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The Girls' Guide to Growing Up: the best-selling puberty guide for girls

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"... this book is a MUST if you have a growing girl." - online customer review

"Some things are super scary especially for a 9-year-old but reading this together, I felt, let her know that she could talk to me about anything." - online customer review

"It has everything a girl needs to understand their body and mood changes as they experience this new stage of their lives." - online customer review

"A very gentle and friendly guide to growing up." - online customer review

"The illustrations are all child-appropriate and the level of detail is set just right." - online customer review

"Opens the door for conversations about the changes they are and will be going through." - online customer review

A sensitively written, friendly guide to growing up, specifically aimed at younger girls.

A friendly , reassuring and positive guide for girls as they approach puberty, explaining the changes that will happen to their bodies as they grow up and how these changes might make them feel. Covering everything from periods and breast development to body hair and personal hygiene , puberty and parenting expert Anita Naik addresses any worries that girls may have relating to what is 'normal'. She reassures readers and boosts their confidence , encouraging them to feel positive about the changes they will experience as they go through puberty.

The Girls' Guide to Growing Up also includes advice on topics such as body image, self-esteem and how puberty affects boys, and has an age-appropriate section on sex and reproduction.

Contents

- What is puberty?
- Your puberty timeline
- Breasts and bras
- Same age, different stage
- Skin changes
- Sweats, smells and personal hygiene
- Hair in new places
- Changes down below
- What are periods?
- The practical side of periods
- Managing periods
- Sex explained
- Making babies
- New feelings
- Managing your moods
- Healthy eating
- The power of exercise
- Self-esteem and body image
- Privacy and your body
- Puberty for boys
- Boys have worries, too

48 pages, Paperback

Published October 23, 2018

87 people are currently reading
420 people want to read

About the author

Anita Naik

127 books16 followers

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Community Reviews

5 stars
135 (55%)
4 stars
66 (26%)
3 stars
22 (8%)
2 stars
9 (3%)
1 star
13 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Cal Greaney.
19 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2018
Great book for 8 year old. Body positive, reassuring, very simple and matter of fact. Best one I’ve found so far - lots of pictures, and not too dense/technical. Nicely pitched.
Profile Image for Jessica DeLaune.
35 reviews
September 30, 2025
This is a really good book to help explain and answer any questions your daughter may have. However there were a handful of items I did remove or cover because I felt like they were not necessary for my daughter. If you do purchase which I do recommend I also recommend that you read prior to sharing it with your daughter so that you can ensure that it matches your values and development of your daughter. Overall though this book was helpful for my daughter and she has read it a few times and she feels confident that she is aware of what her body will/is going through.
Profile Image for Stacy.
10 reviews2 followers
January 11, 2021
This isn’t worth recommending to my parent-friends. It’s a pretty surface level introduction to puberty. This is a publication from London, which I didn’t know upon purchasing - this makes reading it different enough that I’m still undecided as to whether or not I’ll have my daughter read it. The spellings of proper terms are different as are the slang terms used. I’ll likely place it upon her bookshelf, but rely on other books we have to guide our conversations.
Profile Image for Lydia Sheppard.
55 reviews6 followers
June 19, 2022
Love the idea of this book. The diagram of the internal and external organs are great. Very clear and the correct names! (Youd be shocked at how many books call the entire thing a vagina rather than a vulva)
Great explanation of the period cycle


has a few things i didn’t but this was worth mentioning:
- using soap and water to wash vulva. This is a good way
to get infections because you ate washing away the
natural backterias inside that are there to clean.
Profile Image for Kacy.
113 reviews2 followers
February 22, 2025
Read this with Natalie and it prompted some great conversations. The graphics are detailed cartoons which made them less intimidating for a 9 year-old. Love how the author emphasized how a pre-teen might be feeling learning this new information.

4 stars instead of 5 because there were bits and pieces of information in here that I felt were unnecessary, but overall, a great way to give more details about puberty in a gentle way.
Profile Image for Coley .
185 reviews2 followers
August 4, 2025
I’ve just bought this book for my 9 year old who is growing and changing and feeling confused and I’ve just read it to make sure it’s appropriate and it’s brilliant, really easy to read and understand and breaks things down for the child, it even has a section on boys and how they change too during puberty, hopefully it’s going to help my girly! I would highly recommend to other moms of little girls
Profile Image for Shannon Britchford.
2 reviews
November 21, 2023
fantastic information

Lots of information for girls to know about and clear pictures to help with the information about transitioning through puberty and other factors of adolescents stages.
Good for children with disabilities as well
Profile Image for Kasiastarko.
190 reviews10 followers
June 8, 2019
Читала в українському перекладі. Супер!
1 review
Currently reading
June 21, 2020
When I was 12 I was scared of what was going to happen when I reach puberty but when I got all the info of puberty I was calm and now I am living a healthy life and btw I am 15
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1 review
April 15, 2021
Wow
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gracie:).
228 reviews4 followers
January 9, 2025
Great way to explain puberty to younger girls (8-12 years), covering lots and lots of helpful information. Pretty surface-level but had some good titbits in!
1 review
August 17, 2020
Awesome

Really good
I would consider not everything about periods and more stuff for girls and boys sorry lol
I chose the rating bc it showed me what I'll go through
Byeee
I recommend for anybody who is worried about what will happen
Byeeee
Profile Image for Sadie.
240 reviews
July 27, 2020
Read this in about 10 minutes, but I have to say that this is the best and most age appropriate book for girls aged 8/9/10/11 about puberty and sex that I have read and will definitely be giving this to my daughter to read - very well worded and straight forward....
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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