The letters from magazine readers and feedback from focus groups were used to determine the content of the book. Schaefer later commented that she felt transitions between life stages were not well-recognized in the United States, and she wanted the book to help girls understand the transition 'from becoming a young girl to becoming a woman.' The company conducted focus groups, and found that preteen girls often wanted to know about subjects such as when to begin wearing bras and how to look after their physical health. Schaefer was pregnant with her daughter at the time that she wrote the book. Rowland selected Valorie Lee Schaefer, a copywriter who had written catalogues for American Girl doll accessories, to write the book because she felt Schaefer's voice was relatable to nine- and ten-year-old children.

The company had previously published advice books under this label about topics such as babysitting and making friends. It was published under American Girl's Advice Library imprint. They decided to publish an educational book answering questions about puberty in a way that would be approachable to young readers. She tore the article out and left a sticky note on it addressed to the book's eventual editor Michelle Watkins, which read 'WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NOW'. The magazine's editor Barbara Stretchberry said that 'If you go back and listen to our readers, our girls, it was so crystal clear how much this topic was on their mind.' American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland had the initial idea after reading a newspaper article about early onset puberty while on an airplane. Readers of the magazine sent in thousands of letters asking questions about their health, particularly related to puberty or body image. In 1993, American Girl launched a bimonthly magazine aimed at preteen readers. An updated edition of the book was published in 2013 along with a sequel titled The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls.

Since its publication, it has received critical praise and appeared numerous times on The New York Times Best Seller list. doll company, under its Advice Library imprint. The book was first published in 1998 by American Girl, a U.S.

It was written for readers aged eight years and older, and does not mention sex or sexuality. The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by Valorie Lee Schaefer is an educational children's book about puberty, female health and hygiene. The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls

Is This Normal? by Norm Bendell