When I was 11, back in the 1990s, my mother got me this book. From reading it, I developed a sudden fascination with the whole subject with the help of jokes and cartoon characters designed to appeal to children. I studied this book, with its graphic illustrations and descriptions of all things sexual, as though studying for an exam. (In case this needs to be said, I'm not proud of this.) I came to know way too much about female anatomy and the mechanics of sex for a boy that age. I should have thrown this book away, but I didn't, because I was too young and innocent to know the danger. (My parents believed everything that this book teaches, so I can't fault them for it.)

My attitude toward sex changed from that of a child to that of a sex maniac. I started to see girls my age as (there is no better way to say it) sex objects. I lost the ability to be friends with girls (this had been an important part of my life). I became addicted to masturbation (which the book promotes). But the worst part was that I lost my childhood innocence, and didn't know that I was losing it until it was too late. I had tasted the forbidden fruit, and I could not go back, despite desperately wanting to. I don't think learning about sex "on the street" would have been much worse.

Undoubtedly, this would have happened eventually on its own to some degree, without the book. But the point I'm making here is that I was too young for a book like this. Since then, I've felt that I didn't get enough time to be a kid. This book opened the door for sex to invade my mind, and I would have given anything to be free. I realize that this is an unusual reaction to sexual awakening, but I think it's because it happened too early for me. When I brought this up to my parents, they insisted that the book had nothing to do with it.

Furthermore, the book promotes a particular view of sexuality without discussing other views. There is talk of sex, for example, but not of saving sex for marriage--which has many more reasons in favor of it than simply "my religion says I have to," as I learned the hard way. When other views are mentioned, they are given only a short paragraph, and even this is to dismiss them as ignorance or bad science. I have to wonder what the point of this kind of propaganda is.

If you're thinking about getting this book for your child, ask yourself this: do you want your child to write a review like this 20 years from now?

У нас очередной заскок. Дочь накупила себе юбок и платьев, ок, я сказала что в этом деле главное чтобы обувь была подходящая, обувь тоже купили. Теперь она хочет ходить с голыми ногами, а у нас уже холодно. Особенно утром. У нее есть колготки купленные во взрослом отделе, микрофибра, то есть не смешные, но никто оказывается в школе не носит колготки и она говорит что колготки это stupid. Как бороться??? так и лежат все юбки дома, я не разрешаю носить если она такая тупо-упертая и хочет только с голыми ногами.