Robie H. Harris.  It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health.  Illustrated by Michael Emberley.  Candlewick, 1994.  96 pages.  Age 10 to 14.

When I was growing up, my sex-ed guide was the Life Cycle Library.  It was published in the seventies, and I was born in 1981, so the information was dated, to say the least.  I not only had to infer the meanings of words like “necking” and “petting,” but had to try to sort out the book’s mixed messages, as well.  The example that springs to mind is, homosexuality was described as generally okay (how progressive of them) but bisexuality was described as extremely deviant and a sign of serious mental illness.  Yeah…  Needless to say, I could have used some better literature.

It’s Perfectly Normal might have been such a book.  Almost.  I was 13 by the time it was published, and I’m sure I would have found the illustrations, particularly cartoon bird and bee narrators, a little childish at that point.  But even just the overall message, beginning with the title and repeated throughout—“It’s perfectly normal!”—is reassuring and nonthreatening to the target audience.  Not so much to the grownups, if its frequent challenges are any indication.

It’s Perfectly Normal has been challenged for many reasons, including homosexuality, nudity, sex education, religious viewpoint, abortion, and being unsuited to age group.  I can’t comment on the last one, as its validity would vary according to circumstances, but the others I can’t quite grasp.

Yes – the book talks about abortion.  It presents the various reasons people decide to have abortions, and it discusses Roe v. Wade and various state laws.  Does it validate the reasons?  No.  Does it offer opinions on the laws discussed?  No.  Does it suggest that abortion rocks?  Hardly.  If the book is guilty of anything, it’s not villainizing people who have made that choice; but it also doesn’t villainize those who oppose abortion, so fair is fair.

Yes – the book contains nudity.  Gratuitous cartoon nudity.  There are only two or three spreads in the book that don’t have naked people on them.  I happen to hate nudity (deep-seated personal issues—don’t ask), and while I’m not quite sure why everyone had to be naked all of the time, it’s in context.  The book is about the human body and reproduction.  What do you expect?

Yes – there is some sex-ed content.  Like, 100%.  Apparently there’s a secret some folks don’t want kids to know.  Lean in close, and I’ll tell you:

The penis goes in the vagina.

That’s it.  No details on the logistics or mechanics of it.  There is information on contraception and STDs, of course.  I can’t even pretend to understand the mentality that those are bad things to tell kids about.

If I were to be sympathetic with one of the challenge causes, it would be the homosexuality issue, and only because of this passage:

“Some people disapprove of gay men and lesbian women.  Some even hate homosexuals only because they are homosexuals.  People may feel this way toward homosexuals because they think homosexuals are different from them or that gay relationships are wrong.  Usually these people know little or nothing about homosexuals, and their views are often based on fears or misinformation, not on facts.  People are often afraid of things they know little or nothing about.”

I happen to agree with this passage wholeheartedly, but the language is a little condescending.  Why not just call homophobic people uneducated, or stupid?  No wonder this population gets defensive when they read books like this.

On the other hand, how else are you going to say it?

Nonfiction Monday is at Wendie’s Wanderings today.