A guide to a teen's changing body

Harris, R. H., & Emberley, M. (1994). It's perfectly normal: A book about changing bodies, growing up, sex, and sexual health. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. This is a hard book to find, but I would say well worth the effort. Harris approaches each topic in an honest and objective manner, addressing the biology of the developing adolescent. The subject of sexuality is handled without addressing the morality of individual beliefs, and includes information about masturbation, homosexuality, bisexuality, and sexually transmitted diseases. Important to note is that it describes sexual abuse and encourages readers to report the abuse. The illustrations are accurate and colorful without being cartoonish or overly graphic. This is an excellent health resource for adolescents. There are some obvious issues regarding having this book in the library. Parent protests would be expected, and it could be distracting should a student bring it to class. As a librarian, I don’t think this is a book to have in the stacks, but better kept in a special collection. I would encourage librarians to bring it to the attention of the school counselors and nurse, and allow parents to check it out then take it home to read with their children.

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