My Body, My Self for Girls by Lynda Madaras: Book Review

Book Review

An overview of the book

My Body, My Self for Girls was written by Lynda Madaras and her daughter Area Madaras. It is a puberty book for girls that also includes activities that can be completed by your child (either alone or with a parent).

This book is similar to the “What’s happening to my body book”, but this particular one is written with the younger teen (or tween) in mind. It has over 100 quizzes, checklists, games and journal pages that can be completed throughout the book.

This book was first published in 1993 and the latest version, this one, was updated in 2007. So the book is currently about ten years old. This isn’t exactly old, as not a lot has really changed in the last decade.

If you look at the actual index of the book, you will see that it includes content that is just about puberty. Because the book has been written with the younger tween and teen in mind, it focuses just on puberty ie sex isn’t really talked about.

When you look at this book, you can see that it is very similar to the author’s other book, that has been written for younger girls who may be showing early signs of puberty or are just curious, Ready, Set, Grow. This book, My Body, My Self for Girl, is for the slightly older tween and younger teen. It is the next level up and provides much more detailed information about puberty.

So the book, My Body, My Self for Girls by Lynda Madaras, starts off with what changes happen on the inside of the body. So it provides information about what puberty means and what the changes all are about. It then moves onto some of the physical changes such as growing taller, changing body shape, face changes, and the fact that we all change or grow at different rates. It then moves onto the more obvious changes ie pubic hair and breasts. And then the less desirable changes, such as pimples and unwanted body hair.

My Body, My Self for Girls then moves onto the changes that occur with the reproductive organs. The author talks about how the vulva changes and labels all the different parts. She then talks about the changes that happen on the inside, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and childbirth. Menstruation, or periods, is then discussed, along with vaginal discharges and hormones.

Menstruation then earns its own chapter The Big M or menstruation. Which is probably a word that we don’t use that often, as it is a medical-sounding term. There is quite a bit of information in this section, with advice on the different types of products etc included.

This book does not talk about sex in great detail. It talks about the fact that getting your periods means that you are now fertile, but that is about it. When it comes to picking a puberty book for your child, it’s a matter of what you are interested in at the time. Some kids are quite overwhelmed by the thought of puberty and what it all means. So sometimes it is a good idea to give them a simple book that talks about the one topic ie puberty. Adding sex into the equation will just overwhelm them. Every child is different!

So when you look inside, you will see that there are lots of pages with questions, quizzes and activities throughout it. For example, list the things that you have heard about getting your period. There is lots of information with the content broken up with illustrations. The book has probably got 140 pages so it’s quite thick, and there is no index at the back. But you don’t really need one with this book, as the layout means that it is easy to find the information that you may be looking for.

I do think that these are good little books because they don’t talk about sex.  They are a little out of date as in they are nearly ten years old but when it comes to puberty, not a lot has actually changed in the last decade. So if it a book that just talks about puberty, then yes, technically it’s still accurate enough to use.

My Body, My Self for Girls by Lynda Madaras, is a great little puberty book that is good for tweens and young teens. It focuses just on puberty and provides quizzes, checklists, games and journal pages that your child can complete.

Ideal Age

Ideal for children aged 10 to 13 years.

Buy this book

âś… Buy a copy of My Body, My Self for Girls by Lynda Madaras from Amazon.

Video Transcription

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

Hey there! Let’s talk about a really cool book called My Body Myself for Girls. It’s a super popular field guide for preteens and teens that’s packed with over 100 quizzes, checklists, games, and journal pages all about your changing body. The book was written by Lynda Madaras and her daughter Aria, and it first came out in 1993. They updated it in 2000 and 2007, so it’s been around for a while.

Now, I might not be the best at pronouncing names, so sorry if I messed that up! Anyway, the book is a bit outdated since it’s about nine years old, but don’t worry, a lot of what we know about puberty hasn’t changed much. However, we’re much more open nowadays when it comes to talking about things like same-sex attraction and gender. So keep that in mind as we dive into this book.

There’s actually another book for younger girls called Ready, Set, Grow, which is similar to this one. But if you’re looking for more detailed information, My Body Myself for Girls is the way to go. It covers everything from what puberty means to all the changes happening to your body. We’re talking about pubic hair, breasts, body odor, pimples, and more. It even touches on the big M – menstruation, which is a more medical term. Nowadays, we usually just say periods.

The book has an index, but unfortunately, I can’t show you the whole thing because it’s got a whopping 150 pages! But trust me, it’s packed with lots of useful information. It’s divided into different sections, so you can easily find what you’re looking for.

Now, when it comes to sex, this book doesn’t go into too much detail. It mainly focuses on puberty and the changes happening to your body. It does mention fertility and stuff, but it doesn’t get into the nitty-gritty of sexual attraction. So if you’re looking for a book that covers that aspect, you might want to explore other options.

All in all, My Body Myself for Girls is a pretty awesome book. It’s informative, covers a lot about puberty, and has cool diagrams and pictures. Just keep in mind that it’s more about the physical changes and not so much about the sexual stuff. But hey, there are plenty of other books out there too!

Hope this helps! Cheers!

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