The Book of Girls cover

The Book of Girls

Rating 4.4
Word count
66K words
Chapters
229
ISBN
9787542680433

Tags

Summary

We wrote *The Book of Girls* because we believe girls deserve to be taken seriously. The core of the book is to tell them the truth about their bodies, their emotions, and their sexuality. Many parents are afraid to talk to their children about puberty, perhaps wanting to protect them from the harms of the adult world. But as doctors and sex educators, we know that scientific knowledge and accurate information are what best prepare your daughter for her own body and for the changes happening in the world around her. Too much knowledge is never the problem—ignorance is. We hope this book will help every girl go through puberty feeling safe and comfortable in her body. Because that is what girls deserve.

— Authors Nina and Ellen

Why are my breasts smaller than others'? How often should I change my sanitary pad during my period? How does a person get pregnant? How do I know if I'm in love? What should I do if I'm sexually assaulted?...

Nina and Ellen, Norway's widely acclaimed adolescent psychiatrists, sex educators, and counselors, use *The Book of Girls* to untangle the many confusions girls encounter as they grow up. In the book, the two doctors, with wisdom and compassion, guide girls to understand and respond correctly to the physical, psychological, and relationship issues they face during puberty, and to ease the embarrassment and pressure they feel in study, life, friendship, and other areas. At the same time, the authors use solid, reliable facts to dispel myths and taboos, point out long-standing cultural misconceptions and false ideas in adolescent education, and uncover the truth about girls' bodies, emotions, and sexuality.

Editor's review

In an age of information overload, *The Book of Girls* arrives like a clear stream. It does not preach from on high but engages young women in an equal, candid dialogue about body, emotions, and growth. Nina Brockmann draws on her professional background as a Norwegian sex educator and on extensive real interviews to bring topics that are deliberately avoided or too embarrassing to mention during puberty—menstruation, body image, intimate relationships, psychological boundaries—into the open for scientific discussion. The value of this book goes far beyond popularizing physiological knowledge; its core lies in helping girls build solid self-identity and bodily autonomy, which is especially precious in an online environment full of distorted information. The illustrations and design interspersed through the book are clever touches that ease the tension of serious topics and enhance readability. It is not an instruction manual offering standard answers but an invitation—an invitation to readers to develop, on the basis of facts, their own healthy values and attitudes toward life. For girls who feel confused on the road to growing up, this book may become a reliable and warm companion.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Girls in puberty who are curious or confused about the physical and mental changes in themselves
  • Parents or educators who hope to communicate about growing up with their children in a scientific, open manner
  • Young readers interested in women's issues and gender-equality education
  • Young women seeking to build healthy body concepts and self-identity

Not a good fit for

  • Readers expecting quick-fix solutions or concrete behavioral guides
  • Readers who hold completely conservative or rejecting attitudes toward the physiological and sex-education content involved in the book

Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to use this book as a bridge to start conversations rather than as the only answer, and to read and discuss it with trusted family members or friends
  2. Some content may touch on sensitive topics; readers can choose to read it in stages or skip around according to their stage of understanding and level of comfort
  3. Keep notes while reading to record your feelings and questions—this helps internalize the knowledge into personal understanding

About the publisher

Shanghai Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1986

Shanghai Joint Publishing Company focuses on humanities and social science publishing and has developed a distinctive profile in the collation and translation of classical literature and world classics. Its 258 titles in the database cover classical literature, world classics, foreign literature, literary appreciation, general biography, and modern poetry. Representative publications include the Annotated Dream of the Red Chamber by Zhiyanzhai series, as well as collected and selected works by classic authors such as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Shakespeare. Its authors and translators include Cao Xueqin, Zhiyanzhai, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Zang Zhonglun, Zeng Siyi, Xu Zhenya, and Cao Ying. The press emphasizes the annotated collation of classic texts and the publication of authoritative translations, forming a publishing profile that spans both Chinese classical literature and world literary classics. Because public information on some details of its publishing history is limited, they are not discussed here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 前言
  3. 青春期开始了
  4. 青春期什么时候开始?
  5. 我们为何如此不同?
  6. 激素是什么?
  7. 激素是做什么的?
  8. 性激素
  9. 矮还是高?
  10. 我们在青春期成长
  11. 骨头和软骨
  12. 月经和身高
  13. 长高会痛吗?
  14. 乳房
  15. 坚硬而敏感的肿块
  16. 乳房是如何生长的?
  17. 乳头
  18. 乳晕
  19. 我们为什么有乳房?
  20. 乳房问题
  21. 胸罩——你应该穿吗?
  22. 不同类型的胸罩
  23. 髋部、臀部和大腿
  24. 更多的体脂
  25. 每个女孩都是独一无二的
  26. 膨胀纹
  27. 橘皮组织
  28. 只是骗人的把戏
  29. 如果你选择脱毛
  30. 茁壮生长的毛发
  31. 毛发很棒!
  32. 我们在青春期会长更多的毛发吗?
  33. 毛发发生了变化
  34. 毛发要留着吗?
  35. 你自己做主
  36. 关于脱毛的谣言
  37. 痘痘发作
  38. 你不是一个人
  39. 这不怪你
  40. 油腻的皮肤
  41. 黑头是什么?
  42. 痘痘是什么?
  43. 痘痘和月经
  44. 挤痘痘
  45. 关于痘痘的谣言
  46. 有解决办法吗?
  47. 严重的痘痘
  48. 汗
  49. 汗就在你身边
  50. 你应该喝多少水?
  51. 有些人比其他人爱出汗
  52. 汗流浃背
  53. 青春期的味道
  54. 是什么导致了这种臭味?
  55. 香体剂——罐子里的救星
  56. 臭袜子
  57. 为什么生殖器有异味?
  58. 洗澡爱好者
  59. 生殖器
  60. 阴阜
  61. 外阴
  62. 大阴唇和小阴唇
  63. 两个开口
  64. 生育
  65. 子宫
  66. 子宫颈
  67. 怀孕、宫缩和分娩
  68. 卵子
  69. 卵巢已准备就绪
  70. 人是如何怀孕的?
  71. 卵子和精子的童话故事
  72. 卵子和精子之间发生的真实故事
  73. 推翻旧偏见
  74. 分泌物
  75. 分泌物应该是什么样的?
  76. 分泌物的语言
  77. 健康的分泌物——健康的生殖器
  78. 分泌物在保护你
  79. 有多少分泌物是正常的?
  80. 生殖器的气味
  81. 清洗生殖器
  82. 月经
  83. 你的月经会何时开始?
  84. 血从哪里来?
  85. 为什么血液会变成棕色和黏稠的?
  86. 如何与成年人谈论月经?
  87. 你会失血过多吗?
  88. 我们为什么会有月经?
  89. 排卵
  90. 子宫内膜
  91. 子宫扔掉它不需要的东西
  92. 子宫永不放弃!
  93. 一个正常的月经周期是多久?
  94. 月经不规律
  95. 当月经停止时
  96. 记录你的月经
  97. 如何判断你的月经快来了?
  98. 经前综合征
  99. 好的方面
  100. 恼人的月经:疼痛、痉挛和腹泻
  101. 为什么经期会这么痛?
  102. 懦夫与勇士
  103. 月经会让你腹泻
  104. 月经会让你头疼
  105. 我一定要上体育课吗?
  106. 关于卫生巾、卫生棉条和月经杯的一切
  107. 卫生巾
  108. 不同类型的卫生巾
  109. 液滴与流量
  110. 应该多久换一次卫生巾?
  111. 用法
  112. 卫生棉条
  113. 谁能使用卫生棉条?
  114. 使用卫生棉条会痛吗?
  115. 你应该用什么尺码的卫生棉条?
  116. 被遗忘的卫生棉条
  117. 导管式卫生棉条
  118. 用法
  119. 月经杯
  120. 谁可以使用月经杯?
  121. 非常环保的产品
  122. 月经杯的使用方法
  123. 经期内裤
  124. 月经贫困
  125. 我们可以施以援手
  126. 与月经贫困对抗
  127. 与月经有关的疾病
  128. 子宫内膜异位症
  129. 改变了位置的子宫内膜
  130. 经血逆流
  131. 你能得到帮助吗?
  132. 多囊卵巢综合征
  133. 不规律的月经
  134. 毛发、痘痘和新陈代谢问题
  135. 你能得到帮助吗?
  136. 神秘的女性疾病
  137. 阴蒂
  138. 勃起
  139. 阴道瓣
  140. 阴道瓣像发箍一样有弹性
  141. 危险的谣言
  142. 处女膜
  143. 推广这个词
  144. 阴道瓣会受到体育活动的影响吗?
  145. 双性人
  146. 女孩和男孩比你想象的更相似
  147. DNA——身体的配方
  148. 混合的身体
  149. 手术和错误的性别
  150. 与众不同也没什么不好!
  151. 什么是女孩?
  152. 性别
  153. 身体和身份
  154. 顺性别和跨性别
  155. 第三性别
  156. 他、她还是他们?
  157. 不确定自己的性别是正常的
  158. 难以启齿
  159. 有些人会不理解
  160. 让身体与你的想法相匹配
  161. 理智与情感
  162. 情绪大杂烩
  163. 负面情绪
  164. 精神疾病
  165. 未发育完成的大脑
  166. 大脑长什么样?
  167. 大脑就像橡皮泥
  168. 童年:到处玩耍
  169. 青春期:断舍离
  170. 老板在哪儿?
  171. 你的大脑必须进行练习
  172. 什么是情绪?
  173. 情绪的中心
  174. 为什么我们会有情绪?
  175. 我们如何学习情绪?
  176. 悲伤的男孩和愤怒的女孩
  177. 不同的抚养方式
  178. 愤怒是没关系的
  179. 悲伤也是没关系的
  180. 负面情绪与心理健康
  181. 压力
  182. 焦虑
  183. 悲伤和抑郁
  184. 恐惧、愤怒和暴力
  185. 控制自己的情绪
  186. 自残
  187. 进食障碍
  188. 心理健康问题
  189. 追求完美的一代
  190. “一切”都是可能的吗?
  191. 身体和自我形象
  192. 网络世界
  193. 与他人亲近
  194. 爱上一个人
  195. 为爱痴狂
  196. 我们会爱上谁?
  197. 从爱上到相爱
  198. 心痛
  199. 性取向
  200. 我怎么知道自己的性取向是什么?
  201. 社会控制
  202. 亲吻和亲热
  203. 初吻
  204. 激情热吻
  205. 下体刺痛
  206. 当你被唤起时,身体会发生什么?
  207. 唤起并不意味着想要发生性行为
  208. 性欲和幻想
  209. 认识自己
  210. 亲密阶梯
  211. 思想要准备好,身体也要准备好
  212. 性行为
  213. 有点困惑?
  214. 不同类型的性行为
  215. 为什么说等待才是明智的?
  216. 同意
  217. 性侵犯
  218. 什么是性侵犯?
  219. 谁实施了性侵犯?
  220. 如果遭遇了性侵该怎么做?
  221. 被性侵从来都不是你的错
  222. 网络上的性侵
  223. 裸体
  224. 控制住!
  225. 转发裸照是违法的
  226. 界限
  227. 怎样找到他人的界限?
  228. 你的身体是你自己一个人的
  229. 后记

FAQ

Is the content of this book too explicit or too advanced?
The book is written by professional educators, and its content is based on scientific facts and the real needs of adolescents, aiming to provide accurate information to dispel ignorance and fear. Its presentation strives to be clear and respectful; whether it is "too advanced" depends on the cultural openness of the reader's environment. Guardians or readers themselves are advised to judge according to their specific circumstances.
Is this book only suitable for girls to read?
Although the title is *The Book of Girls* and the core audience is girls, the ideas it conveys—respect, consent, bodily autonomy—are universal. Boys or male readers will benefit from reading it: it helps them understand and respect others' experiences and promotes healthier cross-sex relationships and gender-equality awareness.
How is this book different from traditional puberty education books?
Unlike traditional books, which tend to focus on introducing physiological structures and warning of risks, this book emphasizes psychological feelings, analysis of social and cultural pressures, and individual empowerment. It does not avoid topics such as pleasure and desire, and it encourages readers to think about and establish personal boundaries—its perspective is more comprehensive and humane.

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About the author

Nina Brockmann is an author about whom limited public information is available. What is known is that she has two works published in Chinese, falling into the categories of inspirational growth and health. Her representative titles, The Book for Girls and The Complete Book of Women's Intimate Health (three-volume set), suggest from their titles and categories that they address women readers' personal growth and physical and mental wellbeing, with a practical, everyday orientation rather than an academic or theoretical one. Her works are classified under inspirational growth and health, indicating that her target readership consists mainly of women concerned with self-improvement and health management. Because no reliable records exist regarding her dates of birth and death, nationality, education, or writing career, no speculation about her life is offered here. Based on the two available works, her writing style is plain and direct, focusing on turning growth issues and health knowledge into everyday advice that readers can easily understand and apply. Readers wishing to learn more about this author can currently rely only on these two works themselves, and further background awaits additional public information.

Ellen Stokken Dahl is an author about whom limited public information is available; three of her works are currently included in the collection, commonly categorized under inspirational growth and health. Her representative titles—The Girls' Book, Sleeping with the Enemy: Stories of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Diseases, and The Complete Book of Women's Intimate Health (three-volume set)—indicate that her writing centers on women's development, body awareness, and sexual health, with an educational approach that addresses both adolescent and adult readers. She tends to present medical and health knowledge through accessible narrative, bringing topics such as sexually transmitted infections and intimate health—subjects often avoided—into public reading and helping readers gain clearer understanding for personal growth and self-care. Because biographical details such as dates of birth and death and nationality are unavailable, no speculation is made here; the description is based solely on her existing works.

Magnir Vinsnas is an author about whom little public information is available. Only one work by this author, Girls' Book, is currently listed in the Chinese book database, and it is commonly categorized as inspirational growth. Because basic details such as the English name, nationality, and dates of birth and death remain unconfirmed, it is difficult to reconstruct the author's personal history or creative background; only a brief sketch based on the existing title is possible. Judging from the subject matter of Girls' Book, the writing tends toward growth issues for female readers, focusing on themes such as self-awareness, mindset, and life choices. The style appears approachable and easy to understand, offering companionship through experience sharing close to everyday life. Inspirational growth books of this kind are common in the market, and their value lies more in whether sincere, concrete narration can move readers than in the author's fame. Given the currently available material, it is not yet possible to judge the full range of the author's style or influence; readers seeking further understanding should rely on the content of the original book.

Guo Zaining Author · China

Guo Zaining holds a master's degree in English translation from Beijing Language and Culture University and works in the internet industry while also active as a translator. Public information about her is limited, with few further biographical details available. Her published translations include The Story Stylist, Back to Work Tomorrow, The Book of Girls, Age Is Just a Number, The Best Time Is Now, and The Complete Grilling Guide, with selections leaning toward psychology, the workplace, and everyday life. Judging from the existing translations, her style stays close to everyday language and seeks to preserve the readability and practical orientation of the originals in Chinese, making inspirational and life-guidance content more accessible to general readers. Three of her works are included in the collection, with The Book of Girls, The Story Stylist, and Back to Work Tomorrow as representative titles, commonly classified under inspirational growth and foreign literature.

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