Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Impressively comprehensive guide covers nuances of consent.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In WELCOME TO CONSENT, adolescent health doctor/researcher Dr. Melissa Kang teams up with Yumi Stynes, host of the podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk About Health and Sexuality, to bring the most comprehensive guide available on boundaries and consent to tweens and young teens. Stynes said they wrote the book because, "Many of the discussions around consent, the putrid effects of porn on real-world sex, and keeping us all safe in moments of intimacy come back to teaching about sex and consent and starting that teaching young."
Is It Any Good?
This is an empowering reference guide for tweens and teens that teaches the importance of setting boundaries and understanding consent. While Welcome to Consent may be too dense to read all at once, it serves as an essential resource for young readers to revisit whenever needed. With engaging illustrations, relatable quotes from real teenagers, and lots of practical advice, the book covers the many nuances of consent -- getting into how things like self-image, peer pressure, and maturity can affect consent and emphasizing the importance of ongoing communication, specificity, and recognizing power dynamics. It also provides guidance on handling uncomfortable feelings related to withholding consent and highlights the need for enthusiastic agreement.
The authors deserve praise for their important work, overcoming harsh criticism, online harassment, and even death threats to create an invaluable life tool for young readers, equipping them with crucial knowledge, offering specific tools and scenarios to navigate healthy relationships, and fostering an environment where open communication and respect can help build a safer world. Every child who gets their hands on this book will be a healthier adult for reading it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's important to keep checking in when it comes to consent and how and why consent can change in various circumstances. What are some good phrases to use to check in with others regarding consent in everyday circumstances? What about in romantic or sexual situations?
How do power dynamics come into play with consent? Discuss some examples of times when a person might not have the power to give consent. How do things like age, social status, and roles of authority play into this? What can you or any other young person do if their boundaries aren't respected?
What are some phrases or actions you would feel comfortable using when you don't give consent to something that's happening? Try role playing to use these phrases in different situtations.
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : Jenny Latham
- Genre : Body Awareness
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Communication
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Viking; Penguin Random House LLC
- Publication date : May 19, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 11 - 14
- Number of pages : 224
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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