Parents' Guide to

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Informative, updated, explicit sex ed book.

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 15+

Based on 15 parent reviews

age 18+

Too much for an almost ten year old

I don’t mind my 9 (almost ten) year old having the facts about puberty at all. What I do mind is information about oral and anal sex, abortion, and rape. Seriously! That’s too much for my 9 year old. It’s also got graphic drawing of the private parts, both of males and females.

This title has:

Too much sex
4 people found this helpful.
age 14+

Porn for children

Please do not allow your children to view this book! It contains graphic illustrations of sex acts and genitalia. All sexual behavior is considered perfectly "normal". You can do a much better job talking to your children directly without this book. My library insists on placing this book in the juvenile non-fiction section, prominently displayed, as opposed to the young adult section. Preserve your young children's innocence and keep this book away from your kids!

This title has:

Too much sex
4 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15):
Kids say (7):

Human sexuality is timeless but not unchanging -- and this fresh update of Robie H. Harris' 1994 classic helps guide kids coming of age at a time when digital media can be both a blessing and a curse. It's Perfectly Normal aims to arm kids with knowledge to make informed, thoughtful decisions about their sexual behavior and relationships, and it does so with a frankness that some families will find refreshing while others may feel it's inappropriate.

Harris and illustrator Michael Emberley take a straightforward and inclusive approach, portraying a diverse range of ethnicities and body types, discussing different religious and personal beliefs, and encouraging respect for individual preferences. They also dive into contemporary concerns about cyberbullying, respecting boundaries, sexting, and online pornography and misinformation. Parents should review it first to make sure it's right for their children and to prepare for follow-up conversations.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate