The Body Book for Boys by Jonathan Mar and Grace Norwich

Bibliographic Information

Mar, J. & Norwich, G. (2010). The body book for boys: Everything you need to know about growing up. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Summary

This is a guidebook for tween and early teen boys who are either going through puberty or about to. The book is composed of five chapters that cover topics ranging from acne and shaving, body confidence and muscle growth, growth and development of reproductive organs, sports injury prevention, and mental health. Each chapter has bolded vocabulary words and features a short quiz at the end. The book is fully illustrated with comic book-type drawings.

Rationale

This is a great book for tween and teen boys because it's informative, factual, and not hugely embarrassing to be seen with. The cover is understated and the topics are covered in a straightforward, accessible manner. Parents can use the book as refresher course for dads or a breakdown of what happens when for moms. Parents can also use it as a jumping-off point for conversations with their tweens and teens about health and personal hygiene.