The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition

I give this 5 stars for helping me communicate with my boyfriend's 8 and 10 year old girls. They don't have a mother, and every girl needs a special someone to turn to in order to understand and not fear the changes they're going through and will go through (just around the corner). Little did I know that this book is by the American Girl Label, and both her and her younger sister love American Girl. It was immediately accepted as a "book of gold". I expressed to her that I am absolutely here for ANYTHING, ANYTIME she needs/wants to talk. She's got a wonderful father, but sometimes it takes an understanding woman available in order to keep the communication lines open and confusing changes in your body to be less feared and better understood. We've had the "period" talk, which went much smoother than I thought it would, thanks to this book. It appears that she is developing early, so it was a wise investment purchased not a moment too soon. She's now confident in talking to me about everything; and she's asking for the next books and journal for Christmas 2014. I'm happy to oblige. I'm very grateful for the bond that I have with both girls. Now, her younger sister is reading the book and is more open to asking questions also. This book opened the door to a stronger, more trusting relationship that would not have been as easy without this book. *Just a tip: read the book yourself. That way, any questions you are asked can be better planned for, and questions better understood. Plus, it's just best to understand what they are learning and the details. When I'm shown a page in the book and asked "What does this part mean?", I know exactly what they've read and how to comfortably answer it in a way that they can understand. The best thing about this book is that it teaches girls what they need to know and understand at the age they are at. At 10, I started my monthly cycle. I was early, but I had no one to talk to. I only had a library full of books that informed me, but they also terrified me. I wasn't old enough to learn about subjects attached to you're period, such as details about sex. That's one thing I hoped to eliminate with this book. Yes, it does explain what a period is and why, but it does NOT explain sex or pregnancy. At 10 (the younger is 8), I can trust that this book won't terrify them like I was. The "sex talk" will happen when she's old enough to know. Some people believe in terrifying their child because it scares them into abstinence, but I'm not that type of parent. I encourage good choices based on information given to them in a way that encourages those positive choices. This book is an excellent tool for that. I recommend this book to any mother, step mother or parental figure that wishes to have a stronger bond and open communication with every little girl/young lady in their lives. It's truly helpful, and we're all grateful for it!! Thank you, American Girl, for helping the girls in my home to better understand themselves, and feel comfortable communicating their questions and any fears they may have. Book #2, and the journal out of the line of books/journals available will be making their way under the tree this Christmas.

I wanted a book to help me explain to my 10 year old daughter the changes that are beginning to take place in her body without, at this age, going into anything sexual. This book filled the bill nicely. As with most American Girl books, the text speaks to the child respectfully. The graphics are appealing, not at all silly yet not overly-detailed. I appreciated that this book did not tread on unnecessary ground regarding conception, contraception, etc. As a Catholic, I have had a hard time finding books that were not too graphic, that did not go into subjects contrary to my faith or beyond the child's maturity level, and yet were not too vague or old-fashioned and which make the topic seem taboo. What worked for us and for my daughter's comfort level was for us to read the chapter on her period together, after which I allowed her to take the book and read the rest in privacy. She is an avid reader and likes reading about health, so that worked for us and none of the other chapters were so startling that she would not be okay with reading them on her own (e.g. hair growth, shaving, deodorant, breast development, bras, etc). The subject of menstruation was covered well. My only complaint would be that a couple of words, including vagina, were not defined in the chapter. That was okay for us because we were reading it together (which I think is the best way to use this chapter) so I was able to explain. Also, the picture of the uterus (just a little squiggle on a girl's abdomen) was a little bit abstract, so I was prepared in advance with a simple picture from an anatomy book. This book helped my daughter be comfortable with the changes in her body. Each parent should decide what to read together and what, if anything, you feel comfortable having your daughter read on her own, depending on her age, maturity, and what is happening in her body already. For example, my daughter and I had already purchased bras for her together so that chapter was nothing unexpected. There is a second volume for older girls which I also purchased to have on hand when needed. I am grateful for these American Girl resources which give a modern presentation yet retain a sense of innocence and dignity.

As a 50 year old woman who has successfully raised two wonderfully responsible, tax paying, young men, I thought that raising a "girl" would be the cake walk of a lifetime. So, at the ripe young age of 50, I got my opportunity through a unfortunate/fortunate event, my husband ended up with custody of his, now our, beautiful daughter. How hard could it actually be caring for a 7 year old girl child? Not hard, not at all... she's kinda like a dirty little boy. Then a birthday passed, a Christmas, a summer, another year of school now we are 9. WHAT THE HELL... FOR REAL! What happens at 9 to little girls today that never happed to me 41 years ago? I had a difficult problem explaining to a "baby" girl, what her GROWING body was trying to tell her! I can't even begin to describe the puzzled look in her eyes, or the fact that I failed miserably to explain to a level of her comprehension. I immediately turned to my grown children "what do I do" - my adult son reminds me that I took him to book store, showed him a biology book and traumatized him for life, that's where we had our "puberty" talk. He recommended a sensible approach, told me to research "coming of age" book series, and also this book. This book makes everything so much easier about the puberty talk, it is laid out in interesting short paragraphs that are easy to digest. The illustrations are still playful and definitely hit the nail on the head with the awkward bodies and cute expressions. The book keeps my little girl interested in a very embarrassing topic for her, and she sleeps with it on her night stand, and refers to it often. The emphasis on caring for your body and making it a part of personal responsibility really made an impact on my child. She takes pride in caring for her body, doesn't resist brushing her teeth as much, or not as distracted to forget deoderant. She enjoys having a set method for body care, choosing nice body care products, and its building self esteem. I wish as a young girl I had gotten the same education, sadly there are many who just learned it the old fashioned way, and tho we may have turned out okay, its sure so much easier knowing that by just purchasing this book, you're setting a healthy routine in motion that's not ambigious, its purposeful and it attributes to overall good health.

This book is an amazing tool for educating and opening dialogue with your young girls as they approach puberty. There is a ton of great education and the book approaches everything from the head down. The book approaches everything in a way that appeals to young readers, but remains real. We got this and the second volume (for older girls) for our eldest daughter. My wife and I have been going through it with her and it’s really helping my daughter understand the importance of proper hygiene. She’s a smart and inquisitive kid and asks a lot of great questions through the reading. She loves the book and reads it independently. Depending on your girls’ developmental levels, you may need to read it to them. For a precocious seven year old, most of it is well within grasp. Seriously, if you are raising girls, I cannot recommend this book enough. I have seen many books for girl’s health and this is, by far, the best I have seen. If I can find something this good for my son, I will get it without a doubt. Dialogue about physical and mental well-being is so important to begin as young as your child can understand. For physical health, these conversations should begin as young as age two or three, at developmentally appropriate levels. By being real and open about these topics, you remove awkwardness and stigma, making the real and more challenging conversations easier down the road. This book gives you an opening to begin the dialogue. If I could rate this higher, I would.

A thoughtful, age-appropriate guide that explains body changes, hygiene, and growing up in a way that feels calm and easy to understand. It’s written in a reassuring tone that doesn’t overwhelm, which makes it really helpful for starting early conversations at home. The information is practical and straightforward, focusing on helping girls feel confident and comfortable with what’s happening as they grow. It’s also organized in a way that allows kids to explore topics gradually instead of all at once. Overall, it’s a trusted, well-balanced resource that’s been very helpful for building understanding and confidence at an early stage.

So I read lots of reviews before I bought this book and I figured that this would be the one to introduce to our daughter. She is only 7 and we are waiting a few years before letting her read this but I felt we needed to have it on hand so when the time comes, I can grab it right off the shelf and hand it to her. She knows some basic information as we feel.she is on a need to know basis. When she asks questions we answer them honestly and sometimes I just tell her that when she gets a little bigger, we will talk to her more about how things will begin to change for her. She is accepting of that answer for the time being. I had a friend who has an older version of the book and said that her daughter was overwhelmed and felt uncomfortable. My understanding is that ALL info was in that book. THIS book is the first volume and is more of an introduction to the changes young girls will start to experience. I absolutely love this book and the fact that they divided the material into two books, one for younger girls and one for older girls. This book is for the younger girls and it is very well written! Simple sentences and descriptions of what they need to know without having scary diagrams, pictures, and terminology. The cartoon like pictures are friendly and they talk about things like body odor and why it's important to take care of your body through exercise, nutrition, bathing etc. It gives a very simple explanation of menstruation that isn't scary and encourages talking to parents for any concerns or help in understanding anything. I am looking forward to a few years from now when I think my daughter will be peppering us with more questions. This book will be perfect! This book is more of a primer to changes in the body and does not address sexual activity or deal with the "birds and the bees". I honestly love that they have separated it out into two books. Sometimes you can overload your kids with too much detailed information. I look forward to sharing this book with my daughter in a year or so and purchasing the 2nd book to have on hand for the future!

I bought this book 4 year ago for my daughter. She was about to turn 8 and I'd been buying various books for her and her older brother to explain the changes that were going to happen and make sure they felt comfortable coming and talking to me about them. Why did I suddenly come back 4 years later to finally review the book? Because now (right before she turns 11 and enters middle school) she's really gotten back into it because she's already begun experiencing the changes mentioned in the book. The catalyst is that last night she came to me holding a multi-colored bento box I'd bought long ago and wanted to make her own lunch for the next day. When questioned about why the sudden interest in making her lunch she pulled out the book and showed me the section on appropriate nutrition with fruits, veggies, protein, and grains. It's not like we haven't talked about proper nutrition before, but something in the book really clicked with her. Then last night she decided she wanted to read the section on breast development with me and discuss her own stages. She'd been talking about it more for the past few days and had been quoting the book. So it was good to sit there and have her read it to me and point out various parts that she wanted to discuss. She has a really healthy view of herself and her body. She's interested in the changes she's going through and seems to be neither in a hurry or dreading them as they come. I'm arming her with as much information and tools as I can so that she's ready for each change. This book has been a really good source of information for her. She also asked me to buy her the next book in the series (The Care & Keeping of You 2) so I am now awaiting its arrival tomorrow. This time I won't wait 4 years to review that one.

This book holds a special place in our family- it's become a tradition to gift it to each of my daughters as they reach the age of maturity. This book gently opens the door to conversations that can feel awkward, but are so important. It's honest, clear, and beautifully supportive. Every page is filled with encouragement and reassurance, helping girls understand their changing bodies in a way that feels empowering- not scary. It's more than just a book- it's a rite of passage, a trusted guide, and a source of comfort during a time of big questions and big feelings. I'm so grateful it exisits.

Il libro è abbastanza esaustivo ed è stato subito apprezzato da mia figlia di 10 anni. Non sostituisce il colloquio con i genitori, anzi lo ha incentivato generando domande e occasioni di confronto. Il fatto che sia il "suo" libro ha stimolato sia la curiosità che un senso di responsabilizzazione in prima persona. Gli argomenti trattati spaziano dalla cura del corpo, all'igiene al fitness, con una parte consistente legata allo sviluppo femminile.

My daughter is an avid reader and very verbal, but there are some things she was not comfortable talking to me about, so we got her this. She has found it very informative, and reassuring and given her confidence to ask more focused and specific questions. I would buy the next one too - if only there were one for the younger boys!

This is a fantasitc book for children with neurodiversities. My daughter has autism, adhd, learning disabilities and this book is engaging for her.

This is a good book for preteen. I bought it for my 9year old and I'm happy with this book being so childish still since her sister (5) will want to read and see it too. It has a bit information on everything (not sex) simple and short for that age. However this is just for the beginning i will get eventually a more informative one.

Es un libro muy bien escrito para preparar a las niñas para la pubertad. Tiene imágenes adecuadas y va presentando todo el cuidado del cuerpo de manera muy natural, de la cabeza a los pies. No aborda más de lo necesario, a mí me encantó para mi hija de 9 años.