Growing into You!: An Inclusive, Shame-Busting, Get-Real Guide to Your Changing Body and Mind - Softcover

Carnagey, Melissa Pintor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1683694317 ISBN 13: 9781683694311

Publisher: Quirk Books, 2025

Synopsis

An inclusive, shame-free puberty guide that gives tweens of all genders the trusted answers they need about changing bodies, emotions, relationships, and identity.

“With a compassionate tone, ­accurate information, and thoughtful ­design, this book is easily one of the best resources available for those ­navigating ­adolescence.” —Jessica Calaway, School Library Journal, starred review

This welcoming, interactive guide helps tweens understand puberty with confidence instead of confusion. Written by sexuality educator and social worker Melissa Pintor Carnagey, this inclusive resource explains the physical, emotional, and social changes that come with adolescence while encouraging readers to approach every stage of growing up with curiosity, respect, and self-compassion.

Readers will explore everything from the physical changes of puberty, like body hair and voice changes, to the emotional and social changes, like changing relationships and self-care. Interactive journal prompts, discussion questions, reflection exercises, and engaging activities encourage young readers to think critically, ask questions, and continue important conversations with trusted adults. The book recognizes that every body and every puberty journey is unique, creating an affirming experience for tweens of all gender identities.

• Shame-free puberty guide for tweens ages 10 and older of all gender identities
• Inclusive, medically accurate resource covering body changes, emotions, relationships, consent, hygiene, self-care, and more
• Interactive journal prompts, activities, and reflection exercises keep readers engaged
• Encourages healthy communication with trusted adults
• Excellent resource for young readers to grow with confidence instead of shame

Support your tween with trusted information that helps them feel informed, confident, and ready for every new stage of life.

About this title

About the Author

Melissa Pintor Carnagey (she/they), LBSW, is the founder of the online education platform Sex Positive Families and the creator of the Growing Into You!™ puberty workshops. As a Black, Puerto Rican, and Mexican sexuality educator, social worker, and parent, she believes that all children deserve holistic, comprehensive, and shame-free sexuality education. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with their family.

Brianna Gilmartin enjoys creating work that is full of silly and imaginative fun and reflective of quieter moments of life, as well as more emotional work that studies the human condition, human emotions, and our need for human connection.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

HOW TO GET STARTED


Throughout the book, you’ll find journal prompts (Let’s Write About It!) and activity ideas (Let’s Have Fun with It!). I recommend keeping a pen and a notebook or piece of paper nearby while reading so you can write down your responses, thoughts, and questions. You can keep them to yourself, but I also encourage you to share any questions and feelings that come up with your trusted adults, if you feel safe to do so. You might feel weird at first if you aren’t used to talking about these subjects with them, and it might not go “perfectly” the first few times you try—but don’t let shame join the conversation. To help you connect with trusted adults on these puberty topics, you’ll notice that each section of this book also includes a Let’s Talk About It! section with conversation starters. Talking openly is the best way to learn from one another!

Who counts as a trusted adult? Trusted adults can be found in many different roles and parts of your life. They could be a parent, stepparent, older sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent, godparent, older cousin, teacher, counselor, youth leader, coach, pastor, mentor, nanny, neighbor, or other member of your community. They could also be a professional provider you go to for services like therapy or medical care.

However, their title or the role they play in your life doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see this person as someone safe and trustworthy to turn to when you have questions or need support during puberty. You get to determine who is a trusted adult in your life.

To help you identify a trusted adult in your world, think about someone who has
some of these traits:

* Easy to talk to
* Kind
* Makes time for you
* A good listener
* Patient
* Respectful
* Honest
* Trustworthy
* Reliable
* Affirms and respects your identities
* Nonjudgmental
* Respects your boundaries
* Feels safe to you (this is a big one!)

Which qualities feel most important to you when you are looking for support? Are there other qualities you would add to this list? As you navigate changes to your body and mind during these years, you can refer to this list when you encounter new people and situations.
It’s also possible that a trusted adult is not available to you right now, or that you may prefer to keep the things you’re learning to yourself. That’s okay, too. Use this book and its resources in whatever ways feel most comfortable to you.

Finally, I invite you to use this book at your pace—because puberty is a journey, not a race. You might skim some of the chapters, try out some of the conversation starters or activities, skip around, or go through the entire book from start to finish. Some of the information may not apply to you yet, but you can revisit it when you’re ready. Some of the information may never apply to you, but I encourage you to read those sections, too. Learning about bodies, identities, and puberty experiences that are different from your own is an important way to foster empathy for and appreciation of others. You’ll notice this book was written inclusively to help you and other tweens and young teens of many different bodies, gender identities, and puberty journeys see yourselves reflected and learn many different facts about growing up.

No matter how you experience this book, I hope it becomes a useful guide to support you along the journey of growing into you!

Edition details

• Publisher: Quirk Books
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1683694317
• ISBN 13: 9781683694311
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Gilmartin Brianna
• Number of pages: 176