Readers, meet Konika. She’s the founder of Girl Power Science — an organization that empowers girls to navigate puberty with confidence. Today, we’re thrilled to share Konika’s new book, “One in a Million: A First Book About Periods.” In anticipation of her big book launch, Konika was kind enough to round up a few more favorites for us in this same genre.
If you’ve been looking for some resources to talk to your kids about puberty, start here…
I’ll never forget the day when one of my 7-year-old students in second grade asked me if she had breast cancer when she noticed a breast bud on one side of her chest! That same year, one of my third graders got her first period.
I called up my mom friend who’s a pediatrician and asked her what the heck was going on. She told me that this was the new norm and we need to proactively teach kids about puberty earlier.
Let’s Talk About Puberty: 3 Helpful Books For Growing Kids
I started teaching my second graders about puberty, and I was shocked that they actually got really excited about it. I avoided labels such as “early bloomers” and “late bloomers” because no one wants to be first at a party and feel all alone. When you’re late to something, it makes you feel like you missed out on all the fun. Instead, I normalized that everyone has their own unique journey that’s right for their body.
I told the kids that we can all have an attitude of gratitude when our bodies are healthy and growing. It was hard to find the “just-right” fit for puberty books for younger kids. The content needed to be short and sweet and guided by their curiosity.
1. ‘Bodies Are Cool’ By Tyler Feder
The book “Bodies Are Cool” by Tyler Feder is perfect for instilling body acceptance and confidence in the youngest of readers. This book is a pure celebration of all of the different bodies that exist on our planet. It sparks so many questions from my younger students all the way up to my own sixth-grade daughter. Summer is the perfect time to open the door to embracing body talk when we hit the pools and beaches.
Where To Buy: Amazon | bookshop.org | Target
2. ‘One In A Million’ By Konika Ray Wong, M.Ed.
My daughter and I just published the first empowering children’s book about periods called “One in a Million” for kids ages 4 and up. We all know that the younger kids are, the more curiosity they have. If we read this book to them the first time they ask us about our tampons, we normalize periods and prevent shame and stigma. The narrative in our book reframes periods as a superpower that half of the humans on our planet possess. Kids love the uterus character in the book and learn that the uterus is the strongest muscle in our bodies. At a recent book launch event, one of the little girls told her mom she wants to be a uterus for halloween!
Similar to “Bodies are Cool,” this book is thought-provoking for older kids too. I read it to a sixth-grade class in Singapore, and one of the boys exclaimed, “Wait, so I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for periods?”
Where To Buy: Amazon | Goodreads
3. ‘Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter – A No-Stress, No-Rules Journal’ By Meredith & Sofie Jacobs
My last book recommendation is actually a journal. It’s called “Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter – A No-Stress, No-Rules Journal” by Meredith and Sofie Jacobs. I prefer the first version published in 2010. There are great prompts in the journal and two silk-ribbon bookmarks. My daughter fills out her response to the prompt and puts it on my bed stand, then I answer the same prompt and put it back on her bed stand.
We bought it when my daughter was in second grade, and we still use it now and she’s 12. When we get super-busy with school and work, she loves having this tool to connect with me. It helps keep open the door of trust and communication. Summer is the perfect time to start this journal activity. There’s a dad-and-daughter version too.
Where To Buy: Amazon | bookshop.org
Whatever books you buy when puberty is nigh, remember it’s not one big talk. When you start small, it’s so much easier. The more we empower our kids to celebrate their growing bodies, we transform our own relationship with our ever-changing bodies.
Konika Ray Wong, M.Ed. is the founder of Girl Power Science. GPS empowers girls to navigate puberty with confidence. For free resources, visit girlpowerscience.com and follow Konika and her daughter on Instagram @girlpowerscience.
