An intelligent, entertaining look at the unique and not-so-unique issues that gifted teens face.
While gifted teens may seem to be best prepared of all adolescents to cope with life, this effort offers specific, often pithy advice for a sometimes-neglected group’s special needs.
Many school systems now make some effort to identify students who are gifted, while not fully agreeing on what that term means. Beginning with a close look at how giftedness is identified, the authors move on to cover in detail how to deal with parents, friends and teachers, twice exceptionality (for example, Asperger’s syndrome and giftedness together), how to make schools better serve unique talents, how to choose and prepare for college, how to deal with relationships and, finally, good advice on a variety of topics relevant for most teens: sexuality, depression and “existential crises.” Sections of advice are interrupted by smart, sometimes funny essays by a variety of gifted people talking about their teen years. This is an updated, fourth edition of a work that was first published in 1983; it feels fresh and timely, with information about current topics such as online education and the distractions of and dependence on electronic media. A detailed table of contents will make it easier for readers to identify especially pertinent sections, if they don’t want to read through the entire work.
An intelligent, entertaining look at the unique and not-so-unique issues that gifted teens face. (Self-help. 11 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-57542-381-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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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