Growing Up, Inside and Out

While bodily changes are the most obvious signs that a kid is growing up, they're not always the first (or most stressful) signs. Why does it feel so weird to cry now? How can you tell if someone is really your friend? Is it okay to have a crush on someone who's the same sex as you? These kinds of questions (and answers) are what separates Growing Up, Inside and Out from other books — it tackles how boys' and girls' emotions change during puberty rather than just what happens to body parts (although that's in here, too).

And though puberty can often look different for boys and girls (growing facial hair versus getting a period), kids may be surprised by what all their classmates have in common: crushes, acne, anxiety, getting mad at their parents. Not only does Growing Up, Inside and Out break with the tradition of having separate books for separate sexes, it unites kids by showing them that there are things that everyone goes through.

Kira Vermond is an award-winning writer with over 1,000 articles to her name. She is a frequent contributor to the Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Today's Parent, and the author of The Secret Life of Money: A Kid's Guide to Cash, currently nominated for the Red Maple Award. She lives in Guelph, ON. Carl Chin lives in Montreal.