The Boys Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for a Healthy, Happy You!

by Kelli S. Dunham

The updated fifth edition of the #1 bestselling Boy’s Body Book includes everything you need to know about growing up, even the embarrassing stuff.

Things can get rocky during puberty. That’s why we made the Boy’s Body Book. The updated fifth edition of this #1 bestselling book made just for boys contains everything you need to know about growing up, even the embarrassing stuff; it also includes topical issues like school safety and consent. Author and nurse Kelli Dunham covers everything from body changes to planning for college, giving pre-teen boys the answers they need to prepare for puberty and beyond.

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

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2011

Reviews

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't Care for This Book... but do read on

My son just turned 11. He's a kid-kid, a boy who is still fairly oblivious about any kind of teen issues, but as he's moving on to Middle School and will increasingly be out of mom and dad's parental sphere, it is definitely time to begin talking about the changes he and his body will be going through.

So we purchased this book, and I have to tell you that I DON'T LIKE IT.

The first thing I didn't like was that negativity in the Introduction. It was all about 'being afraid to ask questions', 'not being able to talk to your parents', 'being ignorant', 'being laughed at', and 'feeling awkward'. Now some kids might feel that way and the book may serve them well by taking such an approach. But my kids (13 & 11) still talk to me (and talk and talk and talk) and I don't really appreciate introducing negative notions that they may not have thought of otherwise.

Another thing I disliked was how jumpy the dialog seemed to be. I read the The Care and Keeping of You 1: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition with my daughter and it didn't have the same frenetic approach. In Chapter One, for example, the book discusses, Smell, Baths, Getting Dressed, Lotion, How Deodorant works, washing your hands, what a germ is, Shampooing hair, what conditioner is for, ear care, how loud noise can hurt your hearing, zits, washing your face, shaving, brushing your teeth, going to the dentist, braces, smelly feet, what Athlete's Feet is, Drinking, Smoking, and Drugs, Steroids, sleep, and wetting the bed. A lot for one chapter, and though related in topic, you have to know that each of these subjects were presented in the order I listed them, .AND. they were in different text 'bubbles'. I felt like I had whiplash at the end of the first chapter.

AND then there's the lack of diagrams. Girls books are chocked full of images of girl bodies. Girls and how they look at different stages of development. How their chest grows, their body hair. This book, one tiny not-too-realistic drawing.

Which ties into the fact that words were used that some boys aren't going to know the definitions of. (I'd list them here, but then the review probably wouldn't post.) But generally speaking, I was hoping for a book that would parallel the girl-books we've purchased, that would talk about hair growth, hormones, and girl-boy relationships in less frivolous manner.

So...

This book might be great for your son. It covers a lot of material, and so it might get a conversation going. But I really thought it was off base for what I was looking for. Something with more emphasis on biology, and less emphasis on finding friends after you move, and money, and what he might be when he grows up.

[Christy Chance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to preview the material before giving it to my son who has recently begun asking more and more questions about his body. I bought several books, but this one is really the tamest--it only really addresses a small amount about what's happening with a boys body during puberty, without getting into discussions of sex (several of the other books cover those topics) I feel it's a perfect introduction to a boy who is just beginning to be curious. Once they read this they will likely have more questions, but this book encourages the reader (repeatedly) to feel comfortable talking to an adult about their questions. And the book repeatedly stresses that it is totally normal to not understand all these changes or feel weird about them. Includes chapters on hygiene, communication with friends, Internet safety, sportsmanship, and grades.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a boy's equivalent to the American Girls Body Book and this comes pretty close. It has a bit more reading, which is surprising as it's geared to boys age 8-12 (haha), but I think it covers all the basics at an appropriate level. We haven't given it to our son yet, so we'll have to see how he responds to it - but he's been wanting a book like this of his own ever since his older sister got the girl version a couple years ago. :)

[Paula]

NOTES: 8-12 year old audience.
No mention of HPV, masturbation, LGBT, or consent.
p 92 "This is a time in your life when you are exploring relationships and getting to know yourself better." Nice - no gendered language, although the accompanying illustration shows a boy and a girl.
Super tame, mostly hygiene and school/family coping.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this before giving it to my son to read. Provides good explanations about puberty in a non-embarrassing way and does not get into sex at all. Highly recommend.

[Emily Sisk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend reading this book alongside your upper-elementary/early middle school boys to help them understand their changing bodies, as well as navigating relationships around them. Very well-written and age-appropriate.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like this was a really well rounded book for boys coming of age. It doesn't just focus on physical needs but emotional intelligence as well.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the expanded (4th) edition. It is a decent introduction to boy health, one that is suitable for preteens. (Sex isn't mentioned.) A great deal of the book focuses on emotional and social health, not just physical health. (Any focus on physical changes revolved predominantly around hygiene.)

Overall, I found it appropriate for my 13-year-old. I appreciated that the book addressed some important areas that I wouldn't have thought to bring up on my own. However, there were a few typos that affected readability, and occasionally a point the book was making was given such a vague explanation that even I wasn't quite sure what the author was getting at.

Topics worth mentioning:

-The book acknowledges that some boys have 2 dads or 2 moms rather than the traditional mom-and-dad arrangement, and some live with blended families or a single parent. As the focus is on the well-being of the reader and not on political or religious opinions, the book moves on after stating this fact.

-The book mentions that kids with ADHD have to take medication to focus in school, but also stresses that there is nothing wrong with their brains- only that they are wired differently. (This sounds rather contradictory to me...but I suppose now isn't the time to delve too deeply into the pitfalls of the educational system.)

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book here: http://turnthepagelisa.wordpress.com/...

[Khris Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book with my son and I highly recommend it! This book tackles all kinds of important topics and starts great conversations.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent ice breaker for a "tween." Covers lots of topics and in a well spoken way.

[Niffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I begin my review, I should mention that I don't have children and am aware that I may not be the best judge of what is appropriate or useful for young boys. I read this book because I needed to fill a category "a children's book about body parts" for a reading challenge.

That being said, I was very underwhelmed by this book. When I was a kid, I had a book called "How We are Born, How We Grow, How Our Bodies Work, and How We Learn" and I paged through that book and read bits and pieces of it for years. I was absolutely fascinated by all the details, from reproduction, to the digestive system, to the circulatory system to all sorts of details. I still think of one illustration in particular about how wounds heal whenever I cut myself. There were bad germs battling with good blood cells--it was great.

I was expecting something similar from this book and didn't get it. What did I learn from this book? Boys get stinky when they hit puberty and if they have questions about anything they should ask a trusted adult. That was it.

Except for one fairly unimpressive illustration of male reproductive organs, most of the illustrations were just cartoonish characters making happy or sad faces (depending on the topic). For a book titled "The Boys Body Book" most of the content about bodies was done by page 50, and the rest was about things like how to make friends, how to avoid bullies, etc. And don't get me wrong--those are definitely important topics, but they just didn't seem to be what I'd expect to find in a book about bodies.

Plus there were so many topics covered in this book there really wasn't a lot of detail at any point. Even the 50ish pages about bodies covered things from washing hands, to brushing teeth, to using deodorant soap on feet, to using deodorant in general (remember: boys stink), to doing the laundry, to wetting the bed, to more about laundry (die to bed wetting), to wearing jock straps, to wet dreams, to wearing eye glasses, to.... Well, you get the picture. It was just lots and lots of text on lots and lots of topics, with very little in depth information. I honestly felt a little like I was bored in a doctors office so I picked up a copy of all the little pamphlets in their display and read them all in a row. Too many topics with not enough information.

And (and I'll admit this is a little bit of a pet peeve of mine) the section that talked about autism had a picture of a student in a wheelchair. Not only does a wheelchair have nothing to do with autism, it was the only time in the book that a wheelchair was pictured. I really got the feeling that someone who didn't care vary much went through and illustrated the book thinking things like, "Well, autism is kind of a disability, I should put a wheelchair here because otherwise you won't know the kid is disabled."

I see a lot of positive reviews for this book. Maybe if I had an 8 year old boy I would feel differently about this. But I remember my book from when I was a kid and really felt like this one just failed to reach its potential.

[BethG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is much more of a how to take care of your body book for boys - everything from nutrition, deodorant, showering, brushing your teeth, and how to clean your ears. The first chapter in puberty is much more of an introduction than many specifics. There are reasonable Quick Tips in the margins that may be useful for the “light” reader.

Represents a balanced perspective on nutrition and exercise, with a focus on finding exercise that you love and not focusing on winning. The nutrition section offered balanced information, there are some generalities for whom someone at risk of an eating disorder or currently diagnosed with an eating disorder would need some additional explanation. A nicely written section on body image, focused on developing identity.

Presents perspective taking when considering communicating with parents and strategies for friendships and relationships. This book covers better understanding and useful advice for social situations: online activities, peer pressure, bullying, some personal boundaries (especially with adults). Also, a great section on stress and stress management.

No focus on LGBTQ, with one exception of mentioning that boys can come from all types of families.

The book is likely best for the younger adolescent.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the name of the book is very misleading but I think it is such a great book filled with great information. As far as the actual "body" - it does talk briefly on wet dreams, erections, and smelling - normal changes like body hair and growing. It is VERY brief and very little detail which I like for this age (to me an 11/12 year old would be good). It does not talk about sex at all, just fyi. The rest of the book is more of a basic life skills and not just for boys. It is full of what I would call "the little things" that we may forget to tell our kids or that are just good to reiterate to them. I read the 4th edition and it even told them that "when texting, make sure you still use Mr/Mrs or however you would address them in real" types of advice. I wanted to read it before giving it to my son of course because I didn't know what was in it - there was nothing in it that I didn't agree with (other than perhaps the curfews and dating - but that could be just because I am not ready haha!). Anyways, I would recommend this book and give it a 5 stars because I felt like the whole book was full of useful tidbits and had great advice. It is also short and to the point!

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's a mom to do when her sweet little boy is suddenly going through, you guessed it, puberty?! Since my son is on the younger end of the scale going through this, I wanted to find a book that was easy to read, organized by topics, and would help him understand what was going on with his body. I wanted a book that was straight forward and explained how to care for his body, typical concerns, emotional well being and navigating this time. What I didn't want was a book discussing sex or sexuality. This book was the perfect fit!

From how to shave, to hair growing in strange places, to using deodorant and caring for your body, to emotional changes, making and keeping friendships, bullying, and even how to be successful in school, this book had everything I wanted and more. I shared this with my son and it was so reassuring to him that what was happening was normal and part of growing up. If you have a son especially between the ages of 10-12 who is going through puberty, I highly recommend this book!

[L.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for now, because I’m a woman, and my son isn’t old enough yet to give me feedback on most of these issues or this book. Seems like a four-star book to me.

It does hop around, but I feel like a teen needing info wouldn’t care so much about how the information is arranged as simply getting it. I read the whole thing in one spaced-out two-hour sitting, so it seems doable for a teenager, even one who doesn’t like to read.

I like that the book covers not just body development and hygiene, but also some nutrition, finances, job thoughts, relationships, family dynamics, and even technology usage. Also pleased that it points the reader back to his parents or a responsible adult for further information or to work out problems.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book for your 8-12yr old boy to help introduce or discuss topics of puberty, body changes, emotions, school, friends, peer pressure, etc.
A lot of the advice is something you’d find in just about any book of this sort. I like the repeated focus on consent and what that means, what kind of behavior is acceptable from other kids and adults (and how you, the presumably pre-teen boy, should behave also).
The first half is a lot of body stuff, the second half of the book is social, school, family stuff (siblings, moving, divorce). It touches on drugs and drinking, crushes, bullying, online safety, and just a bit on college and career (there’s gotta be some boys worrying about it out there somewhere).

[Davida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has sat on my 14 year old son’s shelf for years. I thought it was time I finally checked it out. It has a good message, but is missing some key components. What about boys who are gay? The only relationships that are mentioned are hetero although it does talk about all kinds of parents: 2 dads, 2 moms, etc.

I also wonder what good it does to have a woman write a book for boys about puberty and growing up. Wouldn’t it make more sense for a man to be the author?

Finally, the info on physical changes and sexuality is surprisingly slim. I think much more information is needed to really help boys understand what’s happening to them.

[Christina Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. In truth, it is quite helpful in many ways. My main aggravation is that it repeatedly states that the reader might be "worried" or "embarrassed" by the changes. The first few times these concepts were introduced, the tween I was reading it with said, puzzled, "I'm not worried or embarrassed." By the end of the book, he had decided he might be embarrassed and worried about some of the things mentioned after all. And this particular child rarely gets embarrassed.

Regardless of whether or not those words concern you as they did me, I recommend previewing by yourself first, so that you can be prepared for topics such as "wet dreams."

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a while ago and my boys have aged out in some ways. I am reviewing it before I pass it on to my sister or to give away.

It is fairly sound middle of the road advice. There is little in the way of information about questioning sexuality or dealing bigger disagreements. The drug advice is don't do it.

So, there is some nuance that could be required from a guiding adult or parent.

Otherwise a really solid book. There is a new edition and maybe it addresses some of these issues.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for something suitable for a 9yo, and this covers all the bases and then some, but without getting into sex talk, unlike some of the others I previewed. (I didn't like the level of detail some went into for a young boy.)

I particularly liked the repeated reassurances to talk to a trusted adult (they didn't just say "parent" because, as they explained, kids don't always live with parents).

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my 11 year old son, who doesn’t like to read. This was fairly at es straightforward without talking down to the reader, and I regret not finding this earlier for my older sons. I did wish for more on the physical changes of puberty for boys but there was a lot of be gained about emotions and interpersonal skills.

[Katherine Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic, no-frills puberty book 👍🏻
Here’s what your body might do, it’s normal, here’s how to handle it. Puberty, changes in relationships and expectations, safety online/with others, healthy living. Many small topics covered in succinct bites. Etc etc etc. Doesn’t explain anything about actual sex, so good for a younger audience. I’d say even 8/9yo and up.

[Heather Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a great tool to open a dialogue with my son about body changes to be expected....without diving too deeply into the hormonal subject matter we aren't quite ready to cover . perfect stepping stone into "the talk" that will occur later.

[Alicia Terrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like others, I was looking for a book similar to the American Girls Body Book for my preteen son. I read this before giving it to him and I think it’s pretty decent! I appreciated the messages throughout. I will give it to him shortly and see what he thinks!

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

We purchased this at the time when American Girl didn't have a Boys books out like the "Care and Keeping of you" for Girls. This was a great informative book for boys.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for upper elementary age boys that covers puberty, hygiene, emotional and physical health.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good primer for conversations with your son but not as in depth as it could be.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with my 8yo. Good info to prepare him for what's coming.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well written in a style accessible for pre-teen boys. My only quibble is that it did not go deeper into its subject matter.