Good puberty books for 9 year old boy?

[LynnS6]

Ds is 9, and while puberty is probably 2-3 years away, I'd like to get some books now, so we can ease into it. Also dh went through his development relatively early (he reached his full height by 14). If ds follows dh's pattern, he'll be on the early side. If he follows my family's pattern, he'll be later.

Ds is a major introvert and quite private about a lot of things. He knows the basics of reproduction (thanks to his little sister's intense interest in the subject-- he's never asked much on his own).

We own "It's Not the Stork", and I was looking at their follow up books: It's So Amazing and It's Perfectly Normal. It's So Amazing doesn't seem that different in content from It's Not the Stork -- is it worth it? (I might get it for dd, who's 6, and has basically memorized It's Not the Stork)

Is there something that's specific to boys? Should I just tell dh he's got to deal with it?

[Kokopelli-mana]

I just bought It's So Amazing and it's very good.  There's a section on Male Anatomy, including circ'd and uncirc'd penises.  There's discussion of erections and ejaculation, and how sperm meets the egg.  There's also a cartoon showing how males mature from baby, boy, older boy, teen, man, and elderly man.  I think it's a great resource.  You might want to check out the reviews of the book at Amazon.com 

[LynnS6]

Thanks! That does sound significantly different from It's Not the Stork, so it might be the appropriate step up.

[AttunedMama]

I would love to see even more suggestions on this topic. I have never been crazy about the Stork/Normal books...I don't like the way the bee and the bird...are. The jocularity of their dialogue drives me insane, and treats the topic in a nearly opposite way of how I like to discuss it with my kid.

Someday I'm writing my own book on this topic, but I keep hoping someone else will do it before I get around to it.

[LynnS6]

I ended up buying "It's So Amazing" and "It's Perfectly Normal". Dd (6) is ready for "It's So Amazing" and I think ds (9) is ready for "It's Perfectly Normal."

I also bought "Sex, Puberty and All that Stuff: A Guide to Growing Up". I think the content might be a little advanced for ds right now, but I'll read it and figure out whether I think that's true. It says in the description it's for grades 5-10, and ds isn't quite that old. I'll see if I like it. I decided not to get "My body myself for boys" because it's more interactive/workbook like and there's no way that ds will ever take to that.

There are a ton of other books out there, and I'd love to know what people thought of them. It's hard going on Amazon's reviews because a lot of people seem to think that kids simply shouldn't be taught about sex.

[beanma]

Lynn, we just have girls, but my girls, esp my oldest have reached the point where they really want something gender-specific. We have "It's So Amazing" and they do love that, but I also got "The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls" from American Girl and my oldest absolutely love, love, loves it. It might be worth checking out a gender-specific book for boys, too. Put "The Care and Keeping of You" on your to-do list when your dd gets to be 9, too!

[NikonMama]

This is a good book http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Happening-Me-Guide-Puberty/dp/0818403128  It's called "What's happening to me?"  My mom gave it to me when I was younger and I loved it.  I in turn gave it to my son.  It has information about both boys and girls (which I think they should learn about both genders) but isn't too far over their heads.  There is also a book called "Where did I come from?" by the same author, about where babies come from, and I gave that to my son also.  Good luck!!

[wemoon]

Originally Posted by beanma 

Lynn, we just have girls, but my girls, esp my oldest have reached the point where they really want something gender-specific. We have "It's So Amazing" and they do love that, but I also got "The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls" from American Girl and my oldest absolutely love, love, loves it. It might be worth checking out a gender-specific book for boys, too. Put "The Care and Keeping of You" on your to-do list when your dd gets to be 9, too!

I got the american girl book for my dd too... she loved it. I have been looking for something for my son, so will definitely check out these recommendations.