It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health (The Family Library) [Paperback]

Robie H. Harris (Author), Michael Emberley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 8, 2009 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: The Family Library

An updated, fifteenth anniversary edition of the definitive book on kids’ sexual health brings this trusted resource into the twenty-first century.

Now offering a brand-new chapter focusing on safe Internet use — one of parents’ key concerns — this universally acclaimed classic by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley is a cutting-edge resource for kids, parents, teachers, librarians, and anyone else who cares about the well-being of tweens and teens. Providing accurate and up-to-date answers to nearly every imaginable question, from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS, IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL offers young people the information they need — now more than ever — to make responsible decisions and stay healthy.

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Notable Book of the Year
A BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award Winner
An Association of Booksellers for Children Booksellers’ Choice
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
Five starred reviews (BOOKLIST, BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS, KIRKUS REVIEWS, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's Perfectly Normal is informative and interesting; reassuring and responsible; warm and charming. I wish every child (and parent) could have a copy." — Penelope Leach, Ph.D., author of YOUR BABY & CHILD

"I recommend [IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL] to parents and children who are coming into adolescence. They will love it." — T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. author of TOUCHPOINTS

"A perfectly wonderful treatment of the always touchy subject of sex education for young people. The book treats the subject seriously and its intended readers respectfully." — Hugh B. Price, president, National Urban League, Inc.


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Robie H. Harris has written many award-winning books for children of all ages, including the definitive Family Library about sexuality: IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL, IT'S SO AMAZING!, and IT'S NOT THE STORK! She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Michael Emberley is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including the Family Library. He lives in Wicklow, Ireland.

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 3 edition (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763644846
• ISBN-13: 978-0763644840
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Sexuality
  • #57 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Parenting

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

129 of 144 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From Personal Experience February 19, 2011

By ZJ

Format:Paperback

I received this book from my parents when I was 10 or so. Like many kids, I was not big on talking to my parents about sex. Or rather, it was hard for me. It's hard to talk to your parents about something like that. I was a smart, curious kid who had nowhere to turn and I'm so thankful to my mom for buying this for me.

I'm 24 now, but this book still is with me in thought, which is why I'm here to review it. "It's Perfectly Normal" taught me to be okay with myself. How I looked, how I felt, who I was attracted to. It was frank on how sex worked and the importance of safe sex.

I know it's hard for some parents to look at this book and think about giving it to your kid when it talks about masturbation, birth control and types of sex other than vaginal. But you do not want your kid learning about oral and anal sex, or that the pull out method is birth control or anything like that from the internet or whispers in the locker room. This book teaches these things maturely and with respect. Kids are curious, best to have them learn from the right source.

I truly hope if any parents, teachers or guardians are looking for a sex education book for a child in their lives, that they pick up this book. It'll help the kids come to term with such a confusing time in their lives and answer questions they have but don't want to ask.

It's left me feeling perfectly normal.

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative book March 16, 2012

By iBeth

Format:Paperback

I bought this book for my older daughter when she started puberty, and now I'm going to purchase it for my younger daughter. They each need their own copy because my older daughter still refers to hers, and also I want my younger daughter to have this newer edition with the Internet safety advice.

This book is is very detailed (including explanations of words like "bra is short for the word "brassiere"), with a factual yet reassuring tone that doesn't talk down to readers. It's filled with drawings that show that many body types are perfectly normal. It explains many subjects besides just the mechanics of puberty, such as masturbation and homosexuality. If you intend to teach your children that such topics are shameful, this may not be the book for you.

What I like best is that the book has lots of "talk to someone you know and trust" prompts. For example, there's a cartoon that shows a bunch of kids telling a dirty joke (you don't see the joke itself) and one boy doesn't get it. The cartoon says, "If you don't get the joke, you can always ask someone to explain it to you," and shows the boy asking his dad. I would much rather that my children learn about growing up and sex from their father and me rather than from gossip at school, so I'm glad the book encourages them to come to us.

44 of 57 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly engaging presentation of age appropriate sexuality information. February 26, 2010

By Mathew Vea

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is now 15 years old, and it is still the best available book of sexuality information for the preteen age group. The information on body parts, puberty, reproduction, birth, diseases, and the emotional swings that accompany adolescence is presented simply and matter-of-factly. There are no photo's. Instead, there are explicit drawings of both internal and external body parts. For entertainment, two cartoon characters, a bird and a bee, give a running commentary on the material on almost every page.

This book is a perfect aid for teaching responsible sexuality to preteens.