Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

When I first set out to find a book for my daughter to learn about puberty and body stuff, I figured it would be pretty simple. I had seen that American Girl book in stores over the years and figured I would probably just get that. Then I read some excerpts and reviews and I was aghast. Then I realized that that wasn't the only one! My biggest issues with most of these books are about the focus on eating disorders and trying to be skinny, even if the point is ultimately to reassure girls that they don't need to do that. Um...my 11-year-old is very comfortable in her body and it has never occurred to her that she has to be (or remain) thin or anything else. I've worked hard to protect her from society's stupid messages about these expectations. Why would I hand her a book to stoke insecurities that don't even exist? Other books also approach relationships and safe sex conversations, which I also find astounding. It's fine if people are ready to have those conversations with their kids, but my daughter doesn't need that content yet, so I don't really want to hand it to her in a book about her changing body. Enter Sonya Renee Taylor. I love her for this book, which I just read in its entirety as a preview. She talks about bodies as powerful and amazing (instead of beautiful). She emphasizes that everything that happens during puberty is just right for each girl's body. She goes into just the right amount of detail and steers clear of sex, relationships, and eating disorders. It's the perfect balance and it's so empowering. I hope my daughter internalizes every message in this book, from loving her body at every stage to making her own choices about whether or not to shave or wear a bra. This book is what every pre-pubescent, pubescent, and maybe even post-pubescent female needs.