What do you think?
Rate this book
Being a Boy
Everything you wanted to know about puberty, but were too afraid to Google. Queen of Teen nominee, acclaimed YA author and former PSHCE teacher, James Dawson, expertly guides boys through puberty from surviving the social scene to learning about sex, how to pull, dealing with spotty faces and everything in between. Witty text paired with over 50 hilarious black-and-white illustrations by Spike Gerrell makes this the essential guide to growing up brutal honesty included.
- GenresNonfiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2013
5 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 31, 2015
I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this book and without a doubt it is a perfect book for teenage boys.
Being a boy talks to teenage boys in a frank and funny way about being a teenager, going through puberty and sex. It isn't judgemental or glamourised and sets the facts out straight. In a world where the sexualisation of children is rife and where hard core porn can be access by all with the click of a button this book is so needed. What I love about this book is it is so frank. It outllines facts such as, the vital impoortance of safe sec, the fact that everyone has body hair, that sex seen in porn isn't realistic and that everyone everywhere no matter what gender of sexual orientation is capable of finding a loving relationship if they so choose to wish to do so. In an age when unrealistic body images which are airbrushed and manipulated are portrayed by the media as the norm I can't think of better messages for teenage boys to hear.
I love how unjudgemental this book is. It screams equality for all regardless of sex or gender identity and encourages teens not to label themselves whilst they are still young and finding out who they want to be. In addition to all the sex stuff it has lovely messages about being a decent human being, bullying, treating people with respect and about feminism which is also vitally important for young men to hear. I particularly loved the social hierarchy stereotypes including characters such as the 'pin head peacock', the 'sheep' and my personal favourite the 'shitweasel' which was used to outline vividly the types of people you should aim not to be in life if possible.
I could go on for ages about the messages contained within this book and now important they are however for me the real selling point and the reason why this will be popular within the target audience is how it doesn't take itself too seriously. Quite honestly I have never laughed so much reading a book about sex and puberty which is a stark contrast to the dreaded sex education lessons I remember being subjected to as a teen when my crumbly old science teacher bored us through the dry biological parts of puberty and then horrified us through personal stories of his own sexual conquests in the seventies substituting sandwich bags for condoms. Being delivered in such a funny and accessible way is so engaging and whilst driving vital messages home.
A fantastic and much needed book for teenage boys which offers frank, non-judgemental and honest advice from someone who has been there. In age of Internet porn, and unrealistic body image role models this book is utterly vital for those hopping precariously through the puberty minefield.
Being a boy talks to teenage boys in a frank and funny way about being a teenager, going through puberty and sex. It isn't judgemental or glamourised and sets the facts out straight. In a world where the sexualisation of children is rife and where hard core porn can be access by all with the click of a button this book is so needed. What I love about this book is it is so frank. It outllines facts such as, the vital impoortance of safe sec, the fact that everyone has body hair, that sex seen in porn isn't realistic and that everyone everywhere no matter what gender of sexual orientation is capable of finding a loving relationship if they so choose to wish to do so. In an age when unrealistic body images which are airbrushed and manipulated are portrayed by the media as the norm I can't think of better messages for teenage boys to hear.
I love how unjudgemental this book is. It screams equality for all regardless of sex or gender identity and encourages teens not to label themselves whilst they are still young and finding out who they want to be. In addition to all the sex stuff it has lovely messages about being a decent human being, bullying, treating people with respect and about feminism which is also vitally important for young men to hear. I particularly loved the social hierarchy stereotypes including characters such as the 'pin head peacock', the 'sheep' and my personal favourite the 'shitweasel' which was used to outline vividly the types of people you should aim not to be in life if possible.
I could go on for ages about the messages contained within this book and now important they are however for me the real selling point and the reason why this will be popular within the target audience is how it doesn't take itself too seriously. Quite honestly I have never laughed so much reading a book about sex and puberty which is a stark contrast to the dreaded sex education lessons I remember being subjected to as a teen when my crumbly old science teacher bored us through the dry biological parts of puberty and then horrified us through personal stories of his own sexual conquests in the seventies substituting sandwich bags for condoms. Being delivered in such a funny and accessible way is so engaging and whilst driving vital messages home.
A fantastic and much needed book for teenage boys which offers frank, non-judgemental and honest advice from someone who has been there. In age of Internet porn, and unrealistic body image role models this book is utterly vital for those hopping precariously through the puberty minefield.
August 7, 2021
Mu enda poisid pole seda veel lugenud, aga juba praegu julgen soojalt soovitada. Sellest raamatust saab nii praktilisi kui ka mõtlemist muutvaid nõuandeid. Eks teismeliseiga ongi muutuste aeg nii füüsilisel kui vaimsel tasandil. See raamat annab vastuseid erinevatel tasanditel ja teemadel, kuid samal ajal on muhe ning illustreeritud mõnusate mustvalgete pitidega (karikatuuridega?), nii et lugemine igavaks ei lähe.
Pikemalt kirjutan blogis: http://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/202...
Pikemalt kirjutan blogis: http://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/202...
February 6, 2014
So brilliant.
Not really sure how best to review this book – I’m certainly not the intended audience.
Being A Boy is an honest and hilarious (if I ever meet James Dawson I feel I should applaud, though that will probably freak him out) book dealing with the pitfalls of being a teenager. While this book is for boys there is so much that would benefit both sexes.
The honesty is so refreshing, my school kinda failed beyond the usual diagrams for the sex-education. Like many others my knowledge came via friends and TV, neither of which helps much with the emotional side. I wish there had been a “being a” for me.
How you can make everyone read Being A Boy I don’t know but I wish I could, regardless of age or gender.
Not really sure how best to review this book – I’m certainly not the intended audience.
Being A Boy is an honest and hilarious (if I ever meet James Dawson I feel I should applaud, though that will probably freak him out) book dealing with the pitfalls of being a teenager. While this book is for boys there is so much that would benefit both sexes.
The honesty is so refreshing, my school kinda failed beyond the usual diagrams for the sex-education. Like many others my knowledge came via friends and TV, neither of which helps much with the emotional side. I wish there had been a “being a” for me.
How you can make everyone read Being A Boy I don’t know but I wish I could, regardless of age or gender.
December 22, 2013
Been looking forward to reading this for ages, so when I bought it for my nephews for Christmas I had to have a sneaky read first. Absolutely loved it. Perfectly pitched, laugh out loud funny and full of useful and important information.
Really hope my nephews read it (one of them once said "Why do you always buy us books? Why don't you get us anything good?") and I'll definitely be giving it to my sons once they're old enough.
Really hope my nephews read it (one of them once said "Why do you always buy us books? Why don't you get us anything good?") and I'll definitely be giving it to my sons once they're old enough.
July 28, 2020
2-3🌟
Gode elementer
Men kan en bog bliver forældet?
Gode elementer
Men kan en bog bliver forældet?
August 12, 2019
This was a really great book, and whilst I'm certainly not the target audience for a book like this by any means I thought it was a wonderful experience.
The author did a brilliant job of covering all the different physical, mental and emotional aspects of going through puberty as a boy; appearance changes, social hierarchies, sex and relationships, STIs and pregnancy, how to be a good significant other - and even how to break up with someone without being a douche!
Honest and hilarious from the get-go, this was a really easy read and would be a great starting point for parents who just don't know how to bring up these changes with their child, or for a boy who doesn't know what to expect. I think my favourite thing about it was that there were so many variations on what to expect for someone going through puberty... and none were presented as "abnormal". There's an entire spectrum of people that go through puberty and I loved that this one didn't simply focus on being "straight".
A great spectrum of things relating to puberty are covered in this, and I highly recommend the read - regardless of whether you yourself are the target audience.
The author did a brilliant job of covering all the different physical, mental and emotional aspects of going through puberty as a boy; appearance changes, social hierarchies, sex and relationships, STIs and pregnancy, how to be a good significant other - and even how to break up with someone without being a douche!
Honest and hilarious from the get-go, this was a really easy read and would be a great starting point for parents who just don't know how to bring up these changes with their child, or for a boy who doesn't know what to expect. I think my favourite thing about it was that there were so many variations on what to expect for someone going through puberty... and none were presented as "abnormal". There's an entire spectrum of people that go through puberty and I loved that this one didn't simply focus on being "straight".
A great spectrum of things relating to puberty are covered in this, and I highly recommend the read - regardless of whether you yourself are the target audience.
November 8, 2022
fav book ever
August 16, 2014
I think it's fairly obvious but I'll say it anyway, I'm not now and never have been a teenage boy, so I don't exactly fall into the target audience for this book. In fact I couldn't get much further from the target audience if I tried so you might wonder why I even picked up a copy of this book in the first place. To be honest the main reason was because I'm a huge fa of James Dawson but I have to admit I was also curious about it too.
Being A Boy is a book that guides teenage boys through the minefield that is puberty, it talks frankly about the changes that they will go through both physically and emotionally and James Dawson doesn't pull any punches. He talks openly and honestly about the good and bad and this is a brilliant resource for teenagers who have questions about everything from talking to girls, first dates, being a boyfriend and even sex. Yes, this book will give teenagers the low down on sex, real sex not just the kind they'll find out about by looking up porn on the internet.
I'm sure that there will be some people out there who are horrified by how detailed this book can be but I think it's a wonderful resource that should be given to every teenage boy you know. This book answers the questions that boys are probably too embarrassed to ask an adult about and dispels the myths that are probably flying around the classroom at school. It gives advice on protecting yourself from STIs or unwanted pregnancy but it does it in an incredibly humorous and non-judgemental way. The whole book is written in that manner and I love that it is so honest about things. The most important message of all is that there is no such thing as normal, it doesn't matter if you're a boy who likes girls, boys or even both. It doesn't matter if you go through puberty before or after your friends do, everyone is different and it's all natural.
Being A Boy aims to fill the gap between what teenagers are taught in school and what they'll discover for themselves using the internet. I dread to think of the kind of things that they uncover by spending five minutes on google and this is certainly a way of making sure they get a more realistic view of sex. That isn't the only topic covered though and I'd say the parts about being a decent human being are just as important, if not more so. The overriding message throughout the book is to treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself, it speaks out against bullying and sexism and is all for equality. As much as this is aimed at boys there is actually a lot of advice on the emotional side of dating that is equally relevant to girls as well and I'm sure most teenagers could learn something from this book.
Being A Boy is a book that guides teenage boys through the minefield that is puberty, it talks frankly about the changes that they will go through both physically and emotionally and James Dawson doesn't pull any punches. He talks openly and honestly about the good and bad and this is a brilliant resource for teenagers who have questions about everything from talking to girls, first dates, being a boyfriend and even sex. Yes, this book will give teenagers the low down on sex, real sex not just the kind they'll find out about by looking up porn on the internet.
I'm sure that there will be some people out there who are horrified by how detailed this book can be but I think it's a wonderful resource that should be given to every teenage boy you know. This book answers the questions that boys are probably too embarrassed to ask an adult about and dispels the myths that are probably flying around the classroom at school. It gives advice on protecting yourself from STIs or unwanted pregnancy but it does it in an incredibly humorous and non-judgemental way. The whole book is written in that manner and I love that it is so honest about things. The most important message of all is that there is no such thing as normal, it doesn't matter if you're a boy who likes girls, boys or even both. It doesn't matter if you go through puberty before or after your friends do, everyone is different and it's all natural.
Being A Boy aims to fill the gap between what teenagers are taught in school and what they'll discover for themselves using the internet. I dread to think of the kind of things that they uncover by spending five minutes on google and this is certainly a way of making sure they get a more realistic view of sex. That isn't the only topic covered though and I'd say the parts about being a decent human being are just as important, if not more so. The overriding message throughout the book is to treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself, it speaks out against bullying and sexism and is all for equality. As much as this is aimed at boys there is actually a lot of advice on the emotional side of dating that is equally relevant to girls as well and I'm sure most teenagers could learn something from this book.
September 11, 2013
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
Being a Boy is a book about growing up. About puberty, dating and sex. It, as another author (Kim Curran) described it, fills the void between sex education in schools and online porn. But in a warts-and-all kinda way. It doesn't (pardon the pun) sex-up sex.
Now, as someone who had survived puberty, I think this would have been good to have when I was going up. It would have answered those questions I had. Do I have to be in a relationship as a teen? If I'm not ready to have sex, is that ok or does that make me a freak? Is my body meant to be doing that?
While James writes with his humour, he always writes with brutal honesty and this is needed. Though some of the illustrations (some, not all) by Spike Gerrell felt a tad childish for my liking, I think the two balanced each other. It was serious and talking about a serious subject matter, but it had humour (because... do you honestly think male teens would read this if it was just serious?), it helped make this short book feel useful and helpful.
My only worry with this book is how exactly teen boys are going to read it? It's not going to be seen as "cool" if you read this in public (and some teens care far too much about image - not all, but some). I can imagine that bookshops and library will put this under either "Non-Fiction", "Health" or (cringes a little) "Mind, Body and Soul" and when was the last time you saw a teen boy go ANYWAY near these genres? And if this book was given in class during sex education, I find it hard to believe that most boys in the class would read it. They would see it as homework or a punishment.
It might not be every boy's cup of tea but if one teen reads this and feels less alone in the world, then this book has done its job, right?
Being a Boy is a book about growing up. About puberty, dating and sex. It, as another author (Kim Curran) described it, fills the void between sex education in schools and online porn. But in a warts-and-all kinda way. It doesn't (pardon the pun) sex-up sex.
Now, as someone who had survived puberty, I think this would have been good to have when I was going up. It would have answered those questions I had. Do I have to be in a relationship as a teen? If I'm not ready to have sex, is that ok or does that make me a freak? Is my body meant to be doing that?
While James writes with his humour, he always writes with brutal honesty and this is needed. Though some of the illustrations (some, not all) by Spike Gerrell felt a tad childish for my liking, I think the two balanced each other. It was serious and talking about a serious subject matter, but it had humour (because... do you honestly think male teens would read this if it was just serious?), it helped make this short book feel useful and helpful.
My only worry with this book is how exactly teen boys are going to read it? It's not going to be seen as "cool" if you read this in public (and some teens care far too much about image - not all, but some). I can imagine that bookshops and library will put this under either "Non-Fiction", "Health" or (cringes a little) "Mind, Body and Soul" and when was the last time you saw a teen boy go ANYWAY near these genres? And if this book was given in class during sex education, I find it hard to believe that most boys in the class would read it. They would see it as homework or a punishment.
It might not be every boy's cup of tea but if one teen reads this and feels less alone in the world, then this book has done its job, right?
August 28, 2013
This book had be crying with laughter in parts! Picked this up at LeakyCon London, and it somehow turned into a sort of group read - as I'd read paragraphs out loud to my friends, and we even recorded a live version of 'The Boyfriend Test' (My friend Hannah is a pervy asshat as it turns out). The great thing about this book is that it is as funny as it is informative, and is a great guide for teenage boys going through puberty. (Being female, I can only guess, but the information in it is accurate and very useful!)
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick and funny read, but you have been warned that James does not hold back on being very honest in talking about every topic you can think of!
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick and funny read, but you have been warned that James does not hold back on being very honest in talking about every topic you can think of!
July 10, 2013
Everyone needs to read this, whether you're 10 or not! Whether you're female or male! Brilliant and bluntly put but so so funny and entertaining, can we have a girls version? I dare you to read a chapter and not giggle and read on. Go on.
January 1, 2015
Poriadne som sa nasmial. Konecne kniha, ktora hovori o vsetkom otvorene a s vtipom, ktory zaujme aj decka.
June 8, 2015
Wish I had this book when I was going through puberty myself - a very good resource to use
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews