My Body Belongs to Me = Mi Cuerpo me Pertenece

Name: My Body Belongs to Me = Mi Cuerpo me Pertenece
Author: Jill Starishevsky

Jill Starishevsky · 2024

Literary fiction

Banned in 1 country

About this book

Acclaimed book, now in English and Spanish, helps adults teach children about abuse, getting help, and how to set boundaries to stay safe. Without being taught about body boundaries, a child may be too young to understand when abuse is happening—or that it’s wrong. Now available in a bilingual English-Spanish edition, My Body Belongs to Me /Mi cuerpo me pertenece offers a tool parents, teachers, and counselors can use to sensitively share and discuss the topic of sexual abuse. Through simple language and colorful illustrations, this straightforward, gentle book guides young children to understand that their private parts belong to them alone. The overriding message is that if someone touches your private parts, tell your mom, your dad, your teacher, or another safe adult. In a country where, according to estimates from the CDC, one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before age eighteen, this book is an essential abuse-prevention resource to help children feel, be, and stay safe. Using her experience working as a New York City prosecutor of child abuse and sex crimes, Jill Starishevsky has crafted a book that addresses body boundaries in a way that kids can understand and that doesn’t seem scary or heavy-handed. Includes, in both English and Spanish, a letter to adults at the beginning and a section in the back with suggestions and resources for discussing the book with children.

Censorship history

In 2024, "My Body Belongs to Me / Mi Cuerpo me Pertenece" was banned at the school level in several districts across the United States, primarily due to concerns regarding its content on sexual abuse and body boundaries. The book faced challenges from parents and advocacy groups who argued that discussions of sexual abuse were inappropriate for young children. Specific instances of these challenges included formal complaints submitted to school boards, leading to votes that resulted in the book's removal from curricula and libraries. The ban has been upheld in some districts, while discussions about its reinstatement continue in others.