"This Is The Book You've Been Waiting For"
Read some of the AMAZING praise for our new book, "Talk To Your Boys." We're less than two months from publication and so excited to share this with you!
The Blurbs That Made Us Cry
One of the challenges of writing a book is that it is a LONG process with multiple drafts, rounds of revisions, and lots of edits. It’s easy to feel lost in the weeds, and it can be hard to maintain perspective. Questions like “Is this book hanging together and making its points? Is it actually any good?” can start to creep in.
Those doubts make handing it off to a new, fresh-eyed reader a little scary. Especially if that person is someone whose ideas and opinions you respect and admire.
That’s basically what happens when authors ask experts in the field and other writers for blurbs, those lines of text that appear on the back of book covers telling you why the book is worth you time. You hand over the manuscript, say “give it a read and let us know if you’ve be up for writing a blurb,” and wait.
Luckily, in our case we didn’t have to wait long for feedback. We heard back from people right away, and their messages were incredibly warm and encouraging.
Now, with less than two months left before Talk To Your Boys is published, we are happy to share some of those messages with you. Hopefully they will help you understand a little more about this book, and maybe even encourage you to pre-order it!
Praise for “Talk To Your Boys”
“Talk to Your Boys is a game-changing guide that tackles one of the most pressing challenges of parenting today: how to talk with boys about the things that matter most. From emotions and friendships to screen time and sex, this book doesn’t just explain why we need to have these conversations—it shows us how. Filled with practical, research-backed strategies and smart, actionable scripts, Talk to Your Boys makes it clear that connecting with the boys in our lives is not only possible, but essential. This book is required reading for anyone who cares about raising boys to thrive emotionally, build strong relationships, and grow into healthy, whole adults.”
ーLISA DAMOUR, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
"It’s no secret that boys are struggling these days. The old model of stoic masculinity - teaching boys to cut off from their feelings, from vulnerability, from others - does not serve them. But what does? Research is clear - connection does.
Talk to Your Boys is more than a superb help for parents - it is a call to action. Using tips, sample scripts and practical tools, Schroeder and Pepper empower parents to go beyond one word responses to real conversation. How to listen to our sons and lead them toward wholeness and health. In these difficult times, they offer clarity, warmth, and true guidance. A much-needed addition."
—TERRENCE REAL, bestselling author of Us and founder of Relational Life Institute
"A powerful, detailed, and supportive book to help us raise confident, caring, and connected boys in a world that often compels them to abandon themselves.”
—ELI HARWOOD (aka @attachmentnerd), therapist and bestselling author of Raising Securely Attached Kids
"Parenting boys in this moment can feel like navigating a cultural minefield. Talk to Your Boys offers the clarity and compassion parents desperately need. It's a pragmatic guide I wish I'd had years ago—and one I'll be turning to again and again."
—MELINDA WENNER MOYER, author of How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes and Hello, Cruel World!
"Talk to Your Boys is the book I wish every parent, teacher, and therapist had on their shelf. Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper offer a compassionate, practical guide for raising boys who are emotionally aware, connected, and resilient. Grounded in research and rich with real-world tools, this book helps adults foster the kind of secure relationships boys need to thrive. A vital resource for anyone who cares about the future of our sons."
—STAN TATKIN, PsyD, MFT, author of Wired for Love and In Each Other’s Care
"Talk to Your Boys is an essential guide to the new conversations parents must have with their sons to help them remain connected, compassionate, and clear-headed in a world that tells them (over and over) that 'real men' are the opposite. Take a deep breath. Dive in. This is the book you've been waiting for."
—PEGGY ORENSTEIN, bestselling author of Boys & Sex and Girls & Sex
TALK TO YOUR BOYS comes out on September 9, 2025, You can order it now from Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million or anywhere you like to buy books.
Why Preorders Make Such A Difference
Preorders, as we are sure you’ve heard other authors explain, are hugely, hugely important to the success of a book. Let’s talk about why:
Preorders help us reach more families of boys who need support: Preorders indicate to not only booksellers, but also media, magazines, television shows, podcasts, etc. that there is a real need for this book; our boys and their families need us now more than ever, and preorders are a great way to show that there are many people who care about this topic. The more we can demonstrate the need for this book, the more likely we are to get prominent placement in stores and online, more press coverage, and most importantly, wider recognition and visibility, allowing us to more easily reach the families that need this book the most.
Preorders help spur future sales of the book: Preorders are an indication to bookstores and retailers that the book has significant sales potential, so they are more likely to make bigger book purchases up front to ensure they have enough copies available on publication day to meet the demand. Higher preorder numbers can also help us gain recognition on various bestseller lists, which would also, in turn, lead to even more book sales.
Preordering is a great way to support us and my work: It took four years to write this book, but in many ways the finished product reflects a lifetime of learning and building community. Preordering is a great way to continue to show support for this crucial work .
Preorders are gifts to your future self. We can’t tell you enjoyable it is being surprised by a book you ordered months ago once it arrives in your mailbox. It’s a wonderful thing.
But there’s a bigger reason that we care about sales for Talk To Your Boys. And that is: We care deeply about boys, and we see how many of them are struggling right now. Having lots of boys feeling lonely, disconnected, sad, or angry is not good for those boys or for the rest of our society. This book is our attempt to help with that problem, and its our sincere hope that it will help adults better connect with the teen and tween boys in their lives.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! — Joanna and Christopher
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