The Period Book: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up
- Downloads：7177
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-24 11:54:52
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Karen Gravelle
- ISBN：161963662X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Girls can have many questions about puberty， including getting their periods。 With over 400，000 copies sold， this appealingly illustrated guidebook--now updated with new content relevant to today's preteens--is the perfect companion for girls and parents preparing for this important milestone。 Written in consultation with preteen girls， this guide offers a supportive， practical approach， providing clear and sensitive answers to common questions on periods， as well as advice dealing with pimples and mood swings。
This revised edition is made up of 40% updated content， featuring new sections on:
- getting braces
- bra sizing
- shaving
- relatable anecdotes from real girls
- changing friendships
- romantic feelings
- dealing with sexual harassment both on social media and in real life
The Period Book is a trusty friend that can help girls feel confident about this new phase of their lives。
This revised edition is made up of 40% updated content， featuring new sections on:
- getting braces
- bra sizing
- shaving
- relatable anecdotes from real girls
- changing friendships
- romantic feelings
- dealing with sexual harassment both on social media and in real life
The Period Book is a trusty friend that can help girls feel confident about this new phase of their lives。
Reviews
Boz
，
Great book for my daughter and highly recommended; opened up a lot of conversations and questions between her and her mother。
Chloe
，
I like it。 It is a good book for girls like 9-13 it is good so they can learn about periods。 Honestly a great book！
A。
，
This is a YA book and I was reading this for my 10 year old。 Note: definitely YA and some content may not be suitable for your pre-teen and below。。。depending on the maturity level of said child。 This book is written from the point of view of the author。 I think 1 star is a bit unfair。 I saw a review about this book being non inclusive。 Here is the thing。 The author may not know what it's like from a "non inclusive" point of view。 I'm sure there are other books （as one reviewer noted） that you ca This is a YA book and I was reading this for my 10 year old。 Note: definitely YA and some content may not be suitable for your pre-teen and below。。。depending on the maturity level of said child。 This book is written from the point of view of the author。 I think 1 star is a bit unfair。 I saw a review about this book being non inclusive。 Here is the thing。 The author may not know what it's like from a "non inclusive" point of view。 I'm sure there are other books （as one reviewer noted） that you can read that is "inclusive。" As a woman who was born female I totally related to most of what she said。 If that is the demographic she was speaking to， then "reviewer" she may not have been speaking to you。 。。。more
Erin
，
This book is going nowhere near my kid。 There is some ok basic， biological info。 But the rest of it is fucking cis-het-normative BS， and reinforces all kinds of negative body and social stereotypes。 I read the re-released version that came out in 2017。How is this for a load of crap: "There's this part of the cafeteria called the reject cafeteria， where the kids who aren't very popular sit。 Sometimes I just go in and say something nice to one of them， like Hi I really like your shoes。 You don't h This book is going nowhere near my kid。 There is some ok basic， biological info。 But the rest of it is fucking cis-het-normative BS， and reinforces all kinds of negative body and social stereotypes。 I read the re-released version that came out in 2017。How is this for a load of crap: "There's this part of the cafeteria called the reject cafeteria， where the kids who aren't very popular sit。 Sometimes I just go in and say something nice to one of them， like Hi I really like your shoes。 You don't have to be friends with everyone， but you can be friendly。" THIS IS SHOWN AS AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD BEHAVIOUR。Load of crap the second: "Obesity is more than being chubby or needing to lose a few pounds。 Obese people are <> fat。 Being this overweight negatively affects both their self-esteem and their health。" 。。。Because obvs fat people = EW and should be pitied for their sad， sad existences。Last one， or my head is going to pop off （in reference to anorexia and bulimia） "。。。And， sadly， neither one ever makes a girl more attractive。"I AM NOT MAKING ANY OF THIS UP。There are WAY BETTER， more empowering options out there。 My fave so far is "Celebrate Your Body And Its Changes Too" by Sonya Renee Taylor。 Do yourself and the pre-pubescent folks in your life a favour and check it out。 。。。more
Lina
，
What a great and necessary book for every young girl。 I read this now as an adult as I never had it available to me as a teenager and was curious as to what it would say。 Periods shouldn't be something we're ashamed to talk about， they shouldn't be taboo and they shouldn't be something we don't understand as kids。 It's very important to educate future generations of boys and girls about their bodies in a way that doesn't make them feel ashamed or disgusted。 This book also helps if you're a paren What a great and necessary book for every young girl。 I read this now as an adult as I never had it available to me as a teenager and was curious as to what it would say。 Periods shouldn't be something we're ashamed to talk about， they shouldn't be taboo and they shouldn't be something we don't understand as kids。 It's very important to educate future generations of boys and girls about their bodies in a way that doesn't make them feel ashamed or disgusted。 This book also helps if you're a parent wanting to discuss this with your kids or vice versa。 。。。more
Michelle
，
Mixed feelings about this book！ Overall I think it is a good resource。 The information presented about menstruation， PMS， and feelings is pretty spot on！ However， throughout the book I kept thinking "What about trans kids？" I have friends with kids my daughter's age， and some of them will be getting periods and would probably like information that included them--even if they don't identify as girls！ Additionally， the entire book is severely heteronormative。 What about gay kids？ The author made o Mixed feelings about this book！ Overall I think it is a good resource。 The information presented about menstruation， PMS， and feelings is pretty spot on！ However， throughout the book I kept thinking "What about trans kids？" I have friends with kids my daughter's age， and some of them will be getting periods and would probably like information that included them--even if they don't identify as girls！ Additionally， the entire book is severely heteronormative。 What about gay kids？ The author made one passing comment that was like "sometimes people have feelings for someone of the same sex" but didn't give it any more credence。 For a book that talks a lot about what is "normal" I find that minimizing and excluding homosexual and bisexual feelings is harmful。 （After writing this， I changed my rating from three stars to two。）And， chapter 9。。。。 I know plenty of reviews talk about chapter 9。 Many people didn't like the mentions of anorexia and bulimia。 What I have a bigger problem with is the author's normalizing the idea of a perfect and unattainable body。。。。 And the fact that she thinks CHILDREN could actually be obese and they need to be weighing themselves。 Holy shit！ Diet culture starts early。 （After writing this， I went from two stars to one， and I've decided not to give this book to my daughter。） 。。。more
Dilek
，
Ergenliğe adım atanların kendini bulmasına yardımcı olabilecek， başlarına gelen ya da gelebilecek hemen hemen herşeyi anlatan bir kitap。 Sadece ülkeler arasında kültür ve kaynak farkından dolayı minik bir düzenlemeye ihtiyacı var。
Nora
，
-Aimed to 8-12yo American GIRLS （not inclusive at all and making periods a 'girl thing'， let's not tell the other half of the world about it）- It explains the changes that happen during puberty but can be repetitive at times and very shaming- It forgets to talk about many things， specially about pleasure and the clitoris which is simply mentioned once。-It has a clear cis， heteronormative， traditional stereotyping and patriarcal mindset-It covers illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia but then sa -Aimed to 8-12yo American GIRLS （not inclusive at all and making periods a 'girl thing'， let's not tell the other half of the world about it）- It explains the changes that happen during puberty but can be repetitive at times and very shaming- It forgets to talk about many things， specially about pleasure and the clitoris which is simply mentioned once。-It has a clear cis， heteronormative， traditional stereotyping and patriarcal mindset-It covers illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia but then says that the perfect body is almost impossible instead of saying that every body is perfect-sentences like 'breasts are a very big deal in American culture'， encouraging to wear bras， promoting being embarrassed about having a period， talking about how 'popularity' comes with being 'really pretty， really athletic'。。。 Just stereotype after stereotype。。。-There is a chapter on Wearing Braces but not one on pleasure or sex。 However they encourage you to not to send nudes， in case they are shared （what about telling others that's illegal to share them！？）-It says the cup is for older women and to use pads or tampons without covering all the chemicals in them。。。 Doesn't mention sustainability。 It does cover about being clean promoting shame suggesting to even carry an extra pair of trousers in your backpack as a backup！-It doesn't encourage to go to the doctor for checks unless something is wrong。- Getting your period means 'becoming a woman' apparently。。。Overall: clearly a guide from 1996 that shouldn't have been reprinted in 2017。 。。。more
Emily Alemán
，
Lo leí poco antes de entrar a la adolescencia， no lo recuerdo demasiado pero sé que me pareció muy interesante y respondió algunas de las dudas que empezaba a tener sobre mi cuerpo。
Rebecca
，
read this as a belated sex ed -- it's quite clear and easy to understand read this as a belated sex ed -- it's quite clear and easy to understand 。。。more
Banu Sancar
，
Regl olmanın vücuttaki pis kanın dışarı atılması ile ilgili bilgilendirmenin yapıldığı bir dönemde büyümüş bir anne olarak iyi ki böyle bir kitap var dedim。 Ergenlikle birlikte vücuttaki değişimler， regl olmaya başlayarak karşılaşılacak zorluklar， kullanılacak pedlerin çeşitliliği， beslenme ve en sonunda tacize de yer verilmiş gayet anlaşılır bir dille yazılmış kaynak niteliğinde bir kitap olmuş。Cinsellik eğitmeni Rayka Kumru’nun da kendi kültürümüze göre dip not şeklinde tavsiyelerinin olması ç Regl olmanın vücuttaki pis kanın dışarı atılması ile ilgili bilgilendirmenin yapıldığı bir dönemde büyümüş bir anne olarak iyi ki böyle bir kitap var dedim。 Ergenlikle birlikte vücuttaki değişimler， regl olmaya başlayarak karşılaşılacak zorluklar， kullanılacak pedlerin çeşitliliği， beslenme ve en sonunda tacize de yer verilmiş gayet anlaşılır bir dille yazılmış kaynak niteliğinde bir kitap olmuş。Cinsellik eğitmeni Rayka Kumru’nun da kendi kültürümüze göre dip not şeklinde tavsiyelerinin olması çok güzel düşünülmüş。。 。。。more
coffee
，
This was the first book I have ever read that dealt with explaining a girl's period and transition from a girl to a woman （which is really sad）。 I'm already going to be 21 soon and yet I found that I didn't know quite a few things and this book really taught me things。 It also reassured me about things that I had always worried about， things that I had always wanted to ask my mom but was too embarrassed to do so。 I enjoyed the little pictures inside， they were fun to look at but also easy to rea This was the first book I have ever read that dealt with explaining a girl's period and transition from a girl to a woman （which is really sad）。 I'm already going to be 21 soon and yet I found that I didn't know quite a few things and this book really taught me things。 It also reassured me about things that I had always worried about， things that I had always wanted to ask my mom but was too embarrassed to do so。 I enjoyed the little pictures inside， they were fun to look at but also easy to read， especially the diagrams。 Compared to school textbooks， this book was much more interactive。 The ending was especially interesting because the issues it talks about feel like they're personal problems but in reality a lot of people have the same doubts and worries。 I had always believed that I was the only one in the dark， that everyone already knew this information but it's not the case。 I suppose it's because nobody ever really talks about the subject that I thought this。 Another thing that I liked about this book is that it pushed me to speak with my mom。 I had gone to the library with only thoughts of me reading this but once I started reading I would go to my mom and ask "Did you know this" or "Why is this so" or even "Can you tell me more？" Some things my mom was able to answer and others we were both stumped on。 。。。more
PvOberstein
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It's vaguely depressing that this is about ten times as clear and concise as any lesson I actually had in school。The Period Book: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up （written by Karen Gravelle， illustrated by Debbie Palen） is a ~130 page book aimed at providing preteen girls with straightforward answers to questions about puberty。 And it does so exceedingly well。TPB begin by walking the reader through the major changes that occur during puberty （growth spurts， breast development， acne， body hair）， alon It's vaguely depressing that this is about ten times as clear and concise as any lesson I actually had in school。The Period Book: A Girl's Guide to Growing Up （written by Karen Gravelle， illustrated by Debbie Palen） is a ~130 page book aimed at providing preteen girls with straightforward answers to questions about puberty。 And it does so exceedingly well。TPB begin by walking the reader through the major changes that occur during puberty （growth spurts， breast development， acne， body hair）， along with practical information like when/whether to wear a bra （and if so， what type）， and how to shave your legs without cutting yourself。Then there's the more anatomical explanation of what's happening with the uterus， fallopian tubes， ovaries， clitoris， urethra， cervix， vagina， hymen， and what the location and role of each is （all without coming off like a sanitized medical textbook）。 Then （as the title of the book suggests）， there's a ton of useful information about periods - when and why you'll get them， how to track it， its length and regularity， what are cramps and how does one deal with them。The attention paid to the pragmatic side of sex ed is invaluable， given how much popular media basically acts like menstruation doesn't exist。 There's an overview of pads versus tampons， their respective pros and cons， and （cartoon） illustrations of how to use each。 Gravelle is appropriately cognizant of the social side of this， too， and provides advice on dealing with day-to-day logistics and embarrassing emergencies。 （And an honest guide about what to do if the string gets stuck inside your vagina）。The book then really goes beyond its core premise to cover subjects such as braces， anorexia/bulimia， stretch marks， obesity， vaginal yeast infections， mood swings， changing friendships， romantic attraction， sexting， and sexual harassment。I really appreciated the tone Gravelle writes with， which is neither saccharine nor depressive， but just refreshingly earnest。 Some parts of growing up are going to be not fun， some things are going to change， but there'll be some new things about yourself that you'll probably end up liking。 The author's interviews with preteens allow the book to be peppered with human insights， as well as answers to questions that one would otherwise end up as fodder on Yahoo！ Answers。 There's plenty of body positivity， and gentle reminders that， while you're inevitably going to compare yourself to friends and celebrities， there are plenty of reasons that you're fine the way you are。No one book is going to answer every possible question。 It's major shortcoming （most likely indicative of the original 1996 publication） is the near-complete absence of anything LGBTQ/gender identity related。 It doesn't really touch on anything related to actually having sex， such as birth control or STDs， and its discussion of the role of consent is basically 'sexual assault is wrong'。 I have a sneaking suspicious that there was a tactical choice by the author to avoid wading into waters that would cause conservative parents to keep the book of their children's hands。 But what it covers - above all the prosaic problems of periods - it covers very well。 。。。more
Sage
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I had high hopes for this book but it’s not one I can confidently give to a young girl。 Myths galore about periods & body care。
Madame Jane
，
A bit dated， but sound， positive advice。
Shunae France
，
It was good
Radiolab
，
Radiolab asked listeners for their sex ed recommendations。 Amy， a Radiolab listener， says， "I found it in the library in third grade and it was the first time I realized that you don't just take a pill and become pregnant。 I also remember that it focused a lot on what happens during puberty， and said relatively little about sex， which made me assume for several years that sex was just this thing that happens occasionally， but it's not really that important。" Radiolab asked listeners for their sex ed recommendations。 Amy， a Radiolab listener， says， "I found it in the library in third grade and it was the first time I realized that you don't just take a pill and become pregnant。 I also remember that it focused a lot on what happens during puberty， and said relatively little about sex， which made me assume for several years that sex was just this thing that happens occasionally， but it's not really that important。" 。。。more
Katie Mauger
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I reviewed this book for work to see about including it on a sex ed list， and I was not impressed with it as far as inclusivity goes （which is not very darn far in this book）。 According to this book all girls have periods and everyone who has a period is a girl。 As far as this book is concerned， trans kids don't exist。 There is actually very little mention of LGBTQ stuff at all， which seems weird for a book that is supposedly about puberty and growing up。 If fact， the only mention I found was on I reviewed this book for work to see about including it on a sex ed list， and I was not impressed with it as far as inclusivity goes （which is not very darn far in this book）。 According to this book all girls have periods and everyone who has a period is a girl。 As far as this book is concerned， trans kids don't exist。 There is actually very little mention of LGBTQ stuff at all， which seems weird for a book that is supposedly about puberty and growing up。 If fact， the only mention I found was one single paragraph buried in a chapter about how you， as a girl going through puberty， are probably starting to feel attracted to boys now。 This paragraph reads:"By the way， while many people develop romantic feelings toward members of the opposite sex， you probably already know that some people are attracted to people of the same sex while others are attracted to people of both sexes。 But regardless of whether a person is attracted to someone of the same or opposite sex， the romantic feelings experienced are the same。"So you probably already know this， but SOME people might be gay。 Probably not you though。 At least， I certainly hope not， because the rest of this chapter is going to be about all your new sexy feelings for boys。 Also the phrases "both sexes" and "opposite sex" imply that there are only two sexes and completely erases intersex kids。Maybe I'm being harsh， but this edition was published in 2017。 They could have done better， and there’s better stuff out there。I’d recommend people to go with the 2014 edition of “It’s Perfectly Normal” （for kids like 10-14） or “Sex is a Funny Word” （for kids like 8-12） instead。 If you’re looking for a book specifically about periods “Hello Flo” seems like a pretty good choice as well， though it has some of the same problems with trans inclusivity as this book。 。。。more
Sophie Crane
，
This Book Is Definitely one for the Ladies。
Charity
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There is not any mention of a menstrual cup。 Additionally， what about STDs？ Contraceptives？ This book needs an accompaniment for girls entering puberty。 On the plus side， the book includes a one-year chart to document the menstrual cycle and some blank pages at the end for notes。
Mandy Peterson
，
I read this book to see if I wanted to share it with my 11 year old daughter。 It covers all of the basics， plus answers some questions about male puberty。 I appreciated the sections on talking to your parents and saving sex for someone special。
Teri
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A must have for that "maturation talk"。 :） Very thorough and well written。 We ended up purchasing this one as well to have around the house。 A must have for that "maturation talk"。 :） Very thorough and well written。 We ended up purchasing this one as well to have around the house。 。。。more
Lil And
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I can't read it I can't read it 。。。more
Katie （BooksRUs）
，
great - the pictures are for more mature minds
Precious
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This really help me
Teara
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Hjvgbvcxfsgjmk
Lili
，
Fantastic
Elizabeth
，
$1。99。 writing inside front cover。
Elise
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This was the book I read when I was growing up。 Very useful for 10-12 year old girls。 :）
Sheila
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