The Boys’ Guide to Growing Up by Phil Wilkinson
Short Summary
The Boy’s Guide to Growing Up by Phil Wilkinson is a straightforward puberty book for boys that covers the basics of body changes, feelings, and sex. It is simple, popular, and often recommended for neurodivergent kids, but it is not especially neuroaffirming and is limited in its gender inclusivity.
Age Group
Suitable for children aged 9 to 12 years.
Topics Discussed
Puberty (All) | Puberty (Sex) | Puberty (Boys only) | Puberty (Boys + Sex) | Growing Up | Sex (all sexual activities) | Feelings
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Buy a copy of The Boys’ Guide to Growing Up by Phil Wilkinson from Amazon.
What this book is about
- The Boy’s Guide to Growing Up is a puberty book for boys by Phil Wilkinson.
- It covers the classic puberty topics, including hormones, body changes, height and weight, deeper voices, skin changes, body hair, shaving, smells, and hygiene.
- The book includes simple drawings of genitals, including a penis with a foreskin, which is still not that common in some puberty books.
- It talks about penis size differences, which can help reassure kids who are comparing themselves to others.
- It includes emotional and social topics too, such as romantic feelings, confidence, self-esteem, mood swings, privacy, exercise, and healthy eating.
- It does talk about sex and baby-making, so this is one of the puberty books for younger readers that goes beyond just body changes.
- There is a brief mention of same-sex attraction, so it is not completely heterosexual in its examples.
- It also includes a section on puberty for girls, which can help boys understand what other people may be going through.
- The language is clear and fairly direct, which is one reason it gets recommended for autistic and other neurodivergent kids. That said, it is not especially neuroaffirming and does not really reflect the lived experience of autistic kids going through puberty.
- It is also not very inclusive in regards to gender, so don’t expect discussion of transgender or non-binary experiences.
- So, if you want a basic, factual puberty book for boys that also includes sex, this is a solid option.
I hope you find this book review helpful!
Happy talking!
❤️ Cath