The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide
Without being overly earnest or condescending, this American version of the 1997 British bookBoys Behaving Badlyis frank in both language and description as it tackles everything from asking a girl out to demystifying the emotional and physical minefield of adolescence--from pimples to pornography. Daldry's tone is irreverent and warmly sarcastic as he trashes myths about masturbation ("It won't make you go crazy or blind") and homosexuality ("It doesn't mean that you have to start wearing women's underwear") and helps readers cope with being dumped, having mood swings, the temptations of drugs, and finding out that their mothers know about their stash of porn magazines. Cartoon illustrations and the use of a variety of typefaces enhance both the humor and the message. Important phrases leap off the page, mimicking the exaggerated, emotional conversations that rocket through middle-school hallways, and the captioned remarks of the two cartoon teens--one jaded, the other naive--talk straight to Daldry, asking him questions and responding to his advice. Daldry also includes a list of helpful organizations. Expect to replace this every year as it's certain to disintegrate from furious use or simply vanish from the shelf.Randy Meyer