Talking to Children about Difficult Topics: Books to Help Start the Conversation
Recommended Reading Lists
This list is made up of books that were reviewed by Prevention & Training team members at the Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children to help parents address difficult topics with their children and build protective factors. Topics like body boundaries, consent, and sexuality are sometimes uncomfortable for caregivers to talk about with their children.
However, caregivers are the best source of this information. These books were reviewed in detail during a one-hour online training that addresses the strengths and weaknesses of each book and provides suggestions for using books to spark discussion. Remember to always read books before reading them to your child.
Consider your family values and the maturity of your child when selecting books; not every book on this list will be appropriate for every child or family.
Age recommendations are approximate.
Recommended Books for Ages 4-8
The Way I Feel - Janan Cain
My Body! What I Say Goes! – Jayneen Sanders
No Means No! – Jayneen Sanders
Miles is the Boss of His Body – Samantha Kurtzman-Counter & Abbie Schiller
Don’t Touch My Hair – Sharee Miller
Sorry, I Forgot to Ask! – Julia Cook
C is for Consent – Eleanor Morrison
Me, Myselfie, & I – Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell
Listening to My Body – Gabi Garcia
Grumpy Monkey – Suzanne Lang
A Little Spot of Anger – Diane Alber
A Little Spot of Anxiety – Diane Alber
My Body is Mine – Kayla J.W. Marnach
Resilience – Jayneen Sanders
You, Me and Empathy – Jayneen Sanders
Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent & Respect – Jayneen Sanders
Recommended Books for Ages 8-12
The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls – Dr. Cara Natterson
The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls – Dr. Cara Natterson
Celebrate Your Body (and it’s changes, too!) – Sonya Renee Taylor
Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys – Dr. Cara Natterson
Sex is a Funny Word – Cory Silverberg & Fiona Smyth
Recommended Books for Ages 13+
Celebrate Your Body (and it’s changes, too!) Part 2 – Dr. Carrie Leff & Dr. Lisa Klein
Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson*
*Trigger Warning: Book discusses sexual assault.
Important Reminder for Caregivers
These books can be great tools for instilling important values and empowering children to learn about
and set boundaries. They can also build protective factors to prevent harms such as bullying, teen dating
violence, or sexual abuse. But, it is not a child’s responsibility to ward off abusers and those who may
wish to harm them – the last thing any caring adult wants is for a child to feel as though abuse is their
fault because they didn’t or couldn’t say “no.”
During conversations about these topics, encourage your child to always tell a trusted adult if they are
harmed or if someone does something that makes them feel unsafe, whether through physical touch or
something else. Tell your child that it is never their fault when someone hurts them or touches them in
an unwanted or unsafe way, whether they say “no” or not.
For more information on how to protect your child from sexual abuse, complete a Stewards of Children
training. Click here to register for a course at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta or visit www.d2l.org
to locate a training near you.
Sample Discussion Questions
• How did the characters treat each other?
• How would you feel if you were in that character’s shoes?
• Have you felt that emotion before? What was it like?
• What do you do when you are sad/angry/anxious?
• What is the lesson of this story?
• How can I/we support you when you are sad/angry/anxious?
• Who could you talk to if you were feeling sad/angry/anxious?
• If not (me, family member), let’s identify 3 safe people together
• Did the characters respect personal space/body boundaries/consent?
• How can you communicate your boundaries with someone? Let’s practice together.
• How can we respect others’ boundaries?
• Would you have ended the story differently? If so, how?
Additional Tips & Resources for Parents
• Remember, always read the book before reading it to your child to determine your own opinions and values about the topics the book presents.
• Printable Activity Sheets for “Little Spot of…” Books
• Printable Resources for “Listening to My Body”
• Additional webinars and information are available at the Center for Safe and Healthy Children or through Strong4Life’s Resilience & Emotional Wellness Hub.
Presented with permission from CHOA.
Dr. T
5/01/2020