Related: My Amazing Body: the best info for curious-about-their-bodies preschoolers
For girls who are in the 2nd or 3rd grade, I think The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by Valorie Schaefer and Josee Masse for American Girl (also at top) is a great intro to what's going to be happening with their bodies -- if it hasn't already started. It's basic growing-up info focused on self care, all with that friendly American Girl feel to it. If this one is a hit with your daughter, know that they also have a second edition for older girls by Cara Natterson that gets into a few more details about puberty.
While My Body by Antje Helms isn't specifically a book for girls or specifically a book about puberty, it's a great scientific look at the body -- including the reproductive system for both boys and girls. It's a fully illustrated book with detailed pictures about the internal workings of our bodies -- more about ovaries and fallopian tubes than breasts and pubic hair. It's a great one to look at with your child, because there isn't a lot of written narrative with the images. I like that it shows what's happening from a scientific perspective and think it's great for really practical kids or kids who haven't yet quite hit the puberty stage.
While it's a few years old, we still think The Period Book by Karen and Jennifer Gravelle and illustrated by Debbie Palen is a great read for parents who want their girls to feel empowered and in charge of their bodies. This one is fully -- and we mean fully -- illustrated to show girls what really happens to their bodies during puberty. It will encourage them to not be embarrassed about the change but to own it -- even the awkward, embarrassing parts. It answers all their questions in a straightforward way, but with a sense of confidence and cool we didn't get from some of the books we read as kids.
