris. Illus. by Michael Emberley. 2006. K–Gr. 3.

From the same creators of the classic books It’s Perfectly Normal, included below, and It’s So Amazing (1999), this title for a younger audience introduces male and female anatomy, as well as the basic facts about where babies come from. A great choice to share with kids awaiting the arrival of a new sibling, this title also includes a useful section about personal boundaries and “okay” and “not okay” touch.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow! A “What’s Happening to My Body?” Book for Younger Boys. By Lynda Madaras. Illus. by Paul Gilligan. 2008.Gr. 4–6.

In this companion to Ready, Set, Grow!, listed below, Madaras, who has been teaching and writing about puberty for nearly 30 years, offers boys sensitive, clear explanations about bodily changes and related topics, such as wet dreams and masturbation, but she stops well short of the subject of intercourse. Also included are chapters on good nutrition, body odor, and shaving; questions and comments from boys themselves add an integral element. As in Ready, Set, Grow!, cartoon illustrations leaven the seriousness of the topic, and Madaras maintains a supportive, casual tone.

Period: A Girl’s Guide to Menstruation with a Parent’s Guide. By JoAnn Loulan and Bonnie Worthen. Illus. by Chris Wold Dyrud and Marcia Quackenbush. 1979; reissued 2001. Gr. 5–7.

This revised edition features an attractive new design and black-and-white line drawings, as well as a more logical organization. Clear subheads set up answers to questions about such basic, very practical matters as “What do I do when I get my period for the first time?” and “What kind of exercise can I do?” Also new is a discussion of PMS, while the text includes many of the original title’s same coverage of topics ranging from tampons and cramps to what happens during a pelvic exam. The focus here is strictly on menstruation; this is not a book about puberty or an introduction to sexuality.

Ready, Set, Grow! A What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Younger Girls. By Lynda Madaras. Illus. by Linda Davick. 2003.Gr. 2–5.

In her revised edition of The What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girls (2001), Madaras notes that girls are reaching puberty at a younger age than in the past. She directs this spin-off guide to that younger audience with upbeat, reassuring chapters about menstruation, breast development, and the reproductive organs, as well as grooming issues and medical tips for the girls in this age group. A short chapter about sexual harassment offers solid advice in firm language: “Don’t accept excuses like ‘Boys will be boys.’” A friendly, accessible introduction to puberty that young girls can read alone, not just with parents.

Taking Care of Your “Girls”: A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens. By Marisa C. Weiss and Isabel Friedman. 2008. Gr. 6–12.

With rare specificity and a chatty, relaxed style, an oncologist and her 18-year-old daughter talk in depth about breast care, a subject too often glanced over in physiology and sex-ed titles. The questions and answers cover a wide variety of subjects, including glands, hormones, genes, mammograms, self-exams, and shopping for the right bra. The authors also address self image and discuss clothing styles that hide or reveal the bust, as well as how to deal with breast-focused harassment. Cancer risk factors and myths, causes, prevention, and treatment are also covered. Great for group discussion and for personal reading.

Excerpt of feature by Gillian Engberg, first published October 2010 (Booklist).