Asking About Sex & Growing Up : A Question-and-Answer Book for Kids by Joanna Cole
Short Summary
Asking About Sex & Growing Up by Joanna Cole is a straightforward, question-and-answer style book that gives tweens and early teens clear, age-appropriate answers about sex, puberty, and growing up. Originally published in the 1980s and last revised in 2009, it’s still one of the more approachable resources out there—though a few parts now feel a little dated.
This book was updated in 2023 and renamed as Questions and Answers about Growing Up by Joanna Cole.
Age Group
Suitable for children aged 8 to 12 years.
Topics Discussed
Sex | Tweens
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Buy a Copy
Buy a copy of Asking About Sex & Growing Up by Joanna Cole from Amazon.
What this book is about
- Asking About Sex & Growing Up uses a Q&A format to answer common questions that kids have about sex, bodies, feelings, and relationships.
- It covers both male and female puberty – including things like erections, periods, sperm, breast development, and masturbation – in a non-judgmental, matter-of-fact tone.
- The book talks about why people have sex, how pregnancy happens, and includes a section on contraception and preventing pregnancy.
- Feelings and relationships are also covered, including crushes, love, and same-sex attraction – a welcome inclusion, especially for curious tweens.
- There’s helpful content about sexual abuse and body boundaries, with a strong message to talk to a trusted adult.
- Each chapter begins with a short story or scenario, which helps normalise the questions and provide context for younger readers.
- While the language around gender is quite binary (e.g. “if you have a penis, you’re a boy”), and it lacks info on modern topics like sexting or porn, the core content is still incredibly useful.
- It’s a great book for kids who are outgrowing picture books but aren’t ready for heavy teen content yet. And it encourages them to keep the conversation going with their parents, which is exactly what we want!
I hope you find this book review helpful!
Happy talking!
❤️ Cath