I just finished Body Drama by Nancy Amanda Redd. It's a non-fiction resource for preteens through early adulthood. The layout, language and images just plain rock! This is not our sisters' Our Bodies Ourselves. This amazing book conveys factual, relevant and desirable information in the language young people can relate to. Honestly, can you image a non-fiction book on body image and body odors and sex that makes you laugh? Well, maybe you can, but what if you're fifteen? When you're thirteen, there is nothing remotely funny about 'hair down there.' Trust me. I have two girls and my 13-year-old is not feelin' all the changes her body is going through. Sure, she thinks she's smart and cute, but her body will not cooperate half the time, and she is exasperated with the less than glamorous body issues she is forced to deal with. Let me tell you, there is much drama in my teen daughter's life and a lot of it has to do with her body!I am so ecstatic about this book. I learned about it from a librarian on another site. I had put in on my wish list. Then, I forgot about it. Then my kiddo started wanting to ask me all these questions and was telling me about all this stuff she was reading at girl.com, and I thought it was time to get this book. I asked my library to purchase it and they did. I picked it tonight and once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I'm buying my daughter a copy and putting one in our library.
Now for those of you who may be more conservative about the images and materials your teens are exposed to, I suggest you review this first. What I love about this book is the images are real bodies, unaltered and they are photographs. If you object to any nudity, this is not a book for you. Me, I think if you can't look at your own vulva and think it's beautiful, it's no wonder you have body issues.
My kid is like many teen girls. It's cool when she's telling me the details but she's not big on me being candid and open about this 'stuff.' So I'm going to give her the book, and I'll sit back and wait for her to share with me her thoughts about Ms. Redd's book.
2 comments:
Sounds like a great book. I am going to request it at our library, too. My granddaughter is ten. She is home schooled and still innocent compared to public school kids. She recently went to the pediatrician for a check up. When she came home she told me shyly and proudly that she was "starting puberty". It was a touching moment.
Enjoy the innocence, Judy. And thanks for taking time to read and comment. Peace. ~z
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