The Care & Keeping of You by Valorie Schaefer

Whether you want to remove it or leave it there is a very personal decision.'Īlso, the book is good about promoting healthy attitudes towards all body shapes and sizes. Others aren't bothered by it one little bit. For example, on page 42, it says this about underarm hair: 'Some girls don't like it. I liked that the book presented options without judgement. Is that TMI? Some people might balk or be shocked at those illustrations, however, I found them to be in good taste, and their matter-of-fact existence helps take away any sense of mystery around those topics. Maybe some potential readers would find it important to know that the illustrations do include drawings of what breasts might look like at various stages of development, as well drawings that depict 'How to Use a Pad'. It's a quick and easy read, consisting of short paragraphs and plenty of colorful text and illustrations. Whether or not you're an American Girl fan, the branding helps to give the book a familiar, non-threatening feel.īoth my 9-year-old daughter and I read this book - separately - in basically one sitting. I think it helps, too, that this is an 'American Girl' book. By presenting the 'things that will change about you' topics alongside the 'things that you probably already know about your body' topics, the former topics come across as perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed or scared about.

There are even sections on dental hygiene and using sun screen.

There are sections on braces, acne, and underarms, as well as nutrition, sleep, fitness, and hair care. It's not just about the breasts and bras and period part of puberty.

The Care & Keeping of You by Valorie Schaefer