two thumbs up for body drama January 19, 2008
J. (7th grader) and I just finished reading “Body Drama” by Nancy Amanda Redd, who was apparently Miss America’s swimsuit competition winner in 2004, as well as a Harvard Women’s Studies major.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough for teenage girls. It’s a no-punches-pulled look at a wide variety of real girls’ bodies, including photo galleries of everything from all kinds of breasts and breast shapes to actual photos of the physical symptoms of venereal diseases.
When we first picked the book up, there was definitely a bit of a shock factor at first - these are VERY graphic photos. But there’s nothing sexualized or inappropriate about them; I’m just not used to seeing so many clear, unadorned photos of female bodies.
Every teenage girl wonders if her body is “normal.” We live in a culture where girls rarely see other women’s naked bodies; I know a lot of moms who don’t even let their daughters routinely see them naked when changing clothes or whatever. For too many girls, the only information they have about what’s normal are the homegenous women-in-bikinis you see in music videos and advertising. But healthy, normal bodies come in all shapes and sizes. I would have loved to have had this book when I was 14 or 15 years old and fretting over the dimensions of my own bod.
In addition to all the great photos, the book is packed with good information about female bodies and sexuality, all written accessibly but not cloyingly.
Highly recommended.
now someone needs to write a companion book for boys. For years it was like girls were marginalized so now it has just flip flopped and everyone acts as if girls have lots of important issues and boys have none.