I recently purchased the above book for Foundry United Methodist Church (UMC)’s children’s library. The book is called Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU. 

The book is written for children (ages 7-10) to understand more about their bodies, sex, gender, and sexuality. The questions at the end of each section, are intended to create a discussion suggesting that the intention of this book may be for educators or parents to read the book to book to a child or a group of children. The book is written in an inclusive way that explains the many meanings of the word “sex,” and allows children to become comfortable with their bodies are and how they feel. The illustrations show a diverse group of children with many types of bodies and attitudes towards them. This book doesn’t shy away from discussing topics such as being transgender or masturbation.

Some people may think this book shouldn’t belong in a children’s library, let alone a church library. It’s understandable; talking about sex makes many people feel uncomfortable, and many parents and educators struggle with finding the “right time” to talk to their kids about sex and their bodies, and how much information they should tell them. Sex is viewed as a dangerous activity for children, and many people think that not sharing information about it until children are old enough to understand can prevent them from partaking in this activity and from being exposed to too much information when they’re not ready to process it yet.

Continue reading “Sex is a Funny Word: Sex and Relationship Education for Children in the Library” →