Summary Of It's Perfectly Normal By Robie Harris

The talk. A conversation many young adolescents dread, a conversation that consists of parents discussing the nature of sexual activity and the ways one's body will change. Although there is the traditional method of parents having discussion with their children, some alternatives such as educational books, videos, and other multimedia sources have been found to be effective in educating their children on the “birds and the bees.” However, while some sources pose no harm to children and young teens, there are those that go above and push the limits of what many parents would consider comfortable. “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie Harris is a perfect testament to parents unwillingness to adhere to certain books and allow them to educate their …show more content…
The variety of topics discussed throughout the book include: masturbation, homosexuality, types of sex, diseases, sexual abuse, abortion, and more. While the topic of sex has always been taboo in modern society, many viewing it to be against their religion and societal norms. This book includes an element that for many is the final straw towards their decision to opt out of reading and even advocate the banning of this book. That is the element of illustration that is presented throughout the book. An example of this would be illustrations of people having sex, masturbating, and other forms of nudity. Although some view this as educational, some simply see it as too much, especially considering this book is targeted at children ten years old and above. Moreover, the descriptions involving these topics also lead many to have negative feelings towards the book. For example, “After a bit, the female vagina becomes moist and slippery, her clitories becomes had, and the male's penis becomes erect, stiff, and larger. . . It is now possible for the male's erect penis to go inside the female's vagina, which stretches in a way that fits around the penis.” (Harris and Emberley, 56). This particular description the act of sex while making it simple and educational, poses a threat the way of teaching sex that many people have been accustomed to for many generations. Furthermore, we also see another example of this explicit nature of the book such as, “Masturbating is perfectly normal. When people masturbate, they usually rub their sex organs with their hands or something soft, like a pillow” (Harris and Emberley, 49). Again, while attempting to be educational, it pushes the boundaries that many adults are attempting to set, and normalizes masturbation, an act that many parents view as