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thenextgenlib's review
5.0
I loved this nonfiction guide to growing up. I think it should be mandatory reading for every middle schooler. Unfortunately in my Texas town there’s no way we could have it in our library, but I think they did an amazing job of explaining all areas of puberty, body changes and more.
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
3.0
This is actually really solid as a middle school puberty/sex Ed book. There’s way more text than a typical graphic nonfiction and feels more like just nonfiction with some comic panels and illustrations. There are lots of interactive journaling/crossword/fill in the blank bits that make me not love it for a library since with all that it’s more geared towards individual reading/reflection. I can see it being a good book for families that need to have these conversations but don’t know where to start with their tweens/early teens. The whole setup is a conversation among a group of diverse teens and they each have their own perspective about all the things. This has a lot of messages of body positivity and being safe with your body and having good friends. The cover and title don’t scream sex ed book either so that’s nice for someone wanting to browse it but not want everyone to know they’re reading about puberty. The one page of illustrated genitals is really tame and about how your private parts might look different and that’s okay and there’s even a disclaimer right before so you can skip it if you’d like. The author works for ScarleTeen, a site which provides information, education and support within the scope of sex and sexuality, sexual health and relationships.
qujoy's review
5.0
My daughter & I loved this book! It was just so full of true things that I want my kid to know. I requested it from the library based on a goodreads recommendation, but now I’m going to buy it based on her reaction. She’s still on the cusp of puberty but it definitely curious about this stuff.
I’ve always hated pop culture that tells kids that they should expect to go straight from innocence to flipping a switch, falling in love, and having one kind of sex. We need more portrayals of all the steps in between, and space for people who don’t end up fitting anything they see.
This book covers gender identity, consent, sexual identity, how weird & varied genitals are. Most importantly it tells kids that everyone is different and deserves to set their own pace as they explore sexuality in different ways over many years.
I’ve always hated pop culture that tells kids that they should expect to go straight from innocence to flipping a switch, falling in love, and having one kind of sex. We need more portrayals of all the steps in between, and space for people who don’t end up fitting anything they see.
This book covers gender identity, consent, sexual identity, how weird & varied genitals are. Most importantly it tells kids that everyone is different and deserves to set their own pace as they explore sexuality in different ways over many years.
sudo's review
4.0
This is a great resource for young people. I purchased this with my 10 year old daughter in mind because she is hesitant to want to chat about body changes and sexuality. This little book brings up every topic and defines both proper terms and slang terms plainly. I especially appreciate how the book keeps gender and sex separate stating things like “people with penises” rather than just saying boys/men. I also appreciate the discussion of consent and sex as plesure not just for reproduction. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because some of the written passages use challenging language (in terms of Lexile) that younger kids may struggle with, making it difficult for them to fully understand or approach on their own.
sam8834's review
Really good graphic novel that covers a lot of ground - anatomy development, social-emotional aspects of sex and relationships, gender and body differences, consent, etc. Very inclusive, interactive, quick read. It feels more geared toward teens than elementary kids (the characters use slang and internet speak that is obviously meant to appeal to teens and that I'm fairly sure my 11yo wouldn't understand; also, the word "sex" is used a lot in the book before an actual definition is included, indicating this is probably more for kids who already have some idea of what sex is), so I wouldn't use it as a kid's first introduction to sex, growth, and development. But definitely a book I'll supplement with in the teen years.
constant_reader's review
5.0
Diverse & inclusive. I especially like the page about consent on page 46. Good glossary too. I suppose it's for 12&up.
qgg's review
5.0
The graphic novel aspect and the wide diversity of the characters really made this book a wonderful resource for discussing puberty, relationships, consent, orientation and sex vs. messing around. The various characters brought many different opinions to the “conversation.” I was reading this book with my son and I still learned about 3 new sexual orientations I had never heard of before. The workbook portions of the book would be handy if we didn’t have a library copy. We’ll be getting this again to review in a couple of years.
kjboldon's review
5.0
A good, succinct, and accessible guide to a range of basics with good advice on where to go for more info, too.