On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow!: A ''What's Happening to My Body?'' Book for Younger Boys »

Lynda Madaras is the author of twelve books on health, childcare, and parenting. For more than twenty-five years, she taught sex and health education in Pasadena and Santa Monica, CA. She has made numerous appearances on Oprah, Today, Good Morning America, CNN, and PBS.

The newest addition to the 2 million copy-bestselling "What's Happening to My Body?" series, written especially for boys ages 8 and up.

Recognizing a need for puberty education books for younger children, award-winning author Lynda Madaras published Ready, Set, Grow!: A "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Younger Girls in 2003 to widespread acclaim. Now, in her uniquely straightforward, warm, and funny style, Madaras introduces On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow!: A "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Younger Boys.

Responding to real-life questions and concerns from younger boys about their changing bodies, Madaras covers a wide range of topics at a reading and understanding level that's just right for them: the growth of sex organs, body hair, and facial hair; weight and height spurts; the unwelcome appearance of acne and body odor; shaving; circumcision; erections and ejaculation; feelings about puberty; and bullying.

Illustrated throughout with lively two-color drawings, On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow! is the newest entry in the popular "What's Happening to My Body?" series that has influenced an entire generation of readers. The "What's Happening to My Body?" books for older boys and girls are on the American Library Association's "Best Books for Young Adults" list and have been translated into 12 languages.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6- In this obvious but much-needed companion to her Ready, Set, Grow! (Newmarket, 2003) guide for girls, Madaras draws on her experience teaching sex education (called puberty classes here) to inform boys about the physical changes they will experience as they start to mature. Formatted to include quotes and frequently asked questions from the male students in her classes, the age-appropriate presentation includes cartoon art on almost every page and a sprinkling of humor. Along with covering sex-organ growth, height, weight, and muscle gain, Madaras also discusses health and nutrition, hygiene, and "becoming your own self." A reassuring tone pervades the text with the buzzwords "normal" and "perfectly normal" frequently appearing. Apart from a few odd artwork choices (a frog is a recurring character), this is an excellent resource for both children and parents.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library