Harris, R. H. 2014. It’s Perfectly Normal. Ill. by Micheal Emberley. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763668723
2. Summary
In this nonfiction text, a bird and a bee take the reader through It’s Perfectly Normal while discussing various aspects of sexual health, puberty, families, and personal health. Throughout the book, illustrations help emphasize the topic being discussed, and some of these illustrations are drawn in comic book form. The book starts by discussing the topic of sex and the male and female body. It then makes its way into discussing the birthing process and ends with conscious decision-making and living a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally.
3. Discussion
This book was definitely a lot more informative than I thought it would be, and I was not expecting to see the amount of illustrations and descriptions that are shown. Although this may be an informative nonfiction text, I am not sure how I feel about the possibility of having this book in my school library. As I reflect on the library that I have in the school that I work in, along with our principal and parents that have their children in our school, I can see them having an issue with this book being available to elementary students because of the graphic illustrations used throughout the book; I don’t think it is suitable for that age group. I think It’s Perfectly Normal can be suitable for a middle school and high school library, but I still feel it may cause some controversy in the middle school level.
When reflecting back on chapter 12, one criteria for evaluating nonfiction is questioning the purpose and scope of the book, and I believe It’s Perfectly Normal stays true to its sole purpose of informing the reader on their bodies, sexuality, relationships, and health (physically and mentally).
Other aspects of a nonfiction text that are discussed in chapter 12 are the availability of a contents page, showing details of what topics are being discussed and the page ranges. Along with this, visuals play an important role in the text, helping to describe the information that is being discussed, and there are acknowledgement and index pages found in the back of the book.
4. Connections
I think this book would serve a good purpose for a health class in the middle and high school level. Teachers will be able to view the topics being discussed and can use them for certain lessons and use this book as a source of reference.
Author, Robie H. Harris, has a book series titled A Family Library, which It’s Perfectly Normal is apart of, along with It’s NOT the Stork!, and It’s So Amazing. It’s NOT the Stork is suitable for the younger (four-year-old) readers, It’s So Amazing is set for the elementary (7-year-old and up age), while It’s Perfectly Normal is described for being for 10-year-olds and up. Robie Harris has another book series titled Let’s Talk about You and Me, which is designated for readers in the preschool level.
This book was definitely a lot more informative than I thought it would be, and I was not expecting to see the amount of illustrations and descriptions that are shown. Although this may be an informative nonfiction text, I am not sure how I feel about the possibility of having this book in my school library. As I reflect on the library that I have in the school that I work in, along with our principal and parents that have their children in our school, I can see them having an issue with this book being available to elementary students because of the graphic illustrations used throughout the book; I don’t think it is suitable for that age group. I think It’s Perfectly Normal can be suitable for a middle school and high school library, but I still feel it may cause some controversy in the middle school level.
When reflecting back on chapter 12, one criteria for evaluating nonfiction is questioning the purpose and scope of the book, and I believe It’s Perfectly Normal stays true to its sole purpose of informing the reader on their bodies, sexuality, relationships, and health (physically and mentally).
Other aspects of a nonfiction text that are discussed in chapter 12 are the availability of a contents page, showing details of what topics are being discussed and the page ranges. Along with this, visuals play an important role in the text, helping to describe the information that is being discussed, and there are acknowledgement and index pages found in the back of the book.
4. Connections
I think this book would serve a good purpose for a health class in the middle and high school level. Teachers will be able to view the topics being discussed and can use them for certain lessons and use this book as a source of reference.
Author, Robie H. Harris, has a book series titled A Family Library, which It’s Perfectly Normal is apart of, along with It’s NOT the Stork!, and It’s So Amazing. It’s NOT the Stork is suitable for the younger (four-year-old) readers, It’s So Amazing is set for the elementary (7-year-old and up age), while It’s Perfectly Normal is described for being for 10-year-olds and up. Robie Harris has another book series titled Let’s Talk about You and Me, which is designated for readers in the preschool level.
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