Ready or Not?: A Girl's Guide to Making Her Own Decisions about Dating, Love, and Sex [Hardcover]

Tina Radziszewicz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2006

Sex.
 
So many questions--so hard to actually ask them! Finding the right moment, not to mention the right person to ask, can be a nightmare.
 
Well, look no further!
 
This essential guide tells you everything you need to know about your body, his body, what boys say (and what they really mean), virginity, dating, contraception, STDs, pregnancy--and more.
 
Taking a relationship further is a huge step and it's essential to know all the facts before making any decisions.  Packed with friendly advice, quizzes, and practical information, this book is your ultimate guide to making the best choice for you!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—This book uses a chatty tone, question-and-answer sections, short quizzes (e.g., "Test Your Sexpertise"), and cartoon sketches to address serious discussion topics. There are three sections: "Your Body and You" (puberty, the reproductive system, body image), "Emotions and You" (dating, sexuality, attitudes about sex), and "Sex and You" (gauging readiness, contraception, STDs, sexual abuse, pregnancy). Questions that Radziszewicz, an advice columnist, has received from young people appear throughout, and her answers show her natural rapport with teens and stay true to her motto ("Whatever stage you're at…you can never know too much"). While the subject of contraception receives a lot of attention, other topics, such as drinking and drugs, have been given short shrift. In the chapter, "Sex-When You Don't Want It," the author writes, "Know your limits, alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks, and if you start to feel drunk, stop drinking and ask a close friend to get you home or call your parents." Several pages later, she states, "Of course, you shouldn't be drinking if you're under 21," which gives a mixed message. Still, this title has several strengths-its frank approach, the way it addresses family and social issues without making judgments, and the emphasis placed on helping girls to make their own decisions. Hopefully the unsophisticated graphics won't lose their attention.—Kelly Czarnecki, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg, NC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Tina Radziszewicz has worked as a freelance writer and editor for more than twenty teen, women's, and entertainment magazines since entering journalism in 1988, and she has been an advice columnist for the past twelve years.  Her commitment to helping people fulfill their potential led her to train as a psychotherapist and she has been running a private practice since qualifying in 2000.  Tina lives in South London with her husband, Mark, her son, Alex a pair of unusually wise cats, and a ghost in her loft (whom the cats refuse to take on).  This is her first book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802796133
• ISBN-13: 978-0802796134
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,332,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 23, 2006

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ready or Not?: A Girl's Guide to Making Her Own Decisions about Dating, Love, and Sex (Hardcover)

For adolescent girls, making decisions about sex and sexuality is a challenge. Making smart decisions is even harder, especially when influences come from so many different directions--peers, media, and advertising. READY OR NOT? is a book that can help all girls who are contemplating their sexuality, whether it be the actual physical activity of having sex or simply dealing with changes in their body.

The book is broken down into three main parts, with several chapters and subcategories in each.

Part One: Your Body and You contains chapters on Puberty, Periods, Here's Looking at You, and Body Q & A.

Part Two: Emotions and You includes chapters entitled The Dating Game, Sexuality, Attitudes Toward Sex, and Emotions Q & A.

Part Three: Sex and You has chapters on Are You Ready for Sex?, Contraception, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Women's Health, Boys and Sex, Let's Talk About Sex, Test Your Sexpertise, Having Sex, Sex--When You Don't Want It, and Your Most Embarrassing Sex Questions Answered.

READY OR NOT? is not intended as the end-all of teen sexuality. What it is, though, is a great guide for teen girls to use, in conjunction with their parents, to discuss sexual matters. The book also includes a Resources and Contacts section and an index to use for quick referencing when you want to read about a particular issue. Overall, READY OR NOT? is a very helpful, and well put-together, guide for teen girls dealing with sexuality and its aftereffects and consequences.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"