Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys

by Cara Natterson, Micah Player (Illustrator)

From the author of the bestselling Care & Keeping of You series! This book will provide you with the answers that will help you take care of yourself better, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to shaving, acne to voice changes, and everything in between. With tips, how-tos, and facts from a real pediatrician, it's the perfect book to help you learn about your body's changes.

Genres: Parenting, Childrens, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Science, Health, Education

112 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2017

About the author

DR. CARA NATTERSON is a leading voice in puberty and adolescent health. A pediatrician, speaker, and the co-host of the This Is So Awkward podcast, she is the author of ten books including the bestselling This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained and the New York Times bestselling "The Care and Keeping of You" series.

When her own kids started puberty, Cara founded Less Awkward, the first company aimed at making puberty less cringey and more comfortable with both product and content. These days, puberty starts between 8-10 for most kids and it lasts a decade. The kids going through it and the adults helping them all deserve less cringe and more joy, which is why everything Cara does delivers crucial information in a relatable, reliable way.

Cara graduated from Harvard college and Johns Hopkins Medical School, trained at UCSF. She has two college aged kids and lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼]

~ review copy provided

Back about 2012 I began looking for a book for boys about puberty and growing up. I looked EVERYWHERE. It was strange but while I had no problem finding a book for his older sister when I needed one, I could not find a great book for guys.

What I ended up with was The Boys Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU. And while it covered most of the material I wanted, I loathed the negative approach that included suggesting to boys that it's normal to not want to talk to the adults in their life. (That might be true for some kids, but I assure you that there are plenty of young guys who talk to their moms and dads, aunts and uncles... about everything.)

So I read the book and didn't give it our son.

Now, rocket forward to 2017. My now 15 year-old dude doesn't need this book anymore, but I now have in hand a book I can work with. GUY STUFF by Dr. Natterson is upbeat and formatted to be fun with goofy artwork in places, and lots of discussions about all the changes that are in the works.

GUY STUFF covers everything from the hair explosion, to growth patterns, diet, sports safety, and how to deal with embarrassing topics. IT IS NOT a perfect book, but it is absolutely the best out there at this time. It's not, for example, a book for a 15 year old, but it should be great for pre- and early teens.

Which makes it good for parents. I remember at the time one of the things I wanted from a book was how to approach these topics. What I found is that sometimes our boy would approach me and sometimes his dad when he had a question. With a book like this you will find yourself more prepared and organized. And you can leave the book around for sisters and younger brothers to read, not just the boy that needs it to get his 'head around' what is coming in the near future.

RECOMMEND. Best book our family has found.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very approachable book for boys on the younger side (8-11ish). It reads like an owner's manual for your body as a whole (how to properly brush your teeth; how to treat basic injuries; choosing the right hair products; etc.), rather than just a guide to puberty. The approach is body neutral, and there is a lot of encouragement for communication between boys and their parents. It also encourages boys to be mindful of not internalizing the idealized images of men's bodies that are portrayed in media and on social media, as well as society's idea of "manliness." This is 100% the type of book that I would want my son to have as he learns more about growing up and taking care of himself.

[Adrian Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The American Girl Body Book for Girls was a great book about growing up that really helped my oldest, a girl, and so now that my second child (a boy) is verging on teenagerhood I decided to get the book they wrote for boys, hoping it would have the same matter-of-fact tone about all the changes that happen to boys when they start turning into men. I tried several other books as well, but they were usually all about sex, and I didn't want a book about sex, I wanted a book about the changes in his body and the changes in societal expectations - like shaving.

There was something off in this book though. So I asked Mr. Brown to read it, and he said, "This was written by a woman, wasn't it?" And it is. From the guy perspective, he says, "It doesn't actually answer any of the questions that I had when my body started changing. It just talks about hygiene. That's how you can tell it's written by a woman."

Bummer.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good great for when you start talking to your children about puberty , but if you're looking for a very informative book this is not what I recommend.

[Natali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! I bought it for my 12 year-old son so I read it first. He is about 1/3 through and he likes it. It is like a user manual for being a teen boy. It’s well organized and straight forward but also conversational and friendly. It covers topics such as erections and emotions but also exercise, nutrition and sleep, as well as how to style and care for your hair and how to handle body order. It made me think about all of the responsibility that I have had for him all these years that he’ll have to learn to own himself. I’m super grateful for this book to drive a lot of these things home for him. Bravo!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect overview of body changes and hygiene for boys. Not too much not too little. Giving it to Wes tomorrow 😳🥴

[Aiden DeFlumeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very good idea to teach children about puberty

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for tween and young teen boys to read to understand the changes that puberty will bring to their bodies. My 16-year-old was less interested because the physical book is larger like a picture book, and he wasn’t as drawn to the cartoon layout. I suspect he will start reading it and get more interested, because it answers a lot of questions and provides basic body care tips.

It’s laid out well and easy to read.

[Heather Christopherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this before giving it to my 8.5 year old. He read it himself and now we're reading it together. It's a good book about the basics. I liked that it also included some stuff on nutrition and how all bodies are different shapes and sizes and all are wonderful. Very body positive.

[Michelle Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this has been my favorite puberty boys body book that I have read. It covers health, hygiene, and what to expect in regard to body and emotional changes during puberty. It does a good job covering things in an accurate and easy to read manner and encourages boys to ask questions/seek answers from reliable sources/trusted adults which I appreciate.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers head to toe changes and care for a male body. I read this book aloud with my 10 year old son. The content was well paced from the easy to talk about bodily care to the more challenging physical changes. I appreciated the frank style of the author and I think this book will help a parent create a foundation for future open conversations about the male body.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a son who turns 11 this year, and a friend recommended this illustrated primer about puberty. A good, basic handbook to becoming a teenager, including some good advice about hygiene, nutrition, exercise, and coping with mood swings. Definitely a resource I’ll be recommending to other parents.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers everything you’d want to know about how to care for your body from skin and hair care to odors and emotions. So glad I have it for my almost adolescent boy. It’s nice to have the information coming from someone in addition to parents! Covers diet and exercise too.

[Charles Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this can really help boys in this stage express their feelings and this book will also answer questions

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so this reads well and covers some good information. I'm just not sure if my son (the target audience) liked it and got enough out of it for me to bump it up to a 3 star. I read this because I also read her Decoding Boys book. While disappointed with that one, I did like the Care and Keeping of You American Girl books she wrote and thought it would be good to have something to kick start conversations with my son that was written for him and in language he could relate to.

First of all, this is short which is both good and bad. And there are a lot of visuals. Also good and bad. I feel like it did a decent job of walking the line between the younger reader and the older reader, but I also feel like there was a lot missing. The whole topic of relationships and sex is glossed over in this book. And I get that the job of talking about this is really up to parents, but for some boys their parents will never have "the talk;" and this may be their only way into the discussion.

I also found that there was heavy emphasis on hygiene and the like while it tended to touch only briefly on the things that would be more likely to stay behind closed doors for some boys like erections and wet dreams. What she does write is engaging, to the point, and clear. Just wish that she'd maybe given the more sensitive topics a bit more room in the short book. I do get that some things like brushing your teeth are often skipped by parents, and it's consistent with the girl book. But there are also things happening that are not going to be covered by the dentist ....

In the end, it was an ok book. But it didn't work IMO as well as her other girl-focused equivalents. Like Decoding Boys, there was a bit too much science talk and too little of the practical advice for boys.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful for boys transitioning through puberty and life. Straight forward, clear, not over sexualized or confusingly vague. Read w my son and it’s really handy to know that HE knows that what he’s going through is not bad or unusual.

[Bonnie Raz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it, then we read it together, now he can keep it.

[Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good friend told me about this book the other day. My daughter read, reread, and learned so much from The Care and Keeping of You. We had (and still have) a good relationship that has always enabled her to ask any questions but sometimes having a book to refer to can make an uncomfortable situation like puberty a little easier.

Finding a book for boys that is helpful, informative, and honest is terrific. I liked that the book stresses talking to parents/trusted adults and not heading to websites that might give misinformation. The author also talks about feelings, bullying, society's views of "manning up" and other subjects.

I ordered this book for my son as a birthday gift (he will be 11 next month). It is appealing, factual, and informative. I know my son will like having another resource to consult and it will enable him to better understand his body.

[Sarah Winslow]

Morally neutral, widely informative. Will pass on to my 10yo without concern or need for followup correction or clarification.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting read! First of all, the style of this book was great. The illustrations and comic-feel make it a fun read--definitely enticing for young boys. In general, I don't really approve of having separate "gender" books--especially since Natterson only labels boys and girls, and identifies them based on their genitalia. I don't think any of her books are gender-exclusive and this one is a great example as it includes several topics that could relate to anyone--like braces and oral care. I did appreciate several subtle things she included like the short section on body privacy where she tells the reader your body is your own and no one has the right to touch it and make you feel uncomfortable. There is a subtle but pointed discussion relating to sexual harassment and molestation which I think is really valuable, as many young boys are either scared and embarrassed to tell someone, or they refuse to consider themselves the victim. I thought the sections on hygiene, hormones, and erections were all well thought-out and made comments to comfort the reader in reminding them that they are not alone. Highly recommend for your younger kids, even if they don't want to discuss anything afterwards.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It mentioned some people are carnivores. No, no one is truly a carnivore or they'd die of malnutrition. I crossed it out and wrote "omnivore" in my book and added words to make it accurate. I wish they hadn't talked about strategies to not cry and about "manning up" but they did say that you should not stifle emotions, so I'll let it slide. I wish they had talked more about sexuality and masturbation. They did not mention masturbation at all and barely a whiff of sexuality was noted. Maybe it's because it's made by American Girl for younger pre-teens, but. But! I guess I'll have to find another book or find ways for my husband and myself to talk to our boy about that stuff. That's why four stars rather than five. Overall, I liked it.

[Heather O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about the changes a boy's body goes through during puberty.

I wanted to explore this topic with my boys (ages 12 & 10) again since my oldest should be starting to go through puberty very soon. I read the book to my boys and about 95% of the information was not new to them (yay to my husband and me for already discussing this stuff with them). The book is written in a very easy to read style with some good illustrations to go along with what is being written about. I think that this book is actually a good starter book for puberty changes. The book doesn't really discuss sex or other gender issues, which makes it so you need to get other books or add to the discussion.

[Jenna Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

We checked out several books on puberty for our son, and this was a good one. We ultimately went with the book "Guy Stuff Feelings" for our son because we wanted something specifically focused on emotional regulation, but this was good too.

This is a comprehensive overview- It is divided into Body Basics, Heads Up (Face, Hair, Sun care, Teeth, Braces,etc), Belly Zone (Great focus on Nutrition and Vitamins), Big Changes (Hormones), Get Going (legs and height, safety, fitness, and rest), and Your Inner You (Feelings, being a GUY).

I really liked that there is a section devoted to nutrition and vitamins, as well as fitness. The sections seemed logical and easy to revisit when they are relevant to you.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not a book I would pick up to casually read, this had a great amount of information for boys about their bodies. It went from head to toe (literally - the chapters were organized by areas of the body) and spent some intentional time on brain development, diet, sleep, decision making, mood swings, emotions, and relationships with other people when you're feeling emotional. On top of that, it includes all the information I wanted my 10yo son to have about shaving, armpits, and the private area. Finally, it addresses proactively the kinds of things teen boys are known for: smelliness and sweating, athlete's foot, skid marks, etc.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the book I was looking for! It covers a wide range of topics that are helpful and the concepts are perfectly geared towards boys that will be entering puberty. It covers personal hygiene and the importance of doing it well, healthy habits, what to expect in the coming years and yes, even the BIG changes that come along with puberty too. According to the author puberty can begin around age 9, but many of the topics are appropriate for my 8 year old so we will read those sections now and save the rest for a more appropriate time. Thrilled to have found this book!

This is the same author who wrote Decoding Boys, I highly recommend checking out that book, for adults, as well.

[Camie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
I pre-read this book before passing it onto my son. It covers a lot of basics that I wouldn’t have thought about besides just puberty (cutting toenails, hair care, healthy eating, sports drinks, and more). It also covers the expected puberty changes but more from a hygiene perspective than a medical/science perspective. (FWIW, I also think there should be a chapter on girls in this book so boys are aware of that too. I don’t think they need to read an equivalent “girl puberty book” but I think puberty for one gender should include knowing what’s going on with the other gender.)

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book that covers all of the bases in helping boys understand so much of what’s going on as their bodies change.

I wish I had something like this when I was growing up. And I wish I had something like this to have read with my sons as they were growing up.

I’m always on the lookout for great resources to recommend to others. This is a great book for a father to give to his son, or better yet to read through with his son. Even a grandfather with his grandson. Being able to share your own stories will no doubt help with bonding.

Good job, authors!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one focuses not only on the body itself including each body parts like your eyes change but then the crux of the book, how sexual organs mature during puberty but then it also goes deeper and that's what I like about this one for my pubescent boys to read and my husband and I to talk about-- feelings, attitude, hormones, etc.

The approach is non-judgement and shares the facts as well as tools. I always like a good nonfiction book to share tips, tricks, and tools when encountering a problem. This one does just that.

[Keri Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a great addition to the 5th grade growing and changing unit! This text addresses everything from pee & puberty to pimples & peer pressure. Boys will “enjoy” the graphics and short informational passages. Teachers will find this a great companion and mentor text to help navigate sensitive personal and curricular topics. This might draw unnecessary attention for younger readers on a regular shelf so schools should consider how to circulate for age appropriateness.

[Jeremy LaLonde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a FANTASTIC book and should be essential reading for kids and adults alike. It covers so much ground in a really simple and easy way to explain. I just skimmed through it, but even I confirmed some stuff I was curious about and I can't wait to go through it again with my son - or let him read it by himself and be there to answer any questions he may have. A worthy investment and a solid resource to have your child have access to!