The Care and Keeping of You 2

The Care and Keeping of You 2

book

2024, Children's Books, Growing Up & Facts of Life

WISE
88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

The puberty manual every tween girl needs—medically accurate, shame-free, and actually helpful for the weird stuff happening to their bodies.

Amazon4.8
Common Sense Media

Where to Read

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, puberty is awkward and weird and nobody really wants to talk about it, but it's happening whether we like it or not. This book is the friend who tells it straight.

Dr. Natterson knows her stuff—Harvard, Johns Hopkins, decades of pediatric practice, and she literally started a company called 'Less Awkward' because she gets it. The 2024 update means you're not handing your daughter some outdated relic with questionable advice.

This isn't a fun read like a novel, obviously. It's a reference guide. But it's the reference guide that answers the questions your daughter is too embarrassed to ask you, or that you're too flustered to answer well. Periods, body odor, breast development, peer pressure, all of it. Medically accurate, shame-free, practical.

The 4.8 Amazon rating tells you what you need to know: this book works. Parents are relieved, girls are informed, and everyone's a little less awkward about the whole thing.

Age Fit

Best for girls 10-13 who are in the thick of puberty or about to be. The '10 and up' guidance is spot-on—younger kids won't need this level of detail yet, and older teens will have already lived most of it. This is the 'I need answers NOW' phase book.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
92

Written by a Harvard-trained pediatrician with a decade of experience making puberty education accessible and less awkward. Takes a medically accurate, compassionate approach to body changes, periods, and emotional development. The tone is supportive and normalizing rather than shame-based or overly clinical. Models healthy self-care and body acceptance.

Imaginative
45

This is an educational health book, not a creative work. It doesn't invite imaginative play or storytelling. However, it does encourage self-exploration and understanding of one's own body, which requires some introspection and personal discovery. The updated illustrations and modern approach show effort to engage readers, but fundamentally this is informational content.

Safe
95

Age-appropriate medical information presented by a credentialed expert. No sensationalism, no inappropriate content for the target age. The 2024 update ensures modern, accurate information. Dr. Natterson's entire brand is built around making puberty 'less awkward' and more comfortable. Books are inherently safe media—no ads, no data collection, no social features. The content matches what 10+ girls need to know about their changing bodies.

Enriching
96

This is precisely the kind of book that fills a critical knowledge gap. Puberty education is essential, and having a trusted, medically accurate resource reduces anxiety and shame. The book covers physical changes, emotional development, peer pressure, and personal care—all vital life skills. Amazon rating of 4.8 suggests strong parent and reader satisfaction. Empowers girls with knowledge about their own bodies, which is foundational to health literacy and self-advocacy.

Parent Info

Why It Might Be Great

  • Written by Dr. Cara Natterson, a pediatrician who literally built a company around making puberty less cringey
  • Covers the real questions: periods, body changes, peer pressure, personal care—all the stuff that's actually happening to 10-13 year olds
  • 2024 update means current info and modern illustrations, not some dusty 1990s approach to 'becoming a woman'
  • 4.8 Amazon rating suggests it's hitting the mark with both parents and kids
  • Fills the gap between 'the talk' and what girls actually need to know day-to-day

What to Watch For

  • This is Book 2 in the series—meant for girls who've already started puberty or read the first book; younger kids might want to start with Book 1
  • Some parents may want to read through first to decide what to discuss together vs. what their daughter can read independently
  • Not a story or narrative—it's a reference guide, so engagement depends on whether your kid is ready for this information

Conversation Starters

  • ""What surprised you most about what you read? Anything you want to talk about?""
  • ""Did this answer questions you've been wondering about, or bring up new ones?""
  • ""Is there anything in here that feels confusing or different from what you've heard before?""
  • ""How do you feel about all these changes? Excited, nervous, annoyed, all of the above?""

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