HelloFlo: The Guide, Period

Bloom, founder of the company HelloFlo, offers a compassionate guide to the physical, psychological, and emotional dimensions of puberty, emphasizing how no two bodies are exactly alike or on the same schedule. Over nine chapters illustrated with cartoon portraits of racially diverse girls, Bloom addresses breast development, body hair, the onset of menstruation, and the effects of hormones, alongside q&as with doctors and reflections from real-life women and girls. She also touches on societal messaging about women’s bodies, highlighting how arbitrary and fleeting many appearance-related trends can be (“It’s important to remember that at different points in history people had different views on what the perfect breast size should be”). Understanding the basics behind bodily changes during puberty, Bloom suggests, can lead to girls’ lifelong empowerment and body positivity. Ages 10–up. [em]Author’s agent: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit. (Oct.) [/em]