What's Going on Down There?: A Boy's Guide to Growing Up

This book is geared for younger adolescent boys, and it is extremely thorough at educating them about the process of puberty for boys and, to a lesser extent, girls. It frankly discusses every issue of sexuality that I can think of off the top of my head--how it happens, with whom it happens (straight & gay), what it feels like, what can result from it (pregnancy and STDs in detail) and how to have it as safely as possible. It may be more realistic than some books in assuming that the majority of teenagers will be sexually active, and some readers might even feel as though it pushes that perspective. I was particularly struck by the phrasing in one section discussing the way peer pressure can push people into having sex too early. Paraphrasing, it said something to the effect that "Young teenagers may not feel ready." There seems to me a little subtle pressure there for older teenagers, as though they ought to be over that.I bought the book to read to my 8-year-old, who like many boys these days is maturing more rapidly than his ancestors. He is a little younger than the target audience, but we've always been frank with him about his body and felt that the majority of this book would be well within his grasp. I must give the book great praise for the way it describes maturation. It covers topics that I doubt my husband and I would ever have thought about in terms of the growth and changes in the body and the mind. (Puberty is a fading memory for us at this point.) Any boy who has been exposed to this material should be well-prepared to deal with the surprises that nature throws at him. Further, it arms him with the information he needs about how to ask if he isn't--how to talk to parents, how to talk to doctors.I must warn parents, though, that this is probably not a manual you should just hand to your son unless you feel you're already very open in discussing the trickier aspects of sex--not the how, but the why and when. There's a wealth of information here that could easily overwhelm a boy, and while the authors do try to include the emotional context I think the inevitable reduction of the act to its mechanics may not adequately prepare our sons for the less tangible results of entering into sexual relationships. Even if you do believe your boy is able to process this independently, however, you should probably read through it first. This book will probably not be pleasing to very conservative families, and some of the material may be challenging even for less conservative households.

This is a good resource for boys entering puberty. My son just turned 11, and whether I'm ready for this or not, his body is starting to change. I of course am happy and willing to answer any questions he has, but this book gives him a way to find things out without needing to speak directly to me about embarrassing issues. I bought it for him along with another less specific book (the body book for boys by rebecca paley) and just put them on his bed. When he found out about it, he spent the next hour reading by himself. I asked later which book he liked better and this was the winner by far. It simply has the information he wants in a way he can easily understand. I also want to add that the mentions of bondage or S&M are total misrepresentations of what is in this book. There is an illustration of a boy on a rack (the torture device) being stretched, and a person in an executioner's type hood beside him, and the boy is saying "more! more!" Okay, if you are flipping through this book, you might see this drawing and imagine that it's demonstration some bizarre sex act. However, if you actually READ the page, it's a kid who is shorter than his friends and wants to grow! Jeez people, read before you judge. It's a good, clear book. It tells information without judgement in a clear and direct way. It does go into detail... which is what the kids want to know. Knowledge is power.

My 13 year old son has really been enjoying this book, the information is just what he was looking for. There are not many illustrations, but the few that are there very aptly and humorously depict what the boys are experiencing at that age. My main complaint with the book is that too much tolerance is given in areas that we don't agree are morally neutral, so I am glad I am reading the book to my son and can do some 'real-time' editing as I go along so that our own views are accurately given instead of some 'politically correct' or more 'modern' or 'worldly' viewpoints. Lots of good info in this book, all questions get answered well, but if you want to uphold your own moral standards, go through this book with your child or get another book that promotes your faith's morality.

I’m so thankful for this book. I required my son to read it and he was not happy while he read it. Not long after, he thanked me because it’s helping him navigate the parts of being a male teen that mom knows nothing about. It’s also helped him understand that he’s completely normal, and he feels comfortable letting me know when he needs to talk things through. Highly recommended for any parent who needs a little help communicating with their pre-teen/teen about puberty.

This book is awesome!!! My son is getting ready to go to middle school and with that said I felt that I needed to get ahead of what all of his school mates may share and expose him to. This book covers EVERYTHING. Including explaining what the changes that they may be noticing in girls and why. Which at first I was a little taken aback, but I would never want my son to embarass a girl who may have had an accident. So, with that said . . . I have recommened this book to any and all of my friends and fellow Moms who have a sone that is also on his way to Middle School. I would also like to add that the way the book is written is very relatable for a tween. I love that author worked with 2 Middle School aged boys and of course doctor(s) to write the book. It's not a clinical/encyclopedia delivery of information. I highly recommend this book!

I read it too and it explained some things I hadn’t realised.

I was terrified as a mom, to have the chats with my son but I read this book, highlighted what was age-appropriate for now, and went through a few chapters with him. It's a good amount of info, the pictures are helpful, most words he understands, and as he gets older and has "more changes" we can continue reading it.

This is great! We got it for our10 year old son and read it first ourselves. He’ll get a lot out of it soon.

Great information for growing boys! I got this for my 11 year old because he has alot of questions and doesn't always want to talk to me about this kind of stuff! Haha We gave him the book to keep in his room so he can read it privately! Great purchase!!

Friend recommended this and I think it's very informative and written in a relaxed, familiar way without going too far.