10 Best Puberty Books for Girls Reviewed in 2024
Puberty has a bad rep. We get why, but it doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom when children are experiencing changes in their bodies. Many of these transformations can feel foreign and embarrassing to children, so it’s important to equip them with the proper knowledge about what they’re going through. Books are a wonderful resource which allows children the option of learning in private, or with a parent present. There are tons of great books out there about the specifics of puberty, all written for young girls. We’ve collected ten of the best titles out there. Some have workbook options, some are written with humor, and some are straightforward and factual. You know best the way in which your family wants to approach this, so peruse our top selections and hopefully, you’ll find just what you’re looking for.
In a Hurry? The test winner after 43 hrs of research
Helpful illustrations
Goes far beyond just menstruation information
Explains things in a positive way
The table of contents is helpful
Created by the American Girl group
10 Best Puberty Books for Girls Reviewed
1. The Care and Keeping of You
Helpful illustrations
Goes far beyond just menstruation information
Explains things in a positive way
The table of contents is helpful
Created by the American Girl group
Parents thought the book had too many "fluff" filler texts
For everything your preteen (or younger!) needs to know about puberty, the American Girl series is one of the best. Everything will be explained in a simple way without any inappropriate "whoops" moments.
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Designed by the American Girl brand, little girls who are fans of the franchise will automatically feel more at ease with discussing the topic just by seeing the brand name. Being geared toward younger girls, this book does not touch on reproduction. Giving your child this book will allow them to receive the answers they need while allowing you to wait on introducing topics you don’t feel they are quite ready for.
Educational Value
This book serves as the perfect introductory to puberty for girls between the ages of eight and twelve. The book begins with the basics of hygiene and eases into the changes your child’s body will experience during puberty. They will also receive tips on healthy eating and hair care.
Ease of Use
This book is separated into a table of contents which makes it easy to skip around a bit and only focus on sections that are relevant to your child's age. It's easy to find certain passages that are relatable at the current moment and you can always return to this book as time goes on.
2. The Care and Keeping of You 2
Much longer and detailed book
Everything is divided into chapters
Includes a helpful Q&A section at the end
Illustrations are descriptive
Encourages girls to embrace change
It contains a lot of text and not as many illustrations
Just like the previous book, this will provide the same benefits -- But for older girls! It's perfect for both preteens and teenagers.
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Dr. Cara Natterson uses her expertise to help guide girls through the struggles of peer pressure, periods, personal care, and much more. Reading more advanced information will help your daughter feel as though they are changing from a girl into a woman. The illustrations will provide answers to questions that your child may feel uncomfortable asking.
Educational Value
Whether your child has read the first book or not, this sequel provides great insight for children who have already started the first stage of puberty. With this book being geared towards older girls it has a more mature and educational tone. It is far more descriptive than the first book and will teach your child how to use pads and tampons.
Ease of Use
The thorough nature of how each change is explained is something that we applaud. While the chapters of this book are slightly longer than many others, they're descriptive and don't leave any room for confusion.
3. The Period Book
It goes beyond a normal body book
Extremely helpful and informative
Includes real-life accounts from other girls
Discusses topics unrelated to periods but that are related to growing up
It'll help girls learn how to handle all the things that are changing
It's very heavy on sexual education which some parents might not be comfortable with
While this book does provide a much more in-depth look at puberty, it's honest and open. There won't be any questions left unanswered after reading this one.
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The charming and fun illustrations will provide your child with a lightweight feeling as they read about serious topics. Having consulted preteen girls, Karen Gravelle wrote this book with a down-to-earth feel to make young girls feel more comfortable. With advice on how to deal with pimples, body image, and mood swings your child can continue to feel confident as their body changes.
Educational Value
With practical and safe answers to real questions, your child will learn how to choose pads and tampons. They will also learn what their period is and what it feels like. Having been recently revised this book now also talks about shaving, dealing with sexual harassment, braces, bra sizing, romantic feelings, and friendships that may change.
Ease of Use
The one thing any of us look for the most in an uncomfortable situation is a comfort. This book will serve as a guide not just about your period, but about things such as bras and sizing, new feelings, shaving, and it even touches on sexual harassment, which is a scary but important issue to discuss.
4. What's Happening to My Body?
Very detailed and in-depth
Each chapter is devoted to a separate aspect of puberty
Discusses birth control
Details reproduction and everything that comes with it
Excellent for teenagers
Parents can find this book overwhelming and too explicitly detailed
Includes information that's not necessarily "must know" for kids under the age of 15
Anatomy is important and that's a pretty big emphasis in this book. It's appropriate for older preteens and teenagers and includes helpful information that will make understanding their bodies much easier.
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Designed for girls over the ages of twelve, this book provides insight on both girl's and boy's bodies. Written in extensive detail this book will leave children feeling informed and prepared for the changes their body will experience. The real-life stories inside the book will help your child feel more comfortable as they read about others who have gone through the same thing.
Educational Value
Unlike the other books on this list, this book also provides children with information on eating disorders, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual reproduction and puberty are both covered in-depth and leaves nothing out.
Ease of Use
The boldness of this puberty book truly stands out with no holds barred. It's much more descriptive and in-depth than other books but provides a look into puberty that's honest and real.
5. The Care and Keeping of You Journal
Creative way of presenting information
Can be an excellent gift for girls who are just beginning to go through puberty
A great addition to The Care and Keeping of You books
Allows your child to keep a physical record and account of everything she experiences
It's helpful for her to write down things
Good for keeping track of her periods
Some kids don't take it seriously and are uninterested
Journaling is a wonderful way to express emotions and it can be a brilliant outlet for girls during puberty. Not to mention, they'll have a blast with all the quizzes and fun "about me" sections they can fill out in this personal book!
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Journaling provides children with a way to express themselves privately. Using this journal your child can keep track of the changes their period, mood swings, and the changes their body undergoes. Providing your child with an outlet for their feelings will prevent them from keeping everything bottled up.
Educational Value
Designed with tips, checklists, and quizzes this book will help your child understand what their body is going through. This interactive journal will also help your child discover what is unique and great about them.
Ease of Use
This book has quizzes! Puberty and growing up don't have to be scary, especially when you have a journal that's all about you and your life. This is a fun way to tackle growing up head-on and will boost your child's overall well-being.
6. Period: A Girl's Guide
Includes a detachable parent’s guide
Discusses puberty in a simple, straightforward way
Doesn’t go into detail about other adult topics
Great even for young girls
Includes some information for parents about guys’ bodies as well
Not very in-depth explanations;
you’ll need to field questions or have additional resources handy
Doesn’t give a full scope of all of the feminine product options available to young girls
Equipped with a parent guide that you can remove before handing over the kid’s copy, and also featuring a few pages in the back of the book for girls to track the first year of their period, this book isn’t just cute infographics and general information.
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Authors JoAnn Loulan and Bonnie Worthen include positive reinforcement throughout the book to encourage girls to be comfortable and happy in their own skin. The last three chapters are written in a question and answer format to make obtaining the information the reader needs more accessible.
Educational Value
This guide is just as great for parents as it is for young children. The removable parent's guide well provides you with tips on how and when to talk to your child about menstruation. The diagrams in the book provide readers with an up-close look on the inner workings of their own bodies.
Ease of Use
We know that some adult topics (read: sex) may be a little delicate to approach, and you might wish to do that in your own way. A lot of books about puberty don’t give you the ability to do that, as they broach the topic themselves, but this guide is really mainly focused on the changed in her body and a very basic breakdown of what menstruation is and means for her.
7. Growing up: It's a Girl Thing
No extra filler text
Detailed enough to get the point across
Girls can read it independently
There's nothing inappropriate
The conversational style makes things casual
It's somewhat outdated
Some parents thought there wasn't enough information on puberty as a whole
Nothing but the facts here! This book is slightly shorter than the others but it serves as a good beginning and basic guide to growing up.
Read moreEmotional Development
This book is geared towards older girls as it is straight to the point. The book works to include all readers as it lets young girls know that the changes they are experiencing, or may not be experiencing, are normal. It helps reduces the anxiety of young girls who are left wondering why their body isn’t going through puberty at the same time of their friends.
Educational Value
As your child reads all eighty pages they will learn the pros and cons of both tampons and pads. They will even be given safe advice on how to reduce cramps during their menstrual cycle. Taking on the tone of an older friend or sister, the book even provides tips on how to buy your first bra.
Ease of Use
The conversational aspect of this book is what makes it pretty unique in the vast world of body books. It comes across as casual and takes some of the pressure off of learning about puberty in a medical or formal way.
8. Is This Normal
Answers real-life questions
Written by the editors of the American Girl series
It's helpful for girls who have learned about puberty already
It can alleviate some of the stress that parents feel
Each question has been asked by a reader
It's not a guide so much as a Q&A book
This is the perfect accompaniment to any of the other The Care and Keeping of You books. In all likelihood, it'll probably answer questions that your child didn't even know she had.
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This book includes over 100 letters from young girls that have experienced the same changes your child will be experiencing. Reading the real letters will allow your child to feel less alone and will help them understand that the changes are normal.
Educational Value
Talking about puberty can be difficult for children. The back of this book includes tips that will help children discuss the topic with their parents. As your child reads through the book they will learn about their body, hygiene, mood changes, and health.
Ease of Use
With much praise from parents, this book has helped to alleviate some of the pressure that falls on your shoulders. It can be challenging as well as overwhelming trying to explain and remember everything about something you've gone through years ago, and this book is here to help.
9. Ready, Set, Grow!
The book itself is fun to look at
Every change a girl goes through is in this book
A thorough explanation of a girls' reproductive organs
Great for young girls who aren't quite preteens yet
Fairly innocent and very age-appropriate
Some parents thought the book brought up unnecessary issues
Don't get the idea from the "younger girls" title -- This book doesn't censor anything. Rather, it only provides need-to-know information that won't scare or overwhelm girls who aren't quite preteens yet.
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The cheery illustrations will allow your child to relax and feel more comfortable as they read about a topic that may be difficult for them to discuss. The authors wrote the book to not only support your child’s changes but to also encourage your child to celebrate them.
Educational Value
Written specifically for girls between the ages of eight and eleven this book goes into depth on the changes in puberty. They will gain insight into how their body works and how it grows. This book has been praised by hospital staff, teachers, and parents. In fact, it has been translated into twelve different languages to help children all over the world understand the changes their body is going through.
Ease of Use
This book is just as much fun to read as it is to look through. The author has done a stellar job in presenting a topic that can be uncomfortable and scary and turned it into something positive and uplifting.
10. Celebrate Your Body
Designed with bright and colorful illustrations
Increases confidence
Easy to read
Explains bodily changes as well as offers advice
Only offered in paperback
Puberty can often be a confusing and difficult time for young girls. By writing Celebrate Your Body, Sonya Renee Taylor has made the entire process easier to understand. Instead of fearing puberty, this book will leave young girls feeling informed, confident, and empowered.
Read moreEmotional Development
This book is especially great for young girls who may not have a woman in their life to talk about puberty with. It offers judgment-free support and provides your child with encouraging words. Through diverse illustrations and positive affirmations, the book works to make young girls understand that their body is amazing no matter what shape, size, or color it is.
Educational Value
This paperback book is a highly educational tool for young girls as it not only explains the changes that come with puberty but also offers advice on how to handle the changes. The book takes real questions and provides medically accurate answers.
Ease of Use
This book can easily be understood by children between the ages of eight to twelve. With 174 pages and colorful illustrations, the book is light read that will not only inform but also entertain.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Emotional Development
As your daughter’s body goes through the changes of puberty it is highly possible that emotions will be running high in your household. The same could be said for girls who aren’t yet experiencing puberty but are watching their friends go through it. Reading books about puberty will help your child realize the changes they are experiencing are normal, especially if the books include letters from real girls. The books will also make your child feel more comfortable with the entire subject of puberty. Books that include positive affirmations and encouraging words will help increase your child’s confidence as they begin to experience acne, change in their body size, unwanted hair growth, etc.
Educational Value
As previously mentioned talking about puberty can be tough for children. In some cases, little girls may not have someone in their life they feel they can discuss it with. Providing your child with a book on puberty will give your child all of the information they need. You can find books that geared toward your child’s age group so that you can be sure you are supplying her with the appropriate information. In addition to explaining the body changes, many of the books will also go over how to wear a pad or tampon. Shaving, eating healthy, and sex are also covered in some books.
Ease of Use
Because of this age factor, we had to consider books that were suitable for children that young. Additionally, we had to look into books that were suitable for preteens as well, because inevitably, more questions will come up when girls start feeling these changes for themselves. Since getting your period is such a major topic of puberty, many of these books are centered around that as well as all the questions that come along with menstruation. The best thing you can do as a parent is to support your child and encourage them to be as open as possible so that they don't feel embarrassed or ashamed. The more they know that you're on their side, the more they can be open and accepting when it comes to all of these changes, and the more comfortable they'll feel going to you when they have a problem.
Emotional and physical changes that are associated with the onset of puberty can be challenging for young girls. This collection of books address the confusion and anxiety girls experience at this stage of their lives and help make their transition smoother.
Some of the topics covered by these books include physical body changes, bullying, mood swings, boyfriends, periods and others. Most of them include diagrams to illustrate the concepts which may be new to 7 to 13-year-old girls.
Other Factors to Consider
Social Development
Lastly, we had to consider the fact that girls would have to have a base knowledge of reproduction and all of the puberty changes that boys go through as well. It's due to this reason that you'll find some books on here that cater to both genders and give fairly detailed descriptions of each. As long as there's an open line of communication between you and your child, you can let the book do most of the talking -- You'll be there to answer questions, help explain things in such a way that she'll understand, and to hear her out when she has her own thoughts and opinions. The book should serve as a guide and a conversation starter, but also as a way for her to explore puberty on her own and read more about it as she's ready. You'll also find a personal journal on this list, which is extremely helpful and encouraging when she does start experiencing changes. Being able to write down and record all the things you're experiencing serves as an emotional release as well as a confidence-booster, two things that your child will definitely need.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: How should I approach my daughter when presenting her with a book such as this one?
In the most sensitive way possible. It's an awkward discussion no matter what, but as long as you're sure of yourself and approach with confidence, and open mind, and gentle words, the dialogue should go smoothly. It's best by explaining to her that she's growing up and as such, she'll be going through something called puberty which every grown-up woman she knows has already gone through. Explain that it's a process but it's an easy one and you'll be with her the entire way through.
q: Are these books very overwhelming if girls read them on their own?
They can be. If your child has no clue about puberty and doesn't know what it is or what to expect, it's best that you go through these books with her, at least initially. If she already has a base of knowledge from school or a previous talk, then she would probably be fine reading these on her own as long as she knows you're there to answer any questions that may arise.
q: How graphic are these?
These books are no more graphic than they need to be. You'll find diagrams in most of them or sketches at best, but nothing that resembles anything wildly inappropriate. These diagrams are there so girls can relate and fully understand and are no different than what she would see in her school classroom.
q: Is it necessary for a parent to read through these books before giving them to a child, or is all the information appropriate?
That's up to you! While it's best to know what your child will be reading and looking at before actually giving her the book, there's nothing in here that should drastically shock her. However, to be on the safe side, it's worth a gander beforehand.
q: Are there any other materials that could accompany these books such as educational shows?
These books were created to stand on their own. If you want to offer your child other materials then it can't hurt, but we've evaluated these books based on what they offer your child as far as education and comfort go, and have deemed them to be enough of an educational source.
q: Are they good for teens as well?
Of course! Everyone can benefit from learning about their bodies and teenage girls are no exception. If you have a teenager who is just going through puberty or still as questions about her body or her period, by all means, use these books. Just because we put an age range on them does not mean that they're restricted to those ages -- You're free to use them for whoever needs them in your family. In fact, we encourage it!
Sources
- Talking to Your Daughter About Puberty, Online Article ,
- Checklist for “The Puberty Talk” with Your Daughter, Informative Parenting Article ,
- Daughter Development Assessment, Teen Development Article ,