Top 10 sex education books that kids will actually enjoy
There are a lot of sex education books in the world. With even more being published each week! (Trust me, I know, as I’ve reviewed 800+ of them!)
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by choice. And knowing which book to read to your child can be a difficult decision to make!
So I’ve compiled a list of the books that parents tell me they love, as well as those that I love (personally and professionally). So I guess you could say that these are the books I always seem to recommend to parents. These are books that are comprehensive and talk about lots of different sex ed topics (instead of just one topic).
Books are a valuable resource that many parents use for sex education. They help you to provide your child with child-friendly information about love, sex, relationships and growing up. This means you can then focus more on the conversation with your child instead of trying to remember what you were supposed to be saying!
If you’re unsure about the best way to read these types of books with kids, this article will help you discover the secret of reading sex education books for kids.
If you want to learn more about sex education, then visit my Sex Education 101 page!
NOTE: Before passing any book to your child or reading it with them, you should read it yourself first. I might think it is a great book for a certain age child or that the information is valuable, but you may disagree. Try to choose books that reflect your values and the messages you want your child to receive.
Top 10 sex education books (that even parents will enjoy!)
1. Everyone’s Got a Bottom
by Tess Rowley (Suitable for 3-5 yo)
This is a popular book that covers quite a lot of the topics that lay the foundations for sex education and preventing sexual abuse in the early years. It is a great first book as it covers many different topics in one book. It’s an excellent book to get started with!
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2. Pregnancy, families, diversity & bodies
by Robie H. Harris (Suitable for 3-8 yo)
A popular set of books that each focus on a different topic – body parts, families, diversity and pregnancy. I always recommend these books to parents as they cover some of the key topics for sex education. Plus, they provide the foundations for future talks about sexual intercourse. Buy all four books!
Who has what?
Who’s in my family?
Who we are!
What’s in there?
Starting puberty conversations early means kids are usually more accepting (and less frightened) about puberty when it happens!
3. First Conversations
by Megan Madison et al. (Suitable for 2-8 yo)
A lovely set of books on important topics like consent, love, diversity, families, bodies, gender and more. These are all important topics that come under the umbrella of sex education. And they are books that will help your child to grow up into an adult to be proud of! Grab the whole set!
All of the Books
4. The ‘big’ Robie H. Harris books
by Robie H. Harris (Suitable for 4-14 yo)
These wildly popular books with parents are what I would call a sex-ed encyclopedia of what kids need to know at the different stages of sexual development. These are the sort of books that your kids will take and disappear off to the bedroom to read alone. Parents also seem to love them as well! You can read them together with your child, and I would recommend breaking them down into chapters.
It’s not the stork
It’s so amazing
It’s perfectly normal
5. Let’s Talk About the Birds and the Bees
by Molly Potter (Suitable for 5-10 yo)
This is one of my favourites because it’s the only sex education book that you really need for preschoolers and early primary school-aged kids. It’s simple, but it literally covers everything you need to talk about with your child, including gender differences, the private body parts, what private means, what touching is okay, puberty, how babies are made, sexual intercourse, love and much more. Sex is explained in this book, but the illustration is of a man and woman lying next to each other in a bed. It also explains that babies can also be made in other ways.
Find practical tools to educate kids about sex education in the Sex Ed Shop
6. Making A Baby
by Rachel Greener (Suitable for 5-10 yo)
This is my favourite book for explaining how babies are made (including sex) in an inclusive way! It’s one of the few books for younger children that includes different family times, genders and the different ways a baby can be made. It also provides more detailed information about the other ways to make a baby. It also discusses pregnancy, when a baby/fetus dies, and birthing. The book has a lovely description of sexual intercourse, as well. I love this book, and it’s one I am always recommending to parents!
7. Inclusive sex ed books
by Cory Silverberg (Suitable for 5-14 yo)
These popular books by Cory Silverberg are very popular with parents who are looking for inclusive books. Also, the focus is on sexuality in these books (not sex). So they include all the things kids need to know to one day have happy, healthy and respectful relationships.
What makes a baby?
Sex is a funny word
You know, sex?
8. The Every Body Book
by Rachel Simon (Suitable for 7-12 yo)
This book is very popular with parents looking for a ‘general’ sex ed book that’s also inclusive. It’s similar to the big Robie H. Harris books but not as comprehensive. The best way to describe this book is as an illustrated LGBTQ+ inclusive kid’s guide to sex, gender and relationships education that includes children and families of all genders and sexual orientations, covering puberty, hormones, consent, sex, pregnancy and safety.
9. How do you Make a Baby?
by Anna Fiske (Suitable for 8-13 yo)
This is more of a ‘how babies are made’ book than a ‘general’ sex ed book. But I wanted to include it as it’s a great book for talking about the meaning of sex. And it actually talks about the different ways people can ‘do’ sex. Plus, it’s inclusive and talks about man/woman, woman/woman and man/man sex. This is a good book to consider if you’re after an illustrated book with a more detailed explanation of sex.
10. Sex ed for teens
by multiple authors (Suitable for 12-16 yo)
There are a lot of sex education books for teens, but these three are the ones that I always seem to recommend to parents. So, if you have a tween or teen and want a book that talks more about sex, then check these out!
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I hope you find the perfect sex education book for your child. If you’re undecided, please message me and ask!
Happy talking!
❤️ Cath
Looking for more sex education resources? Then visit my Sex Education 101 page!