Best puberty books for girls: what to read for parents, tweens, and teens
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Teething. Sleeping through the night. Potty training. First day of school. Parenting can feel like anxious excitement, over and over, as each development milestone arrives for us to shepherd our kids through.
As my oldest is now 11, I’m deep into the next milestone: puberty! And I’m calling on the experts for this one!
Millennial parents like me grew up with the classic American Girl book, The Care and Keeping of You. Good news - it’s still around, has a second volume for older girls, and is now updated for its 25th anniversary - but there’s more out there for you and your tween or teen to read.
Here’s our recommendations for the best books to read as you navigate puberty together:
For your 8-12 year old:
1. The Every Body Book by Rachel E. Simon and Noah Grigni
A diverse pick, this book is gender neutral, and celebrates all forms of diversity including faith, body types, gender, race, and ethnicity. Designed specifically for the 8-12 year old range, this guide covers the basics of sex, anatomy, pregnancy (including doctor assisted), birth (including cesarean), and keeping your body safe.
2. You-ology: A Puberty Guide for EVERY Body by Trish Hutchinson, Kathryn Lowe, and Melisa Holmes
Great for the younger crowd, this inclusive book avoids separating puberty into boys vs girls and instead talks about the changes that every kid will face - you’ll get bigger, you’ll get smarter, you’ll get some big feelings. It introduces true friends vs best friends as they find the right kind of friends, and explores the mental and emotional health side of puberty.
3. Celebrate Your Body (and Its Changes, Too!): The Ultimate Puberty Book for Girls by Sonya Renee Taylor
This inclusive and body-positive guide for young girls touches on all types of changes: physical, mental, and emotional! Filled with self-care tips and social skills guidance, it touches on peer pressure, staying safe on social media, the right kind of friends, and healthy foods and sleep.
4. HelloFlo: The Guide, Period. by Naama Bloom
All about the body changes during puberty for girls, this book tackles everything: mental changes, breast development, first period and period care, and body hair. It has sidebars for adults to read, and is an honest but funny look at how her body will change over the next few years.
For your 13+ year old:
5. You Know, Sex by Corey Silverberg and Fiona Smyth
Told through the perspectives of four middle schoolers in a graphic novel style, this book touches on all things sex education: relationships, consent, reproduction, anatomy, gender, puberty, etc. This book is also racially and ethnically diverse, and is inclusive of disability!
6. Sex Education for Teenagers: Answers to Questions You Don’t Want to Ask Your Parents About Puberty, Dating, and Staying Safe by Riley Rhodes
As your tween becomes a teen, the puberty discussion goes from “hey, your body will change soon!” to “hey, here’s how to keep that new body safe and happy!” This book is here for them as they become a full fledged teenager - including consent, dating and healthy relationships, birth control, STI, and online safety.
7. Consent: The New Rules of Sex Education by Jennifer Lang, MD
Specifically for the teen or young adult who is dating, this guide explains relationships, dating, and how to communicate and understand consent. The author, a board-certified OB-GYN, also takes the time to separate sex education fact from fiction and explain what sexual abuse and assault are.
For you:
8. Enough As She Is by Rachel Simmons
Driven by the idea that tween and teen girls never feel “enough” - smart enough, pretty enough, popular enough - researcher Rachel Simmons turns two decades of research into parenting advice to help your girl thrive. Focused on girls’ mental health, she explains how to teach self-compassion, help them manage overthinking, take healthy risks, and navigate the toxicity of social media.
9. This is So Awkward by Cara Natterson, MD and Vanessa Kroll Bennett
This book gives advice on how to have the hard but necessary conversations with your kids, on anything from acne to body odor to eating disorders and healthy eating. It also dives deep into the science behind puberty, including the effects of hormones, and explains modern teen culture, such as mental health drivers, body image issues, and sexual orientation.
10. Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour, Ph.D.
Dr. Damour reveals seven distinct - and normal! - developmental transitions for girls becoming adults, such as Parting with Childhood, Caring for Herself, and Entering the Romantic World. Through scenarios and advice, she helps parents engage with daughters in smart, constructive ways so they can understand, connect, and grow.
For you and her:
11. Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter by Meredith and Sofie Jacobs
Whether it feels like your mother-daughter relationship has been upended by puberty, or it’s brought you closer together, a shared journal can be a lovely, low confrontation way to stay connected. Recommended for daughters 10+, writing prompts, mini quizzes, and plenty of free space allow for heartwarming ways to have necessary conversations.
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