I highlighted this book on my Booktube channel. The video can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/JELY3_kiZa0

I had sisters, no brothers; daughters, no sons; but I have 3 grandsons so the information in this book has been eye-opening. Plus so readable! I highly recommend.

DECODING BOYS by Cara Natterson describes the "New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons." A pediatrician, Natterson shares a great deal of medical information, particularly about brain development and effects of testosterone hormone. An entire chapter discusses how puberty for boys is beginning earlier, too, at roughly 9 or 10. Another section is titled, "When They Look Like Adults, But Don't Think Like Them." That one begins humorously with stories involving her own children, but carries some serious messages as do subsequent sections on pornography, consent, addiction, and aggression. This is uncomfortable reading at times, but Natterson's emphasis on listening and communication would be echoed by Lisa Damour, author of Untangled and Under Pressure as well as a recent FAN speaker, who says, "If you're raising a boy, you need this brilliant book." The text concludes with an objective, alphabetical (acne, body odor, etc.) list of body changes that occur as well as "a relatively brief explanation of the behind-the-scenes biology." Overall, a useful resource with a scientific slant.

Cara Natterson's Decoding Boys is a must read for parents of sons entering (or in) puberty. I thought I knew a lot but I have received quite an education through this book. What a valuable resource. From scientific information on hormones and neurotransmitters, to body changes, mood changes and pitfalls of adolescents, Decoding Boys covers it all. I now have a clearer idea of things to watch out for, things that are normal for boys and conversations to have with my middle schooler. Valuable and insightful.

This was a concise and very helpful book exploring adolescence in boys. It will certainly be a ready reference guide for anyone looking for insight and strategies in raising their teenage son. I highly recommend! Thanks Net Galley & Ballantine Books for the ARC in return for my honest opinion. #decodingboys

Not exactly what I was hoping for, I was looking for a book on parenting boys, which this does qualify, but with mine just starting kindergarten we're not ready for a book on teens and tweens yet. I imagine this will be a great guide once I reach those years with him.

This is a very handy guide, written by a doctor , to negotiating adolescence with your son. There is great information about topics from puberty, to body image, addiction and gun violence, including tips on starting conversations. I skimmed past some of the more science-y bits but I think this is a great reference guide to refer to amd share. I received a complimentary digital copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

As a new mom to a boy, I found this very helpful to learn about what to possibly expect as he gets older. I may want a physical copy to reference as we go through all the stages

5 Stars for Decoding Boys by Cara Natterson! Not my typical book genre, Decoding Boys is a book for moms of boys. Cara covers uncomfortable (at least for me) territory that addresses the concerns a lot of moms face today when it comes to understanding their boys.

Cara Natterson uses her experiences as a pediatrician and mom to shed some light on physiologically what is going on in the pubescent and pre-pubescent boys in our lives. She clears up some misinformation and dives right into what we can do and say when it comes to peer pressure, social media, delayed development, early development, and (gasp) PORN. OMG. Middle school? Yes.

Cara provides shocking statistics that will reinforce the importance of arming yourself with education and talking points so that you at least feel informed before talking to your boy(s). She urges us to talk to them because they are talking to others at school, seeing things on the internet, and regardless of how much we try to shelter them, they have real questions and need to know they can ask.

As a mom of boys, I feel more equipped and less naive after reading this book. It's difficult to know what to do all of the time, in such a changing and information-open world.

Thought-provoking and a bit scary, this book is definitely informative and offers suggestions and recommendations that will help when the time comes to talk about the hard things.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse #netgalley #randomhouse #ballantinebooks for the opportunity to read this book #decodingboys before the rest of the world in exchange for an honest review. I'll definitely be needing it over the next few years! #bookreview #5stars #nonfiction #boymomhelp #readgoodbooks #readtoknow #informedmom #getsmart

As a mother of two boys, ages 5 and 2, this book was huge in helping to identify the causes of certain behaviors in my children. When you can pinpoint what may be going on in their little heads it helps shape your reaction in a better way. This book helped immensely in my life as a mother.

This book is a good starting point in learning more about boys. I think the most useful chapters is about sexuality and the modern challenges of social media. I feel like this book is a good supplement to what is already out there and parents will find the new information navigating around hormones and sexting useful.

Decoding Boys covered a variety of topics that parents need to know as their boy enters puberty. Cara Natterson covers pertinent topics such as when puberty happens, how to talk about body changes, vaping, sexting, and other difficult topics.

I found this book especially helpful, since as the author pointed out, there are not a lot of resources for male puberty. As a parent I've also found that we struggle to know when the right time for the "growing up" and "birds and bees" discussions are, or even how to get them started. Her advice was timely, and I found myself taking notes of all the excellent resources available to cover these difficult conversations--books, Netflix and other conversation starters. She also touched on why boys can act impulsively and make poor decisions (which may have been a bit too detailed with the chapter on the brain--but keep reading, it's worth it!). I finished this book with a realistic timeline, some excellent resources, and a bit of a panic that these conversations need to happen earlier than I expected. But I feel better prepared to tackle the difficult conversations. Parents with young boys should consider Decoding Boys.

I was hoping this book would provide more practical advice ,but found it to be too heavy on the medical and scientific aspects and lost my interest early on.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a lot of interesting and compelling information on how puberty affects boys physically and emotionally. We are provided with lots of medical information on how these changes occured and how to begin an open dialogue with your son. I must admit it was a bit heavy on the medical piece and presented in a format that is not easily digestible. Overall an interesting text.

The book provided some wonderful explanations in how puberty affects a boy and what signs to look for in a child. The narrative was supported by numerous discussions of peer research and applied anecdotal knowledge. As the central theme of this book centered around the imperative of parents to open up the channels of communication, I wondered could this tool be utilized for those with special needs boys, who still experience puberty yet have difficulty with communicating?

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Cara Natterson for an ARC of 'Decoding Boys' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

As the mother of a teenaged boy, I wish I'd had this book three years ago. Natterson explains the complex role testosterone plays not only in growth but also in mood, concentration and other aspects of the adolescent boy's life. Beyond that, Natterson explains why communication is so important even during the silent years, when boys tend to clam up, yet need to be heard. A compassionate, science-based approach to understanding and parenting boys, written in accessible prose by a pediatrician who is also a mother.