The Care and Keeping of You

The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by Valorie Lee Schaefer is an educational children's book about puberty, female health and hygiene. It was written for readers aged eight years and older, and does not mention sex or sexuality. The book was first published in 1998 by American Girl, a U.S. doll company, under its Advice Library imprint.

Since its publication, it has received critical praise and appeared numerous times on The New York Times Best Seller list. An updated edition of the book was published in 2013 along with a sequel titled The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls.

History and background

In 1993, American Girl launched

Rowland selected Valorie Lee Schaefer, a copywriter who had written catalogues for American Girl doll accessories, to write the book because she felt Schaefer's voice was relatable to nine- and ten-year-old children. Schaefer was pregnant with her daughter at the time that she wrote the book. Schaefer later commented that she felt transitions between life stages were not well-recognized in the United States, and she wanted the book to help girls understand the transition "from becoming a young girl to becoming a woman."[3] The company conducted focus groups, and found that preteen girls often wanted to know about subjects such as when to begin wearing bras and how to look after their physical health. The letters from magazine readers and feedback from focus groups were used to determine the content of the book.^[2] The book was illustrated by Norman Bendell,^[6] and Lia Gaggino was credited as a medical consultant.^[5]

Overview

The book focuses on the process of puberty and life changes that girls may experience during that period. Topics covered by the book include physical health concerns such as

Although it deals with general health and growth during puberty, it does not include any information about sexuality.[5] The original version includes a two-page spread featuring an illustrated diagram teaching readers how to insert a tampon. Some parents complained about the inclusion of this illustration, as they felt it was graphic or inappropriate. This illustration was omitted from the updated 2013 version of the book.^[2]

Publication history

In 2001, American Girl published the workbook, The Care & Keeping of Me: The Body Book Journal, as a companion to the original book.^[10] Another companion book titled Is This Normal? was published in 2009. It was written in a Q&A format based on letters sent to the editors of American Girl which were edited by Erin Falligant. It featured illustrations by Norman Bendell.^[11]

Reprinting and two volume edition

In 2013, the book was updated and reprinted in two volumes.^[

A similar book aimed at boys between the ages of nine and twelve, Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys, was written by Natterson. It discusses the physical, social and emotional changes that boys may experience during puberty, as well as general hygiene and health issues commonly encountered during adolescence.[15]^[16]

Reception

Since its publication, it has appeared numerous times on

It has been viewed mostly positively in retrospect, however some critics have felt that its content had become somewhat dated in comparison to more recent publications.[3]^[8] The book's lack of sexual content has been cited as a feature that may make it more appealing to some parents.^[5][4] Some sources have opined that avoiding the topic of sexuality is based on the cultural expectation that children and adolescents must be shielded from sexuality.^[4][8] Rachelle Hampton of Slate criticized the decision to omit information about sexuality from the book, and felt that its discussion of teenage anxieties about body weight and appearance was overly negative.^[8]

Darienne Stewart of Common Sense Media gave the book five out of five stars, and highlighted its positive language, informativeness, and appealing illustrations. However, she noted that it "does include some negative messages about body image and dieting that could be damaging for young girls."^[19] Leah Campbell, writing for the website Scary Mommy, felt that the book contained expectations of heteronormativity and concern over body weight, and was no longer the best option for teaching young children about puberty.^[20]

Author Valorie Lee Schaefer acknowledged these criticisms, commenting that while not all parts of the book are relevant to each individual's experience, she felt it contains some information relevant for most readers. She noted that her daughter is gay and would not relate to content which assumes a burgeoning attraction to boys, but would be able to use the information about her body. Schaefer also commented that some of the information would be useful to

• It's Perfectly Normal, book on puberty and sex education by Robie Harris

References