Science and sex info and more science books for kids
November 9, 2015 7:39 AM Subscribe
Looking for a friendly, positive book explaining developmentally appropriate details about sex and reproductive organs etc for my seven-year-old, who is an advanced reader.
Also: good science books for a smart seven-year-old in general.
We haven't really talked about sex in detail but have a friendly affectionate family word for 'girl parts' and a healthy family attitude about her early masturbatory explorations ie. 'that's for private time!' So sex stuff has been lightweight, not fraught, but she definitely should be getting information. I don't want to give her a speech about it not because I'm uncomfortable but because I think it will make it see like a big weird deal when she could be enjoying casually getting this information from a book and asking me questions as needed.
She likes her body, has a great sense of humor, is very smart, was reading at the end of second grade level by the end of first grade. She's also generally very science-oriented and was complaining about the lack of science at school, that they don't get to do any science, they just do math and words.
So I would like one developmentally appropriate book on whatever sex type info is appropriate for a seven year old (for instance, is now too young for period talk?) and includes the correct anatomical terms.
As an addendum to this, I'm looking for good books on scientific topics for a seven year old advanced reader, so I could get them as a batch and she'd receive the sex book (I have to stop calling it that) as well as some other fun and intriguing stuff since she's expressed frustration at not getting enough science.
She likes all science: botany, biology, geology, jet propulsion (grandpa used to design jet engines), the solar system, stars, how light works, why clouds are shaped in different ways. If I find a ton I will give her some with the 'growing up' book and some at Christmas.
I would love recommendations on any of these.
We haven't really talked about sex in detail but have a friendly affectionate family word for 'girl parts' and a healthy family attitude about her early masturbatory explorations ie. 'that's for private time!' So sex stuff has been lightweight, not fraught, but she definitely should be getting information. I don't want to give her a speech about it not because I'm uncomfortable but because I think it will make it see like a big weird deal when she could be enjoying casually getting this information from a book and asking me questions as needed.
She likes her body, has a great sense of humor, is very smart, was reading at the end of second grade level by the end of first grade. She's also generally very science-oriented and was complaining about the lack of science at school, that they don't get to do any science, they just do math and words.
So I would like one developmentally appropriate book on whatever sex type info is appropriate for a seven year old (for instance, is now too young for period talk?) and includes the correct anatomical terms.
As an addendum to this, I'm looking for good books on scientific topics for a seven year old advanced reader, so I could get them as a batch and she'd receive the sex book (I have to stop calling it that) as well as some other fun and intriguing stuff since she's expressed frustration at not getting enough science.
She likes all science: botany, biology, geology, jet propulsion (grandpa used to design jet engines), the solar system, stars, how light works, why clouds are shaped in different ways. If I find a ton I will give her some with the 'growing up' book and some at Christmas.
I would love recommendations on any of these.
We like The Care and Keeping of You from the American Girl series. Also, Amazon carries the series that bluedaisy mentions, and at least a couple of them offer the "Look inside" option, so you can get a sense of the reading level and contents.
posted by msbubbaclees at 8:18 AM on November 9, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by msbubbaclees at 8:18 AM on November 9, 2015 [6 favorites]
Basher Books are what you want. The biology one acknowledges the existence of sex, as they say on NPR, although it's pretty cursory. Either of the suggestions above would be good for more detail.
posted by Flannery Culp at 8:26 AM on November 9, 2015
posted by Flannery Culp at 8:26 AM on November 9, 2015
My smart seven-year-old quite likes Penguin's Who Was series, a growing selection of biographies of notable people past and present, with categories devoted to scientists and inventors from Einstein to Goodall to Jobs. They're generally better written than most stuff aimed at elementary school students.
posted by bassomatic at 9:29 AM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by bassomatic at 9:29 AM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I purchased the first book in the "It's So Amazing" series for my 4 year old when she asked where babies come from. We didn't read it cover to cover, but the material have read so far has been quite good, and she understands it enough to ask questions.
posted by Silvertree at 11:06 AM on November 9, 2015
posted by Silvertree at 11:06 AM on November 9, 2015
When I was a kid, I had the books Where did I come from? and What's happening to me?, which were great. Not having picked them up in decades, I'm not sure how well they've aged vis a vis heteronormativity and cisnormativity.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:23 AM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:23 AM on November 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was very happy with "Amazing You", a picture book that deals with gender differences, sex, and puberty from the perspective of body positivity. I bought it for my kids when they were 6&7 and my 8yo son still reads it today. And no, I don't think 7 is too young for period talk, just keep it simple and detached (I.e. talk about it happening to women in general but not her specifically.)
posted by alicat at 12:24 PM on November 9, 2015
posted by alicat at 12:24 PM on November 9, 2015
You want Sex is a Funny Word, for kids 7-9. Body parts, the word "sexy", gender/trans, privacy and bad secrets, justice, joy and funny words. Amazing book.
posted by sadmadglad at 4:11 PM on November 9, 2015
posted by sadmadglad at 4:11 PM on November 9, 2015
Our son loves Human Body Theater; it's more general science, but it does cover reproduction in a non-explicit way.
posted by fings at 9:10 PM on November 9, 2015
posted by fings at 9:10 PM on November 9, 2015
P.S. You can see the chapter on the digestive system (scroll down), if you want to get an idea what the book is like.
posted by fings at 9:18 PM on November 9, 2015
posted by fings at 9:18 PM on November 9, 2015
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It's hard to buy this stuff online, I think. Do you have a large local bookstore? I'd encourage you to browse their parenting section, so you can get a sense of what the books say and if that works for your family.
posted by bluedaisy at 7:48 AM on November 9, 2015 [3 favorites]