Helloflo: The Guide, Period by Naama Bloom (review)

"Being a girl is messy business," says Bloom, founder of the health website HelloFlo.com, in this guide through all the awkwardness and surprisingly empowering milestones that female puberty brings. Her conversational tone invites readers in as she emphasizes that many of these topics—breast development, the growth of pubic hair, and the onset of menstruation—can and should be discussed with openness and honesty, but she also acknowledges that readers might be uncomfortable with the discussion. Cheeky humor mitigates much of that discomfort (the chapter on period is titled "Shark Week"; a PSA on the behalf of fifth-grade teachers asks students to try soap), but specific, not-learned-in-health-class info is also offered: nipples come in different shapes and sizes, period blood ranges in texture and color, and no, you cannot lose your virginity to a tampon. Effective illustrations demonstrate how to do a breast examination and how to insert a tampon, and Q&A sections with a gynecologist and an endocrinologist shed light on the inner workings of anatomy. Beyond the biology, Bloom also offers examples of how the female body has been perceived, used, and/or labeled throughout history (with illustrations of naked women), and how culture now deals with femaleness. Quotes and questions from girls are included, and there's a general emphasis on the "You will be okay" message. Bloom makes a pointed reminder to adults that a Google search probably isn't the most enlightening place for girls to find out about their changing bodies; instead, hand teens and preteens this informative guidebook as they navigate bra sizes and mood swings. KQG