Boys, Girls & Body Science: A First Book about Facts of Life [Hardcover]

Meg Hickling (Author), Kim La Fave (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

With humour and sensitivity, Boys, Girls & Body Science provides no-nonsense answers for children - and parents - with questions about sex. Specifically designed for young readers, Boys, Girls & Body Science walks children through the wonders of their bodies in a direct, easy-to-read manner. The story begins with Nicholas, 7, and Jenny, 5, learning about different types of science in their class - from ecology to the digestive system. Then Meg Hickling, a guest speaker, comes to talk to them about a new type of science. Hickling talks about the "science names" for the children's body parts, about good and bad touches and about making babies. She coaches the children not to be embarrassed or shy about body science: "We are going to make this just like a science lesson, we will learn to think like a scientist and we will learn the scientific names for our private parts," she says.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Quill & Quire : ". . . this book is an excellent resource that will make life easier for parents struggling to find the words to explain reproduction and sex to their children."
-Miriam Kaufman, Quill & Quire --Quill & Quire

Previous Praise for Meg Hickling : "Hickling is magnificent with children."
- Donna Sinclair, The United Church Observer

"Her impact...has been enormous and visionary...one of the best educators I have ever seen."
- Ian Haysom, The Vancouver Sun

"It is not easy to talk about sex. Meg is truly a master at this."
- Chris Simmons-Physick, Supervisor, Toronto Kids Help Phone --Previous Praise

"Hickling is magnificent with children."
- Donna Sinclair, The United Church Observer

"Her impact...has been enormous and visionary...one of the best educators I have ever seen."
- Ian Haysom, The Vancouver Sun

"It is not easy to talk about sex. Meg is truly a master at this." --- Chris Simmons-Physick, Supervisor, Toronto Kids Help Phone (Previous Praise for Meg Hickling )

Review

"Hickling is magnificent with children."
- Donna Sinclair, The United Church Observer

"Her impact...has been enormous and visionary...one of the best educators I have ever seen."
- Ian Haysom, The Vancouver Sun

"It is not easy to talk about sex. Meg is truly a master at this."
- Chris Simmons-Physick, Supervisor, Toronto Kids Help Phone (Previous Praise for Meg Hickling )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harbour Pub Co; 1 edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550172360
• ISBN-13: 978-1550172362
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Sexuality

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great approach, well-written, great book, August 20, 2004

By 

Lucy the Bargain Hunter - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boys, Girls & Body Science: A First Book about Facts of Life (Hardcover)

I took a chance buying this book when no-one had written any reviews about it, but the publisher write-up looked so good I had to give it a try - and I am quite glad I did. In the book, Meg, a nurse, is invited to a classroom to explain about what she calls 'body science' (reproduction). In a most gentle, sensitive, and delicate manner, she teaches the children to think about 'embarrassing' things in the way that a scientist would, then she goes on to teach about those 'embarrassing' subjects. This book is written on a very basic level, big illustrations and only a few paragraphs of text on each page, obviously written for a younger audience. The book perceptively takes into account what the children's responses and reactions may be, which makes the reader feel like they are understood, and makes them feel at ease. My 8 year old daughter understood everything and was not 'grossed out' at all, to her it was all very matter-of-fact, but my 10 year old son groaned a big 'yuck' at the one unavoidably direct sentence in the whole book (there is no way around explaining the nitty-gritty of how babies are made...) My 10 year old son's reaction should not deter you from buying this book, I don't think anyone could present this material any better. My 13 year old son liked the book and learned from it but said it was written for younger kids. I am very pleased with this book and will be using it for my two youngest children when they are old enough to be ready for it. I highly recommend this book.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Respectful, August 23, 2007

By 

Mrs. M (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boys, Girls & Body Science: A First Book about Facts of Life (Hardcover)

This is my favorite book on the subject for ages 10 and up. This book gave just the right amount of details, so that the kids would know exactly what intercourse entails. However, it did not go into other issues, e.g. alternative lifestyles. Our family is Catholic, and I didn't wanted a book that would introduce ideas contrary to our beliefs for my children at the elementary school level.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book on the facts of life for my 8 year old, November 2, 2004

By 

JimZ (Simi Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boys, Girls & Body Science: A First Book about Facts of Life (Hardcover)

This is really an extraordinarily well balanced presentation of the facts of life for an 8 or 9 year old. The characters in the book reacted exactly like my 8 year old when hearing the somewhat embarrassing (for him) facts of life. My son laughed pretty hard as the character in the book said "Yuck!" when hearing how babies are made. This book had tactful but direct illustrations and overall the book is a wonderful aide to any parent who wants to make sure their children understand the basic facts of life.