There are few things more squirm-inducing for teenagers (and adults) than sitting down for a discussion on what is going on with their bodies and why they are having certain feelings, I have sat through PSHE and well-being lessons that have resembled Dante’s Inferno with damned souls writhing in what seems to be (for them) an eternity of torment.
Having worked in libraries for ages I have come to learn that sometimes it is preferable (for young people anyway) to have a decent collection of books on puberty, sex and sexuality that they can borrow unofficially and return later in secret.
The books below are nine of the most popular books on this subject that I have in my collection (inasmuch they disappear with great frequency) and two recently published books that I think will be as popular.
The Girl Files All about Puberty and Growing Up– Jacqui Bailey
This is Not a Sex Book – Chusita & Maria Llovet
This Book is Gay – Juno Dawson
Being a Boy – Juno Dawson illus. Spike Gerrel
The Gender Games – Juno Dawson
Being a Girl – Hayley Long, illustrated by Gemma Correll
The Boy Files: Puberty, Growing Up and All That Stuff – Alex Hooper-Hodgson
Sex, Snogs, Dates and Mates – Anita Naik
How to Be a Girl the common Sense Guide to Girlhood – Anita Naik
Periods, Zits and Other Bits – Charlotte Owen
Doing It: Let’s Talk About Sex… – Hannah Witton
As with all book lists this is not meant to be exhaustive, if colleagues reading this have other books they would like to suggest please do so in the comments below.