A Guy’s Guide to Puberty by Michelle Mitchell

Book Review

A short overview of this book

A Guy’s Guide to Puberty by Michelle Mitchell is a puberty book for boys (or kids with a penis) that provides them with a comprehensive introduction to puberty and growing up. What I like about this book, is the casual, conversational tone, the use of humour and funny illustrations.

It’s a great book to use with younger tweens, especially if you want a book that focuses on puberty (and not sex).

So if you’re after a book that is Australian, with a slightly different approach to the many other puberty books, then you’ll like this book.

Here’s what’s inside:

  • Who is a trusted adult – Choosing trusted adults – Feelings about puberty
  • What is puberty? – When will it start? – What should I expect? – Stages of Puberty
  • The inside bits – The outside bits
  • What changes will happen – Growth spurts – Breasts and nipples – Pubic hair – Even more hair – Curves – New feelings – Menstrual cycle (and periods)
  • Your first period – About pads and tampons – Period tracking – The emergency period pack Handling leaks – Buying period essentials – Talking to dads about periods – Period pain and PMS – And more….
  • Basic changes boys go through – How to be a good friend to boys
  • How to care for your changing body – Facts about pimples – About sleep, exercise and play – Protecting your body – Tricky questions
  • Brain changes – What this means for you – How parents can help – New friends and ideas – Liking someone – Bad hair days
  • More conversations – Becoming an adult you – Puberty to-do list
  • Your Puberty Vocabulary Guide

This book shows penises with a foreskin (intact) as well as penises with a foreskin (circumcised).

Sexual intercourse is briefly mentioned (The most common way for an egg and sprm to meet is if a man and a woman have sex).

You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education

Ideal Age

Ideal for children aged 8 to 12 years.

Buy this book

βœ… Buy a copy of A Guy’s Guide to Puberty by Michelle Mitchell from the author.

Video Transcription

A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener

Hey there! Welcome to Sex Ed Rescue, where I review awesome books that make sex education easier. I’m Cath Hak, and today I want to talk about a book called Guy’s Guide to Puberty by Michelle Mitchell.

Now, this book is all about puberty and growing up, but it’s a bit different from other books because it’s what I like to call a PG version of puberty. It doesn’t focus on sex, but instead covers the whole experience of growing up. It talks about the changes that happen to your body, of course, but it also dives into emotional wellness, taking care of your body, and building relationships and friendships.

Michelle Mitchell, the author, is a teacher who has been running workshops in schools for years, helping kids navigate puberty, relationships, and resilience. She’s really great at writing books for parents, and now she’s written a couple of books for kids too. These books came out in late 2020 and are filled with fantastic illustrations and a good dose of humor.

The idea behind this book is to make it conversational and not too serious. It encourages kids to have a relationship with their parents and feel comfortable talking to them about this stuff. It even addresses the fact that some adults might feel a little uncomfortable discussing these topics, but it’s important to have someone to talk to.

Let me give you a quick rundown of what’s inside the book. It starts with an introduction that sets the stage for the conversations to come. Then it covers the basics of puberty and why it happens. Just a heads up, it doesn’t talk about sexual intercourse, so keep that in mind. It does, however, discuss the changes that happen to your genitals and the rest of your body. It also touches on the changes that happen to female bodies because it’s important to understand what’s happening to other genders too.

The book also talks about how to take care of your body and what happens inside your brain as you grow up. It’s kind of like those books by Caz Cooke that cover not just the physical changes but all the other stuff too. There aren’t many books for boys that go into such detail about all these topics, so this one is really special.

Towards the end, it even addresses the topic of liking someone. These books are meant for tweens and early teens, so they’re perfect for kids around 13 years old. Of course, if you have a teen who’s a bit more immature or comfortable with it, they can still benefit from reading it.

Now, I know some kids and parents might feel a bit overwhelmed by the idea of learning about puberty and sex all at once. That’s totally normal! Some kids find the idea of sex gross or uncomfortable, and that’s okay. This book is great because it doesn’t include explicit details about sex. It’s focused on providing detailed information about puberty without diving into sexual intercourse. If you want to have conversations about sex, there are other books for that. But if you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to puberty, this book has got you covered.

I hope this review helps you make an informed decision. Cheers!

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