Theme: Teen's Health

Surviving the Teenage Puberty

Puberty can be an exciting and confusing time for children when their bodies begin to develop and change rapidly. Hair is growing where it did not grow before, some have pimples appearing on their faces while others experience mood swings.

Girls usually start puberty between the ages of 8 and 13 and boys usually start between 10 and 15 years of age. Some people start puberty a bit earlier and some later. Everyone is a little different and go through puberty on his or her body's own schedule. It is good to know about the physical developments in the body, hormone changes and the emotions that accompany puberty. Parents can read up books on the adult human body (also known as anatomy) to better handle questions from their soon-to-be teenage child at home. The books featured in this issue are available from the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

BOOKS

Birds, Bees & Kids: Discovering the Facts of Life

Singapore: Times Editions-Marshall Cavendish, c2004

Call No.: RSING 613.0433 BIR

This fully illustrated and simple to understand book will be useful to parents who find it hard to answer difficult questions that children are asking.

It is written like a story with two characters, Charlie and Mary, who have received a special book as a gift from their parents. While sharing the book with their friends, they learn about the body and senses, the differences between girls and boys, what happens during puberty and how people relate to one another through relationships.

There is a comprehensive coverage on various topics related to puberty and growing up to adulthood. In addition to information on basic hygiene and health, issues of sexuality, sex abuse and contraception are also addressed.

From Boys to Men: A Woman's Guide to the Health of Husbands, Partners, Sons, Fathers, and Brothers

by Emily Senay and Rob Waters

Call No.: R 613.0423 SEN

The first part of this book on "Sons" covers everything a mother needs to know about the proper care of boys. from principles of good nutrition to coping with her child's accidents and injuries.

Dr Senay asserts that men are the "weaker" sex and have "an attraction to risk, an aversion to self-care, and an arsenal of unhealthy habits'.'

There is a mix of interesting facts and personal anecdotes, which makes this book readable and engaging. The information is comprehensive and well researched and is a useful guide to men's health from infancy to adulthood.

See also:

Other topics related to teens and puberty includes teenagers' sexual behavior, self-help techniques for teenagers and teenagers' mental health. Check their availability in the library at http://vistaweb.nlb.gov.sg

DATABASE ARTICLES

Proquest Medicine

Inside Your Teen-to-be
Sharon Benson. Today's Parent. Toronto: Nov 2006. Vol. 23, Iss. 11; pg. 105, 5 pgs

This article offers practical advice and tips on parenting skills during children's teen years.

Adolescent Health 1: Pubertal transitions in health
George C Patton, Russell Viner. The Lancet. London: Mar 31-Apr 6, 2007. Vol. 369, Iss. 9567; p. 1130, 10 pgs

Looks at the health problems associated with puberty, a phase in human life (beside infancy) where there is rapid body and emotional changes.

Both articles are retrieved from the Proquest 5000 International database. Proquest database is available at National Library Board libraries and from home at www.nl.sg

NEW ARRIVAL

Take a sneak peak of the new books at our libraries.

Doctor Weinberg's guide to the best health resources on the Web

by Harlan R. Weinberg.

New York: Collins, c2008

Call No.: R 610.285 WEI

The Internet has made it easier and faster to find health information. Many websites give valuable facts and figures, but there is also a huge amount of false and misleading information on the Web.

Written by a critical care doctor, this book provides up-to-date and useful information on the resources available on the Internet. It gives a directory of the best medical websites and is organized in alphabetical order by disease or condition. There are close to a hundred health topics and the annotated list of websites is authoritative and easy to understand.

Available at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library and other NLB libraries
Please check the availability of the materials at: http://vistaweb.nlb.gov.sg

My mother, Your Mother: Embracing "Slow Medicine" - the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones

by Dennis McCullough

New York : Harper, c2008

Call No.: R 306.8740846 MAC

McCullough has been a family physician and geriatrician for 30 years. He helps families to care for and cope with their parents' aging and shares the experience of caring for his own aged mother..

The aging process is divided into eight stages: stability, compromise, crisis, recovery, decline, prelude to dying, death and grieving. McCullough advocates that a careful and conservative approach to meeting the changing needs of the elderly, a term he coins as "slow medicine", is more important than focusing on modern, state-of-the-art medical technology.

Available at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library
Please check the availability of the materials at: http://vistaweb.nlb.gov.sg

Written by Sara Pek
Senior Librarian
Lee Kong Chian Reference Library

Reference Point Service

Have a reference enquiry to ask?

You can ask for assistance in identifying and using appropriate printed and electronic resources to meet your information needs. The reference librarians at the National Library will provide answers to queries, suggest search strategies and guide you to relevant and useful resources.

Website: www.nl.sg | ReferencePoint

Email: ref@nlb.gov.sg

SMS: 9178 7792

Fax: 6332 3248