Book Review
An overview of the book
This book was written by Lynda Madaras with her daughter Area. This book is an oldie but a goodie. The first edition came out in 1983, so 24 years ago, with the latest edition in 2007. So this book is 10 years old but it is still a good little book.
The author, Lynda Madaras, has written a whole series of books on puberty. I had to actually look at all of the books together, to try and work out what the differences between them all were.
The first book is called On your mark, get set, grow! It is a book for younger boys because some kids do start puberty earlier than their friends. So you don’t want to overwhelm a younger child with too much information about puberty. Also, sex is not discussed in these books.
The next book for boys is called My boy, My self for boys. It is targeting the tween and younger teen and includes activities that can be completed by your child. It has a minimal discussion about sex too.
Then there is this book, What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys. It talks about puberty but it also talks about all the other things that go with puberty. Puberty is all about hormones, and the sex hormones don’t just change the body. They also change the way that we think about our friends so that we start to see them in a different way, by starting to like them. This is the start of sexual attraction.
This book also talks about other relevant topics like; sexual attraction, sexual feelings, things you can catch, falling pregnant etc.
There is a lot of content inside its 220 pages. It is a thick book with lots of writing. It is like a novel or chapter book ie just row after row of writing. So you wouldn’t give this book to a tween who is struggling with literacy. You do need to make sure that it is at the correct reading level.
What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys starts off with puberty. It talks about what happens to boys, what happens to girls, and then talks about making babies ie sperm, ejaculation etc.
Then it talks about the beginning changes and the stages of puberty. So it talks about the first changes that happen, with an emphasis on the fact that every child is different ie for some kids, the changes happen faster and sooner than others. So it does normalise change for children.
It then goes into the owner’s guide of the sex organs what normal and what is not. So what I like about this, is that it talks about penis size. The long and the short, what is average. The myths about penis size.
When a boy is growing up and he is at swimming classes, he will start to compare the size of his penis to other boys. It is common for them to wonder, worry and to think that their penis isn’t normal or that it isn’t big enough. So books like this are good when they normalise the fact that they all come in different shapes and sizes. Because our bodies are different, our faces are all different, therefore our genitals are as well.
What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys talks about circumcision and the growth spurt that happens with puberty. As well as pimples, body odour, sweating, hair, shaving and other things.
It then talks about how the penis actually changes so that you have erections more often. As well as the fact that the penis and testicles grow. It then gets into ejaculation, wet dreams and about how masturbation will now be different. Orgasm is discussed, which of course goes with ejaculation.
What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys talks about what happens with girls in regards to puberty. Then it gets into romantic and sexual feelings. This is about the fact that you might start to have different feelings towards your friends and peers, and why this happens. Same-sex attraction, dating, falling in love, birth control, STI, rape and other topics like this, are also discussed. Pornography, sexting and social media is not discussed, as it wasn’t an issue when this book was revised.
What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys by Lynda Madaras, is actually a good little book, but I would like to see an updated version. If you are looking for a book that talks about a bit more than just puberty then it is a good book.
At the end of the day, it comes down to personal taste and choosing the book that you are comfortable with and what your child comfortable with. The value of books like this is that you know that your child will be accessing information that is factual. Most of what they will find on google is unreliable.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 11 to 13 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys by Lynda Madaras from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription of the book review
Alright, let’s talk about the book Okay, What’s Happening To Me for boys. It’s written by Lynda Madaras and her daughter Aria (I hope I pronounced their names right, but if not, my bad!).
Now, this book has been around for a while. The first edition came out in 1983, which was about 24 years ago, and the latest version was released in 2007. So yeah, it’s been almost ten years since the last update. But you know what? It’s still a pretty good book.
I actually took the time to compare all these different books on puberty, and here’s what I found. The first one is called On Your Mark, Set, Grow, and it’s for younger kids. See, some children start going through puberty at a younger age, like around eight years old. So you don’t want to overwhelm them with too much information about puberty just yet.
Then there’s another book called My Body, Myself, which has some activities inside. You know, pages where you can write and stuff. But it’s a simpler book that focuses only on puberty. It doesn’t talk about things like sexual attraction, catching diseases, or getting pregnant. Now, the book we’re talking about, Okay, What’s Happening To Me, goes into much more detail.
It’s a big book, about 220 pages thick. So it’s not something you’d give to a twelve-year-old who’s struggling with reading. You want to make sure your child can actually understand and enjoy it.
The book covers a lot of ground. It starts with puberty, explaining what happens to boys and girls. It talks about how babies are made, sperm, ejaculation, and all that stuff. Then it goes into the different stages of puberty, from the first changes to everything else. It’s based on something called the Tanner Scale, which shows that every child is different and develops at their own pace. So it’s all normal, no need to worry.
There’s also a section that’s like an owner’s guide to the sex organs. It explains what’s normal and what’s not. I really appreciate that they talk about penis size, because let’s face it, boys can get self-conscious about that. The book debunks myths about penis size and emphasizes that our bodies are all different, just like our faces. So no need to stress about it.
It covers other topics too, like growth spurts, pimples, body odor, sweating, hair, shaving, and more. It even talks about how the penis changes, with more erections and all that. And of course, it goes into ejaculation, wet dreams, and how masturbation changes as well. It’s important to have accurate information about these things.
The book also covers what happens with girls during puberty, and it even touches on romantic and sexual feelings. You know, those thoughts and feelings that can change when you start seeing your friends differently. It also talks about same-sex attraction, dating, falling in love, birth control, STIs, and even rape. It’s a lot of information, but it’s good to have it all in one place.
At the end of the book, there are some additional resources you can check out. Now, keep in mind that this book was written a while ago, so it doesn’t touch on the topic of pornography. Back then, it wasn’t as accessible as it is now with smartphones and all. But overall, it’s still a pretty good book.
When it comes to choosing a book on puberty, it really depends on your personal preference and what your child is comfortable with. The great thing about books like this is that they provide factual information, so your kids can learn from a reliable source instead of stumbling upon who knows what online.
Alright, I think the animals in the background are about to start fighting again. So, all in all, Okay, What’s Happening To Me is not a bad little book. Cheers!
