YOU: The Owner's Manual for Teens

June 1, 2011

America's favorite doctors Roizen and Oz (You: Having a Baby, 2010, etc.) answer teens' health and life questions with friendly, nonjudgmental guidance.

Roizen, founder of RealAge.com, and Oz, Emmy Award winning host of The Dr. Oz Show, offer straightforward information on numerous topics important to teens. The good doctors weigh in on simple skin care, PMS and stress management, as well as weightier issues such as depression, addiction, STIs, the science of sex and how to effectively and safely use birth control. The authors encourage good decision making through basic biological facts—pierced tongues are bad for teeth, tattoos should be applied hygienically, etc.—but the voice does not nag, and autonomy of choice is respected. While teens may not know that accidents are the major cause of death and serious injury for their age group, they can learn to avoid risky behavior with exercises like delayed gratification, which trains the adolescent brain to become more logical. The biggest worries teens may have are whether they are normal and liked (or loved), yet they'll likely be relieved to find answers to many embarrassing questions such as, "Why are my breasts uneven?" and "Is there anything I can do to increase my penis size?" The book's tone is humorous in many places—e.g., there are some things that can't be controlled, like the fact that "dad insists on wearing black socks with sneakers to mow the lawn." Easy fitness advice and "25 Top Tips for Teens" are also included.

Honest, teen-friendly advice from trusted sources.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Dr. Oz and the chief medical consultant for his television show want the alluded "You" in the title to be the best you possible. Thus, in true self-help manual fashion, they tackle the gamut of teen issues dealing with physical, mental, and sexual health, and all the embarrassing questions in between. Sections begin with bullet points about what readers will learn before discussion about the biology of what exactly goes on in the body that would make a teen act/look/think a certain way. "Fantastic Five: Steps for Success" end and summarize each chapter. Black-and-white illustrations are in a comic style, with facial features on a hair follicle, a tiny duck swimming in the bladder, and elfish figures demonstrating the information passing through neurons by playing baseball more prevalent than actual diagrams. Still, this is part of what makes this book accessible, though not the most authoritative. A "You Plan" presents recipes, exercises, and further tips.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.