This children’s story was hilarious, impactful, and thematically strong! Front of the line for teachers of young children.

Loved seeing this material in an accessible format (graphic novel). The art was great, and I think this is a great way for younger kids to read information they may be embarrassed about.

<em>Wait, What? </em>by Heather Corinna and illustrated by Isabella Rotman is the growing up book about gender, sexuality, puberty, and just life in general that I wish I'd had access to as a kid. I think one thing that was massively difficult for me to recognize as an adult was just how <em>little</em> I actually knew about all of these things and how stunted my growth was in general as a result of it. I learned a lot of things late in my life.

With this book, however, I can safely say that those who read it will be much better off than I was in a variety of ways. <em>Wait, What?</em> is a very diverse and inclusive book for young teenagers trying to figure out their place as their bodies and mind change throughout those very formative years in their life. It discusses important topics from puberty itself to gender identity and sexuality in-depth. It also includes information on what it means to identify as ace or aro, which to my knowledge is not something that is discussed as often as others.

Overall, there is <em>much</em> to appreciate about <em>Wait, What? </em>from its wonderful illustrations to the plethora of useful and insightful information it provides to teenagers who are likely going through one of the most confusing times of their lives. In every way I find this to be the best book about those formative teenage years that I've ever read.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

Review to go live on blog 03/29/20.

"Wait, What?: A Comic Book Guide to Relationships, Bodies, and Growing Up" is the book I wish we all had when we were in middle school. And if you have a middle school human in your life, you should get them this book.

One of the favorite parts of the book are the discussions around consent and relationships. Consent treated not just as a topic in order to reduce sexual assault, but woven in to how we relate to each other in relationships. At the most basic level it is that you need someones consent to be in a relationship and everyone has the right to not be in a relationship. It makes you imagine how much dating would suck less if we all learned how to talk to each other about our expectations for relationships when we were 12 instead of in therapy in our 30s or 40s.

Full review at my blog.

I will soon be adding a nonfiction section to our teen graphic novels collection and this is already one of the books I can not wait to have in that collection! "Wait, What?" is relatable, especially because of the diverse 'cast' who are teaching you throughout the book. Everything in this book is important for teens and again, I can not wait to be able to put it in their hands!

An easy way to teach your kids life and body lessons! I'm going to buy a copy for when my kids are a little bit older. I highly recommend! This book will help break the ice for these types of conversations!

Straightforward and youth-friendly comic book with tons of information about everything from sex to bodies to gender identity.

The illustrations are cute, the characters are lovable, diverse and funny, and the situations they present are as real as life itself. It deals with topics as consent, crushes, body image and a lot more!

I think this book would be a great resource for parents, schools and counselors while they teach and help kids going through puberty.

*Note: I recommend getting a physical copy instead of an ebook, because there are some fun puzzles (crossword, word search) that would be fun to do. :D

*Review available on Goodreads and will be up on Instagram (@books_and_libros) by the day of release.*

This is a fantastic sex education guide for teens. Finally, and up to date, frank, and inclusive guide to sexuality, gender identity, and relationships! This graphic novel is funny and down to earth. I plan to buy copies for the teens in my life. The book includes diverse sexual, racial and gender identities as just part of the landscape, rather than as minorities. It also has an excellent depiction of what consent looks like. A critique from a teen: the book needs a character who isn’t having feelings of sexual desire and romantic attraction; those kids need assurance that they are perfectly normal too . All in all, an excellent purchase for any teen collection.

I seriously wish that I had this book when I was 10 years old as most of my education on this topic came from books or DIY. This is a great resource for all, but especially for those weird loner freak kids like my young self who didn't have any friends and their parents, mentors, coaches, leaders, & teachers never talked to them.

I was given this free review copy graphic novel at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This was very well done and very informative. I loved the artwork. Heather and Isabella did a great job of explaining the body and what it is like for a young person. I loved the whole concept. There were fun puzzles and activities in the book that just made it even more special. Great job!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2946550356

I liked this educational graphic book for teens. It deals with growing up, changing body, relationships, and sex. Teenagers have a lot of questions and usually don't know who to ask. This book provides them with answers to their questions and a lot of other information.

This is a great preteen book to explain changes to our bodies that maybe kids are scared or too nervous to ask about. Fantastic read with important questions and answers.

I LOVE this book. We conceived our nine year old twins with an egg donor, so we have been discussing human reproduction with them since they were pre-verbal. But, as they enter the early stages of puberty, we are finding many of the books out there pretty disappointing for a variety of reasons. Sometimes these books are condescending. More often than not they present a false gender binary scenario. They tend to be voiced by adults. Diversity-- in bodies, backgrounds, and experiences-- doesn't often play into the equation. We have not yet presented them with this book, because our best judgment is that they will be ready for it in about a year, but we are delighted that it is available.

This book is presented in a graphic format (our kids LOVE graphic books) and is presented in the voices of several young people. Right off the bat it respects and acknowledges how every developing person's experiences are different and that the way to make healthy choices is to trust their own sense of what is right for them and to do no harm to others. It confronts head on the pressures popular media and peers place on young people to conform to certain norms and provides support for finding and respecting one's own truth. In deciding that I want to give this book to my children, it was important to me that the book made this a priority at the outset.

The authors set forth biological facts in clear, understandable terms while acknowledging variety from person to person. Critically, the authors gently remind children that going through puberty does not equal becoming an adult and that relationships come in many forms, all of which are valid (so long as everyone is respected).

I particularly appreciate the emphasis on self-respect and respect for others. I love the sections dealing with unreciprocated feelings. Aside from sexuality, this book is a wonderful exploration of human boundaries in general.

The sections on consent are excellent as are the section about what sex actually means and the emotional and physical implications of different kinds of sex.

By including tools such as crosswords and mazes, the authors help readers organize their thoughts and feelings about themselves in general and in a sexual context.

Finally, the book encourages young people to create a team of adults, community resources, and peers who can support them as they navigate puberty and their emerging sexuality.

EXCELLENT!

This is a lovely, non-judgemental and inclusive book for teenagers, mostly written in comic book style. It has an open-minded and educational approach to sexuality and gender identity , which will be welcomed by many parents, although some may object to it. I had hoped to read this with my 12-year-old son but after a look at the contents page and a quick flick through, he felt he wasn’t ready for it yet. Hopefully we’ll find the right time, somewhere between ‘too much, too soon’ and ‘too little, too late’!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book covers all those “awkward” things about being a teenager - All those things you have questions about but I’m not quite sure who to ask. It covers puberty, maturity, masturbation, gender, consent, sex & much more.

Overall this is a fun, light-hearted book but with a very serious set of messages that is written in an approachable and easy to understand way that will be accessible to teenagers – it covers all of those things that are a bit “awkward“ to talk about or ask about The illustrations are perfect – quirky and cartoony enough to keep the book light and accessible, but really complementing the text. The addition of little puzzles or fill-the-gaps open questions is a great addition too - the reader can really make this personal to them
I really liked the initial comments: that there Is no “right time” for certain things – “the right time for your body’s changes is just when your body is changing. The right time for things that are a choice – like kissing someone – is when you want to and when it feels right for you (and anyone else involved!)”
I also liked that it stated “media ‘reality’ is not reality. Popular media is mostly meant to entertain or advertise, not educate or show real life. It’s usually more fantasy then reality” - I wish this topic had been re-visited, or given a little more prominence as it is a significant issue for today’s teens

I think the book is well written, it is informative and factual without being preachy – it would be an excellent book for a teen to have on the shelf and to dip in and out of as they needed advice or had questions. My only criticism of the book is that it is slightly confused in terms of its target audience – in the early pages it talks about the stages of puberty and the changes that the body will go through and this would be ideal for children aged 9+ (though perhaps aimed more at 11-ish) however other topics covered are much more mature and more suited to the 14+ age group. I think it would be fabulous if parents could use some of the early parts of the book to discuss puberty and body changes with the 9+ children and make the latter parts available to them a little later date

Wait, What? is an informative and up-to-date book on 'growing up'. The graphic novel style of this book and the characters sharing their experiences are a great way to get the interest and attention of younger people wanting more information about these things.

I requested this book to see what had changed from books when I was growing up to what they would be like now, and while there are a lot of things that are the same, there are new aspects. Wait, What? has more inclusion with various parts of the LGBT+ community - the older books only mentioning being gay, lesbian, and bisexual - and explains things in a very basic way and would definitely provide comfort to those reading who may be feeling confused about their gender and/or sexual identity.

The conversations of the characters regarding crushes, dating, and sex were great and how people shouldn't feel pressured by others experiencing those things and if you never want to date or have sex, how that is completely normal. The section on sexual assault was particularly crucial and something that sex education books and teachers at school don't really talk about. That is quite distressing as many people are sexually assaulted and it should be discussed in a safe, thoughtful, and supportive way where services are provided to help those who have been through it.

All in all, I thought this was a fantastic and modern book and I hope that many young people will be able to get their hands on it and be well informed.

Follow friends, Malia, Rico, Max, Sam, and Alexis as they talk about the weird and exciting parts of growing up! Included are topics such as gender, sexuality, puberty, building a support network, and more. Told with comic book-style and short text pieces, topics are presented in a simple, straightforward way that will be relatable for young teens. Included are crosswords and other activities for engagement. A good book for readers who are dealing with maturation. The author and founder of Scarleteen.com brings her years of communication experience to teens who are dealing with a difficult subject.

A nice book to share with children/grandchildren.
I recommend this book.
Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher.

In a time and age where children and tweens are loving graphic novels, incorporating graphic novels about important topics - such as their development - is an amazing way to ensure kids are learning what they need to about themselves and their bodies.
This graphic novel is detailed, well-illustrated, and incredibly important for tweens.

What a fun book. Wow I wish when we were in school we had an awesome guide such as "Wait What", that explores every obstacles you face as a growing teen from, 1st kiss, masturbation, sex, puberty and coming out.

This book should be provided in every classroom across America for those who are too embarrassed to ask questions.

Highly recommend for that growing teen that you may have, thats curious.

This is my honest opinion.

Rating 5