Decoding Boys

November 1, 2019

Natterson (The Care and Keeping of You; Guy Stuff) believes that too often parents misread the very signals they need to acknowledge to raise physically and emotionally healthy boys, as the visible signs aren't as obvious as they are for girls. The pediatrician and mother of two boys explores the effects of changes in both testosterone and the human brain during the years of puberty, and addresses how to discuss both interior changes and external influences (pornography, body image, addiction, aggression) impacting the development of young men. She completes the book with a highly detailed section on how to navigate some of the more awkward but important conversations about issues such as acne, body odor, erections, and wet dreams. VERDICT An essential and approachable resource for parents of preteen and teenage boys.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2019
A pediatrician leads readers down the fraught, confusing road of male puberty. Pediatrician Natterson (Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, 2017, etc.) seeks to "light a conversational route through puberty and adolescence while acknowledging that everyone travels a slightly different road." Puberty, specifically, is the path to sexual maturity and reproductive ability, but it draws in its wake plenty of challenges and (mostly) minor crises. Natterson's tone is comforting as she seeks to clue readers in, in terms of perspective and advice, on the physiological and emotional changes afoot. Central to the process of physical maturation and the making of men is the hormone testosterone, especially its role in the shutting down of communication by boys during puberty. This is critical, writes the author, because keeping open lines of communication is the single most elemental requirement for negotiating puberty. Somehow, find a way to communicate: "the silence can be deafening, not to mention dangerous." It can be dangerous because puberty is full of land mines, and adolescent boys can simultaneously look smart and grown-up but still make numerous poor decisions. This has to do with brain maturation and hormones, both of which Natterson discusses in enough detail for readers to get a handle on the basic biology involved. Readers will learn about pertinent elements of the limbic system and the role of the prefrontal cortex without having to earn a degree in physiology. Sex plays a starring role, of course, and the author examines consent, pornography, and the many positive and negative avenues through which boys learn the "facts." Natterson also addresses violent video games and guns, since puberty is a time of heightened emotions and aggression, as well as acne, body odor, unwanted erections, body hair, mood and voice changes, and wet dreams. A common-sensical, gently humorous exploration of male puberty's many trials.

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November 15, 2019
Puberty is a transformative time that can be tough on kids and their parents. Physical changes (erupting acne, patches of hair sprouting in new places), emotional changes (moodiness), and social shifts are unsettling, to say the least. And while many books on the subject of girls and puberty are available, very few have addressed boys. Natterson, a pediatrician, parent, and best-selling child-care author, provides a helpful guide for the care and handling of adolescent boys. Instructive chapters, including "The Biology of Boy Puberty?Everything Gets Bigger," "The Talk," and "Understanding Testosterone," effectively combine an understanding of pertinent male physiology with sound advice on good parenting. Natterson discusses the physical metamorphosis of boys, beginning around ages nine or 10 and including larger body parts, increased body odor, and erections. She also informatively discusses the teen brain, aggression, and sex ed. Her primary recommendation for raising a healthy, safe, and happy son is dialogue. "Talk is healthy," Natterson writes as she encourages parents to be readily available and supportive listeners. Honest and loving conversations are the key to navigating adolescence.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)