Curated List of Puberty Books
There are some fantastic puberty books. They are funny, encouraging, accurate, and, wait for it … not connected to the internet. I’m a big fan of buying a real book and making it accessible to your child. They may not be ready now, but it gives them the opportunity to access accurate information when they want it.
You-ology: A Puberty Guide for Every Body by Melisa Holmes, MD, FACOG; Trish Hutchison, MD, FAAP; Kathryn Lowe, MD, FAAP.
Published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this new puberty book fills the need for a truly inclusive puberty book that explores the experiences of all kids, including gender-diverse kids. It is great for building empathy for other kids and their experiences of puberty. It covers a lot: there's even a section on porn, masturbation, and consent.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris (Author), Michael Emberley (Illustrator).
It's Perfectly Normal is a fun picture book with a great tone that talks about the details. This is great to pair with another more substantial book.
Celebrate Your Body (and Its Changes, Too!) The Ultimate Puberty Book for Girls by Sonya Renee Taylor.
This is my favorite book for (cis) girls. If you have a (cis) girl, get it today. It is detailed and helpful but also genuinely positive and empowering. It includes lines like, "Puberty is an opportunity to feel even more confident and powerful in your body. Why? Because you are becoming an expert on its awesomeness!" Lots of puberty and sex books are all pep talk and no detailed facts. This one is both.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Puberty—and Shouldn't Learn on TikTok (For Curious Girls).
Written by very young adults, this book feels like an older sister spilling all the tea. I ask my 9th graders to give my 4th-6th grade students puberty advice, and I have noticed that my puberty students lean in and pay special attention to what the 9th graders have to say. I can imagine a girl leaning into this book in the same way. Oh, and the authors and illustrators have this lovely way of showing the difference between how girls in puberty perceive themselves and reality that they call “puberty goggles.” Brilliant..
Welcome to Your Period! by Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes.
A mom of many girls told me about this book. She says it is excellent overall, with a de-mystifying tone. I love the clear pictures and detailed answers to the questions kids with periods ask me the most. Towards the end it does discuss sex, which may not work for some families. It does preface the sex section by saying "You won't be ready for this until you are older, but you may be curious...” which matches my experience of middle schoolers.
Puberty is Gross, but Also Really Awesome by Gina Loveless.
Okay, I am going to be honest here: I hate the title of this book. I don’t like reinforcing the idea that puberty is gross, and I don’t like the word gross used to describe bodies. And yet … this book is wonderfully inclusive. It makes lots of space for gender non-conforming kids. It also has fabulous infographics! The topics covered go beyond just puberty into other struggles of adolescence such as consent, bullying, eating disorders, and media use.
Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys by Dr. Cara Natterson (American Girl).
This is written by the same pediatrician who wrote The Care and Keeping of You in the American Girl Series. If my son took all the advice in this book, I would do a happy dance. It is packed with body care tips that extend beyond puberty (e.g., how to clean your ears, what to do when your hair turns green from swimming.) The pictures are adorable and the tone is accessible and upbeat. When I asked my nephew to review it, he thought it was good for a 4th grader, but not for older kids. I agree; I can imagine a 6th grader rolling his eyes at the simple language and cute pictures.