An informative, accessible guide that hits most of its marks
This guide for young women about puberty is written by the founder of HelloFlo.com, a subscription service that delivers customized selections of menstrual products by mail and offers women’s health information on its website.
Nine straightforward, concise chapters are embellished with appealing, colorful line drawings of ethnically diverse young women engaging in such activities as playing soccer and talking with friends, which lends a balancing, casual feel to the more pointed, drawn diagrams, such as one that labels the different parts of a vulva and vagina. Various issues are frankly addressed, including breast development, growing body and pubic hair, and menstruation, as well as some common physiological and emotional experiences, such as increased body odor and PMS. Helpful, clear advice about the mechanics of managing menstrual blood and the removal (or not) of body hair are framed in a nonjudgmental way, encouraging readers to make whatever decision feels right, and added historical context about trends and the shifts in society’s attitudes toward women’s bodies strike just the right tone. However, a confusing admonishment to “Don’t. Ever. Shave” unwanted facial hair remains unexplained beyond mentioning the sensitivity of the face, and some teen readers may find the didactic assurances about life getting not just better, but “to be the best” with age frustrating.
An informative, accessible guide that hits most of its marks . (Nonfiction. 10-16)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-18731-5
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
A useful guide for readers wanting a Christian look at boys’ physical and sexual development.
“Dr. Walt” offers advice with a Christian perspective for boys wondering about their bodies as they enter puberty.
More specifically, this is a volume aimed at Christian fathers of boys ages 10 to 13, so fathers can be ready with answers to sometimes tricky questions. Topics are covered through 30 questions on how boys’ bodies change, how much sleep is necessary, what if friends try alcohol, how to avoid pornography, what’s wrong with tattoos and body piercings and even three questions about testicles. It’s purportedly information readers can trust, presented “through the lens of a biblical worldview,” all reviewed by the Christian Medical Association. God is the common denominator behind all answers here. Differences in penis size? It’s “the way God designed each one of us.” Masturbation? “Sexual fantasies are forbidden for Christians.” In Larimore’s perspective, “God invented sex,” but only “to be experienced between a husband and a wife in marriage.” Parents wanting to stay within the confines of Christian doctrine will find this volume informative. Other readers may want to go elsewhere to find a guide more open to a more encompassing worldview.
A useful guide for readers wanting a Christian look at boys’ physical and sexual development. (note to parents, appendices, afterword) (Nonfiction. 10-13)Pub Date: March 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-310-72323-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
Occasionally clever—fifth-grade boys will love it.
“There is a lot of nonsense written about the human body,” writes the author, “and this book is no exception.”
Though not quite making good on his promise of “100 percent fact-free chapters,” (he does accurately describe “chondrolaryngoplasty”) Griffiths’ anatomical tour in general steers clear of anything that would be marked as correct on a test. From “Ears can be big or small, depending on their size” to “Capillaries are the larval form of butterflies,” he offers pithy inanities about 68 mostly real body features. Though he closes every entry with “That is all you need to know about…,” he then goes on to regale readers with the news that the epiglottis was named after a Greek philosopher and other “Fun Body Facts.” Similarly, noting that his illustrations “may not be scientifically accurate” (the understatement of the decade), Denton nonetheless provides on nearly every spread profusely labeled, free-association cartoon views of each body part. These are filled out with tiny figures, mechanical apparatus and miscellaneous junk. Though serious young researchers may be disappointed to find the “Private Parts” pages blacked out, a full index follows to provide ready access to any references to poo, pus, farts, drool, “sneeze-powered missiles” and like essentials.
Occasionally clever—fifth-grade boys will love it. (Humor. 10-12)Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-312-36790-9
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2012
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