Really mixed feelings on this one because it is so important but I'm so unsure how to ensure this gets to kids who would benefit! Kids need this, who's the person sharing it? In my teacher roles, this is obviously not the right fit, but important for parents & counselors to share. Such an important topic, so impressively handled. Reflection and activities included as well. A great tool!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette UK/Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the ARC. This is my unbiased review:

Overall rating: 3.75 stars

As a Certified Sex Therapist and sexuality educator, I get asked about porn a lot. Adults wonder if their viewing habits are healthy. Spouses wonder if their partner is damaging the relationship by consuming erotica. My students worry about performers and whether or not the adult industry contributes to a culture of exploitation. And parents worry about just about EVERYTHING when it comes to porn and their kids.

Jessica Melendez takes a unique approach to addressing these concerns, by creating a sex ed resource designed for young people. Porn Is Not Sex Ed! is a friendly, accessible, and inclusive point of entry into this delicate conversation. Melendez tackles a number of issues, from body diversity to the Male Gaze with a candor and kindness that stands out from the crowd.

This book is quite thorough in the topics covered, but I do wish that more care was paid to some topics. As mentioned above, the Male Gaze is explored- but never really properly defined. I would have liked to see an operant definition included in the glossary, for example. Another topic that stood out to me was the discussion of fetishization. Melendez tackles this with nuance and offers a great decision tree to help her readers understand if they are experiencing attraction or objectification. But she never defines what a fetish is, or explains that the reader may encounter the term in consensual, enjoyable contexts as well. That is not to say that a book geared for middle schoolers should tackle BDSM. But if you’re going to introduce one use of the term? Then the other should be acknowledged as well, if only to eliminate confusion and reduce kink-stigma.

Overall, I feel like Porn Is Not Sex Ed! was both surprisingly thorough for the length (less than 100 richly illustrated pages) but also lacking some important details. A page or two reflecting on the content of porn, and some statistics about normative diversity in that area, could have been validating for many readers without being overtly explicit. In general, I think that this is an excellent conversation-starter resource and look forward to recommending it to clients (both parenting and not) and students alike

Pornography is a topic that can be embarrassing to talk about and yet pretty much everyone knows exists. This no-nonsense guide looks at pornography within the context of wider sexual experiences and education, and gives the reader the chance to learn about, amongst other things: - What is consent - How our bodies are different - Why people might use porn - How to advocate for oneself The author doesn't preach, doesn't say we should ban porn, doesn't say it's a good thing either. But they do look at the differences between what porn says sex is/should be and what sex actually is/can/should be. The book does have some images (cartoon-like) drawings of genitalia, but obviously as it's a children's book they are not sexually explicit. For that reason I would say just have a flick through before handing it to a child, and make up your own mind as to whether you think it's ok. However seeing as most kids have smartphones and the ability to get online, then what they may be able to access on a screen is potentially going to be much more shocking than some well-drawn illustrations in a fact book. (Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC)

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. I think this book should be used as a teaching tool for all sex education classes. As a parent of older teens and young adults, I wish this book had been around when my children were younger. Not only does it provide information about porn, it also provides detailed anatomy, including the clitoris, and the proper language. It talks about sexual identity, consent, and masturbation in a way that does not shame the reader, and I love that. I will be buying this book for my kids (even though they are older) and for other young people in my life.

This is a really inclusive, helpful resource for young folks who are curious about sex. It emphasizes that porn is fiction, but sex is a real act with real thing to consider before, during, and after. I think it does a great job of being accessible and talking to young kids at a level that treats them with respect and doesn't treat them like they're too immature to learn. Sexual content is everywhere, more so now than ever, and it's important to have these discussions to foster a sense of trust and instill the ability to find out the facts for themselves.

All in all, this is a really useful resource! I love the activities and reflective questions, as it gets the reader way more involved.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A thorough book that covers many aspects of sex education and delves into the topic of pornography, what it is, why people might use it, and how it is focuses on the male gaze. I liked the comparison of how different geographic regions share limited amounts of information in term of sex education, providing greater context for divide in knowledge and understanding. Sections on media literacy, the male gaze, and pornography literacy were well covered. This is a great informative and inclusive title on pornography and sex education.

Loved this book/workbook! I give queer sex ed workshops and this will be a super useful resource and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy. My only complaint is the all caps text, which I know is still standard for graphic novels but from an accessibility pov makes it harder to read.