A useful resource that supports teen agency.
A neurodiversity coach who’s autistic and has ADHD offers a customizable toolkit to help teens manage their ADHD.
The tone of this work is upbeat, presenting ADHD as a collection of characteristics—some beneficial, some challenging. A different neurodivergent trait, left-handedness, serves as an example of how erasing stigma paves the way for accommodations and understanding. Accustomed to being defined by their deficits, young adult ADHDers can feel helpless to overcome them. Sullivan’s approach places them in the driver’s seat, empowered to take charge, using journaling and short exercises to reflect on obstacles and brainstorm solutions. Readers are asked to identify their personal qualities from a long list of adjectives, then narrow them down through reflection and input from those who know them. While working through the topics of emotional self-regulation, sensory processing issues, and executive functioning, readers encounter strategies for reframing challenges and receive support in fostering self-awareness and the ability to manage difficulties by defining problems (like forgetting homework) and developing solutions (such as having an accountability buddy). The author encourages readers to seek out and share insights from family members, peers, and teachers and to modify strategies when necessary. She suggests ways to both limit distractions from smartphones and use phones to assist in achieving one’s goals. This concise work is written in a welcoming tone, and the design includes icons that assist with navigating the various types of content.
A useful resource that supports teen agency. (resources, references, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9798330914081
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
