Book Review
A short overview of this book
Drama by Raina Telgemeier is a great book for tweens about friendship, crushes and growing up.
Books like these are a great way to start conversations with tweens about the emotional and social aspects of puberty and growing up. Plus they let kids know that they aren’t alone and that others are feeling the same way too.
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about puberty and growing up.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 10 to 14 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of Drama by Raina Telgemeier from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! Welcome to Sex Ed Rescue, where I help parents get more comfortable with sex education. Today, I want to talk about a fantastic book for tweens and early teens called Drama by Raina Telgmeier (sorry if I butchered the name!). It’s one of those cool graphic novels that are super interesting and easy to read.
Remember those Archie comics we used to buy at news agencies? Well, Drama is kinda like that, but in book form. It’s about a girl who goes to school and gets involved with the school play. She meets two guys and the story explores her first kiss and all the feelings that come with liking someone.
One of the boys she likes happens to be gay, and she has to keep it a secret when he confides in her. It tackles topics like liking someone, wondering if they like you back, and the fear of rejection. I think it’s great because it normalizes the fact that we all feel a bit funny and different as we grow up. Life can be unpredictable, and books like this help us realize that we’re not alone in our experiences.
I’ve been reading another book by Raina Telgmeier called Smile with my ten-year-old son. As we read, we talk about things like getting braces and how it might make him feel. We discuss fitting in with friends and navigating those friendship circles. It’s amazing how early these things start happening!
Books like Drama are invaluable because they address first love and those innocent feelings of liking someone without diving into sexual topics. They provide an opportunity to talk about emotional intelligence and normalize relationships as our kids grow up. I believe they’re much better than just throwing dry, factual books at them.
If your kids are still young enough to let you read with them, that’s awesome! It’s become a nightly ritual for me and my son to sit on my bed and read together. It’s a special time for us to connect without any distractions. Trust me, it’s important to bring that kind of closeness back into your relationship with your kids.
Now, my son might not be interested in Drama just yet since he’s not thinking about kissing boys or girls. But my 14-year-old daughter really enjoyed it. She found it interesting and told me that these books are always being borrowed at her school. They’re a hot commodity!
So, if you’re looking for a great book that tackles the ups and downs of early relationships and helps your kids feel more normal about growing up, Drama is definitely worth checking out. I hope this review helps you out. Cheers!
