It's a Girl Thing: How to Stay Healthy, Safe and in Charge (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When I was eleven I wanted a bra, but I was too shy to ask my mother for one..." (more)
Key Phrases: preseminal fluid, police emergency number, using tampons, Child Help, Planned Parenthood, National Child Abuse Hotline

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An easy-to-read magazine-style guide for girls age 10 to 14 on "staying healthy, safe and in-charge." Mavis Jukes covers everything from how to buy a bra to birth control, from sexually transmitted diseases to coping with the unexpected onset of a period away from home. Issues such as setting healthy boundaries, trusting feelings, and being able to go to adults for help are discussed in a tone that is frank, entertaining, and gently authoritative without sounding condescending. Though most girls this age will know more about these subjects than parents ever dreamed, the subjects are dealt with accurately in way that helps build self-confidence and character in girls at an extremely vulnerable time in their lives.

From Publishers Weekly

It's difficult to imagine an adolescent girl who wouldn't benefit from this candid, supportive and often genuinely funny guide to surviving?and enjoying?those awkward pre- and early-teen years. Newbery Honor author Jukes bares her soul about her own sometimes misguided experiences growing up in the 1950s, when typical parental strategy "was to withhold all facts about sex from kids until the kids got old enough to be so embarrassed by the topic that they would refuse to talk about it." A rich supply of personal anecdotes lightens up her explicit, thoroughly accessible discussion of puberty and sexuality; Tilley's (Riddle-icious) breezy cartoons also put readers at ease. The author fills her text with sage advice adolescents can't hear often enough, stressing the importance of resisting peer pressure, respecting and taking good care of one's body, and communicating with and seeking help from parents and other responsible adults ("Looking like an adult doesn't mean that you're expected to take on adult roles and responsibilities. You're a kid, entitled to the love, care and protection of the adults around you"). While she tackles tough subjects like sexual abuse, harassment and sexually transmitted diseases, she includes tips on more frivolous, kid-pleasing topics, such as shopping for clothes and selecting the right makeup. Written with a bracing, inspiriting honesty, this volume will spark communication between parents and daughters. Ages 11-14.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 2, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679873929
• ISBN-13: 978-0679873921
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,080 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reassuring, helpful: What many preteen girls need to hear., March 29, 1997

By A Customer

If you give your pre-teen daughter one book this year, give her this one. This is the wise older friend, the "aunt" so many of us wished for. In a gentle, friendly, unassuming way, Mavis Jukes tells girls about their maturing bodies and the issues they'll face as they grow up. Jukes tells it like it is, from the trivial-but-important (e.g. how to get that first bra) to the vitally important (sexual assault, harassment, HIV, peer pressure and dangerous choices). Jukes never talks down or belittles the seriousness of adolescent feelings. At the same time, she never soft-pedals the consequences of making adult choices when you're still a child: "You're a kid: breasts, new body hair and having a period doesn't change that." Reassuring, well-written and engaging, *It's A Girl Thing* packs a lot of information into a very readable package. Share this book with a girl you love.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic, informative and reassuring books for pre-teens, September 28, 2001

By	"chelsea102" (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

Looking back now as a freshman in high school, I realize that I absolutely LOVED this book was I was some around the age of a 5th or 6th grader. I would lie in bed at night, reading it behind the covers with the lights turned down low, taking in every word Jukes had to say. Now why, you may ask, would a girl want to read this book so many times over? The answer: I was immensely curious about all these subjects, and Juke's anecdotes and person stories made the book particularly engaging! Her stories range from a falsies popping out in the swimming pool disaster to the day she got her first period. She covers topics ranging from pubic hair, to fitting a bra, to what to do if you get your period at school.

The only real weakness of this book is the fact that it doesn't have any diagrams, such as what a uterus looks like etc., which I find important in getting a good understanding of exactly what everything looks like. However, this in an excellent book, and I recommend it to all preteen girls curious about puberty, and all mother's with girls reaching their preteens.

I do have to warn you about one thing though, this book also covers topics such as "Know the Facts: Drinking Smoking, and Doing Drugs, Sex and Pregnancy, Condoms, and Unplanned Pregnancy." which could be slightly heavy topics for a 4th, 5th or even immature 6th grader. If you would rather you child learn just the basics, the first four chapters of this book (Beasts and Bras, Introducing...Your Period!, Your Period-How to Handle It, and "General Health-Checkups, Counseling, and Crisis Hotlines") are offered in a separate book, called "Growing Up It's a Girl Thing : Straight Talk About First Bras, First Periods, and Your Changing Body".

This is a fantastic book though, and I would definitely recommend it to any girls wishing to learn more about their pre-puberty bodies or their parents.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's A Girl Thing...How to stay healthy,safe, and in charge, July 13, 2000

By A Customer

This book came at a time of necessity for my daughter whose body is now changing. It is all put in a way as girlfriend-to-girlfriend advice and very helpful for the young. Jukes gives life experience moments, which make the acceptance part of puberty easier. I love the humor and of course that opens you up to talk about your experiences with your daughter. I think it should be included with the fourth and fifth grade school supplies. No surprises! Buy it, you'll be glad you did!