Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I bought this book for my 10 yr old son. I made sure I read it first then gave it to him to read. We followed with a great discussion. I had researched a lot of other books and now that I have had the book/conversation with my son I am glad I chose this book! I was not ready to discuss masterbating, wet dreams or homosexuality with my child yet and this book DID NOT mention these things. It was simple and straightforward. A perfect Primary Grade Book!

My almost 8 year old daughter has been asking a lot of questions lately about how babies are really made, etc. I paniced and ordered three books based on their reviews here. Boys, Girls, and Body Science was by far the best of the lot! The story line of a nurse talking to a class of young children works so well, as does the suggestion to approach the subject like a scientist (for example, scientists don't say "yuck!" they say "interesting!"). I thought the book gave all the pertinent information without getting into topics a young gradeschooler might not be ready for. A conversation I'd been dreading actually turned out to be fun. If you want a book that covers the basics of reproduction in a matter-of-fact way, this is it. I plan on using this book for my other kids when they are older.

I was looking for a book for my 8yr old son because he started asking questions about the female anatomy, why girls sit down to use the bathroom and how babies come from 2 people. This book was great....no graphic pictures. The pictures of the boy and girl anatomy were very basic....just enough detail for him to process. It did not go into anything he wasn't ready to hear. The part about intercourse was very short and to the point. Just enough to explain and left open for whatever question about details your child wants to hear. I would highly recommend this book for those children(boys and girls)that are asking about sex and differences of private parts. Very well written and easy to read to your child. Perfect for his age.

I did much research when looking into purchasing a facts of life book for my 9 year old son. Instead of looking at the positive reviews, like I usually do, I looked to the negative reviews. I found that I got more out of the negative reviews of similar books where parents tended to give their whole opinion rather than just a quick "I liked the book end of story". As soon as I received this book in the mail my son told me thank you and gave me a heartfelt hug. The book arrived promptly. After reading the book in the first day he had no questions. I read the book as well, and I could see why he had no questions. The book comes from a nurse point of view that is teaching a class. It showed the necessary graphics for the target age range and did not go overboard in its wording. I highly recommend this book for parents with curious children.

I recently read "Boys, Girls & Body Science" to each of my twin 9 year old daughters. They both appreciated the straight-forward approach of the book and they were very interested in the explanations provided. The book was at the perfect level for their age. It helped me talk to them about "The Facts of Life." I was able to use the book as a way to talk to them about the issues they are concerned about. I highly recommend this book to anyone unsure about how to start talking to their children.

Very simple, matter of fact, and the language used is easy for children to understand. There are no graphic pictures of adults having sex; it just shows a man and woman together under a blanket in bed. No adult body parts are seen although the couple appear to be naked. This book is a good starting point for the whole discussion of this topic.

We were standing in line at an amusement park and my grade three son said to me, "Seriously, Mom, how does the sperm get to the egg"? Nice.

We have always used the correct terminology for body parts and body functions, so this book using the term "body science" was a great fit for our family. The illustrations are wonderful, and Meg Hickling's nursing background really makes this book work very well.

Your child will know the correct names for body parts and see the location of these body parts with the aid of illustrations--and the approach is very direct and not condescending.

I read the book first, then did an overview with my son, grade 3, and then let him read it through himself. If you son or daughter is asking you about how the sperm reaches the egg, then you are ready for this book!

Good luck!