Overwhelmed teens can find validation in this faith-based guide.
A guide for teens trying to make sense out of intense feelings through a Christian lens.
Part workbook, part self-help guide, part Bible study, this handbook is geared toward those who experience big feelings and could use some support navigating the challenges that come with this territory. The author explains how the Bible can be a helpful guide to understanding and taking charge of one’s emotions: God and Jesus are framed as compassionate and encompassing big love themselves, an approach illuminated by carefully selected Scripture, such as poignant passages from the Bible. Each chapter tackles a different topic that can affect a sensitive teen, from relationships with family members to making friends and dating. Sections close with prompts for journaling, prayer suggestions, and additional Bible verses to explore on these things. Several quizzes help readers discover what type of feeler they are (big, steady, or reluctant) and how drama prone they may be, among other topics. While the book is labeled as being geared toward teens in general, gendered language and exclusively heterosexual relationship examples implicitly target a straight female audience. Concrete examples of turbulent emotional experiences given in the book are fairly light, and the author encourages readers to seek additional help if they are experiencing depression, abuse, or otherwise need more support.
Overwhelmed teens can find validation in this faith-based guide. (discussion guide) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4964-5107-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Wander
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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
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