Is This Normal?: MORE Girls' Questions, Answered by the Editors of The Care & Keeping of You

by Darcie Johnston

This helpful resource book is filled with over 100 letters from real girls like you with questions about their changing bodies, and expert answers to each one. Plus, the back of the book features tips on how to talk to your parents about puberty and other touchy topics.

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2015

Reviews

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally solid collection of questions teens and especially pre-teens face about puberty and life.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great resource! A companion guide to "The Care and Keeping of You", this book is comprised entirely of questions from readers/other young girls. It's a great read to give your child after they have read "Care and Keeping" in case they have the same questions. Furthermore, it reminds your child that they are not alone in their questions, their curiosity, or their emotions. Highly recommend.

[Jenae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still not as validating or research-informed (long shot, I know) as I’d like but I appreciate the updates and clarifications they made to this edition

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s an okay book for young girls ages 8-13. I really appreciated the Q&A format. I also felt this was a bit of a better read than “The Care and Keeping of You 2.” It does a nice job of focusing on healthy hygiene, exercise, and eating habits. It also does a decent job of giving prompts for how to begin conversations with parents, other adults, and peers. However, it is significantly lacking in a lot of other areas.

This revised edition came out in 2018, so I’m a bit disappointed at how antiquated and/or inadequate some of the info/advice is. There was a lot of focus on shallow topics based on appearance, like ear piercing and bras that are too colorful, and not much substance on the emotional changes and challenges during puberty. It seemed to really push for pads as the go-to period product, and totally left out period cups. I hated that it downplayed how varied and traumatic period pain can be. The sections covering peers picking on each other left little advice beyond “tell them you’re growing up” and just tolerate it. The section covering sexual attraction was only a paragraph and only acknowledges that attraction between boys and girls starts during puberty, but that’s about it. Considering the minefield that is attraction, much more should have been addressed including LGBTQ attraction.

If you’re looking for a basic Q&A style book to get ideas for starting conversations, this one is okay. However, there are probably better options out there that are more contemporary and comprehensive.

[Jennifer R. Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book for girls that are 8,9,10,11,12 beware don't read it to boys get them something different to read

[Sarah Nealy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I had this book when I was a kid, but reading it now to my younger self helped heal some old wounds. Every girl should be told she's normal and beautiful!