A good resource for those with moderate anxieties.
This practical mental health text guides and reassures readers through a journey of understanding.
First, readers become aware of uncertainty, something the authors explain in the context of fear about negative, unknown outcomes of future events. Readers then learn how to stop struggling with this inevitable aspect of existence and instead create intentional space for uncertainty, even finding the positives in it. They are encouraged to build social support networks while pursuing their individual passions and taking calculated risks, ultimately coming to look forward to full lives that include moments of uncertainty. The authors, both practicing psychologists working with young people, make readers feel welcome through the use of affirming and inclusive language and encouragement to take their time with the text to effectively develop the skills presented. Each of the 10 chapters is structured similarly and includes an opening and closing check on readers’ knowledge, research-based scientific context, helpful definitions, profiles of a diverse assortment of teens, concrete skill-building steps, sample tips, and summative takeaways. The text assumes the maturity of its readers and validates the difficulties inherent in being a teenager. It also honors the mental struggles brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors normalize the act of seeking professional help when needed; they acknowledge that this text is only a starting point for those with more severe symptoms of anxiety.
A good resource for those with moderate anxieties. (references) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68403-937-1
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Instant Help Books
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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