This book, written by a group of teens from St. Stephen’s Community House (with help from staff and outside experts), is a resource for seekers of sexual knowledge, with some minor flaws. Although it’s aimed at girls, I suspect a number of boys will also read it. The tone is light but not flippant, the approach is never condescending, and the book is accessible. Chapters are included on relationships, periods, sex, birth control, pregnancy, abortion, STDs, AIDS, and sexual assault. The book jumps between first-person stories, interviews, poems, black-and-white illustrations, and factual descriptions, often in an awkward order with some needless repetition of facts.

The book does have several minor problems that start to add up. Our quibbles include: statements that imply that everyone knows about something; quite a bit of discussion on how girls can recognize whether they’re being abused but no recognition that girls themselves might be abusive; perpetuation of the myth that the hymen is a membrane that’s broken rather than a ring of tissue that’s stretched; a discussion of STDs that starts with the least common (syphilis) and continues in an arbitrary order; only one line about human papilloma virus causing cervical cancer; and no mention of hepatitis vaccination. We would have liked more explicit information about actually having sex, such as positions, things to suggest a partner might try or that one might try with a partner, tips for having sex during your period, dealing with different levels of sexual interest in a relationship, and details about the sex toys that are pictured but not explained.

Individual sections vary from mediocre to excellent, the glossary is good, and the website resources are helpful. Teens, parents whose kids are reluctant to talk with them about sexuality, and high school and public libraries will want to buy this book.