KID CONFIDENT #2

This second volume in the Kid Confident series is a guide to the intense emotions many middle schoolers experience.

Designed for young people to explore independently in bite-sized chunks, the book contains graphics, comics, sidebars, and prompts to vary its format and sustain reader interest. The first half details why mood struggles are more intense in middle school, empowering tweens and teens by letting them know they are not alone. Next, the author explores the impacts of thoughts, mindset, perfectionism, and actions on mood and includes concrete suggestions on how to feel better. The book features intriguing facts, self-reflection activities and questions related to key concepts, strategies for self-regulation, writing exercises, and chapter summaries as well as anecdotes about diverse middle schoolers who worked through the struggles illustrated. Simple illustrations and diagrams support the text, making subjects like the structure of the limbic system or yoga poses that calm or energize more accessible. Importantly, the final chapter helps readers understand when and how to ask for professional help for themselves and their friends. Packed with valuable material, this volume is an informative read for middle schoolers who struggle with their emotions.

An excellent mental health resource for adolescents and those who support them.