I'm reviewing a book today that I can recommend to anyone with girls. It's called The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls and is published by American Girl.
I got this book for Chicklette a while ago so I could give it to her for her eighth birthday. She is very interested in human biology though and this book has been great for an introduction to the body. The pictures are light and colorful and show all different types of girls. I like how it puts a focus on not comparing your body to other girl's bodies. Our bodies are all a little different and what is normal for one girl may not be normal for another. The book begins, appropriately enough, with how to take care of your body. It basically goes head to toe beginning with your hair and face and moving down through your legs and feet. It addresses how your body changes during puberty and what a girl can expect to happen.
Each section ends with an article called Body Talk. These are like Letters to the Editor where girls share concerns they have and the book addresses them. It brings up topics like breast size, eating disorders, acne and cold sores. These snippets are short and provide a great jumping off point for parents. After you read a Body Talk excerpt together, you can ask your daughter questions like, "What do you think about this? Have you heard about other girls acting in this way or expressing this concern? What can you do in a situation like this? What could you do if a friend started saying she was too fat?"
This book can be read as a whole, although not in one sitting. There is too much information in here to properly digest. Or you can skim through the index and read the topics that are interesting or a concern to you at the time. I think a 10-year-old could easily read and understand it. Chicklette is six right now so some of the material is over her head or too hard to understand, but that allows us to sit and talk about it. Through talking about it, we can explain our values also.
We can express our belief that our bodies are not evil. They are blessings given us by God to experience this life and to learn and grow. We are grateful for bodies and we are grateful for the ability we have to create children. I have really enjoyed reading through this book and Chicklette has also enjoyed reading it with her daddy. Even the boys listen in, which I think is great. They should learn about girls' bodies too so they can respect them.
Disclaimer: The link above is an Amazon affiliate link, but I was not solicited for a review of this book.
Each section ends with an article called Body Talk. These are like Letters to the Editor where girls share concerns they have and the book addresses them. It brings up topics like breast size, eating disorders, acne and cold sores. These snippets are short and provide a great jumping off point for parents. After you read a Body Talk excerpt together, you can ask your daughter questions like, "What do you think about this? Have you heard about other girls acting in this way or expressing this concern? What can you do in a situation like this? What could you do if a friend started saying she was too fat?"
This book can be read as a whole, although not in one sitting. There is too much information in here to properly digest. Or you can skim through the index and read the topics that are interesting or a concern to you at the time. I think a 10-year-old could easily read and understand it. Chicklette is six right now so some of the material is over her head or too hard to understand, but that allows us to sit and talk about it. Through talking about it, we can explain our values also.
We can express our belief that our bodies are not evil. They are blessings given us by God to experience this life and to learn and grow. We are grateful for bodies and we are grateful for the ability we have to create children. I have really enjoyed reading through this book and Chicklette has also enjoyed reading it with her daddy. Even the boys listen in, which I think is great. They should learn about girls' bodies too so they can respect them.
Disclaimer: The link above is an Amazon affiliate link, but I was not solicited for a review of this book.