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WHERE TO START

A SURVIVAL GUIDE TO ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES

A valuable, comprehensive manual for navigating mental health struggles.

A quick reference guide suitable for teens wanting to explore many aspects of their mental health journeys on their own terms.

This offering from a major U.S. mental health nonprofit offers teens an overview of psychological concerns, explains what can be done to address them, and provides self-help tips. An opening list of ways to use the book details its flexibility and adaptability. Next, there are four main sections: The first describes major types of mental health disorders and includes a self-assessment; the second supports readers in reaching out to parents and caregivers; the third is a guide to professional support, including apps and other online resources; and the final section offers a variety of things teens can try doing on their own. Bullet points and worksheets that utilize open-ended questions to aid readers in reflecting on their learning offer guidance. The warm, conversational tone and straightforward, accessible language welcome readers to explore the text as they wish and establish autonomy over their wellness. Readers will find an abundance of beneficial information, but there is no index, and no sources are provided for the facts included. The book’s design is clean and attractive, with ample white space. The illustrations show racially diverse young people as well as bold graphics in shades of orange and sometimes-humorous vignettes that help lighten the mood.

A valuable, comprehensive manual for navigating mental health struggles. (resources) (Nonfiction. 12-17)

Pub Date: April 11, 2023

ISBN: 9780593531402

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023

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ENDANGERED

From the Ape Quartet series , Vol. 1

Congolese-American Sophie makes a harrowing trek through a war-torn jungle to protect a young bonobo.

On her way to spend the summer at the bonobo sanctuary her mother runs, 14-year-old Sophie rescues a sickly baby bonobo from a trafficker. Though her Congolese mother is not pleased Sophie paid for the ape, she is proud that Sophie works to bond with Otto, the baby. A week before Sophie's to return home to her father in Miami, her mother must take advantage
of a charter flight to relocate some apes, and she leaves Sophie with Otto and the sanctuary workers. War breaks out, and after missing a U.N. flight out, Sophie must hide herself and Otto from violent militants and starving villagers. Unable to take Otto out of the country, she decides finding her mother hundreds of miles to the north is her only choice. Schrefer jumps from his usual teen suspense to craft this well-researched tale of jungle survival set during a fictional conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Realistic characters (ape and human) deal with disturbing situations described in graphic, but never gratuitous detail. The lessons Sophie learns about her childhood home, love and what it means to be endangered will resonate with readers.

Even if some hairbreadth escapes test credulity, this is a great next read for fans of our nearest ape cousins or survival adventure. (map, author's note, author Q&A) (Adventure. 12-16)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-545-16576-1

Page Count: 272

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2012

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IS THE END OF THE WORLD NEAR?

FROM CRACKPOT PREDICTIONS TO SCIENTIFIC SCENARIOS

Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a...

Will the world end in a bang or a whimper? Unless pre-empted by human-induced disaster or one of many scientifically possible catastrophic scenarios, life on Earth will end a billion years from now in a sizzle.

Predicting the end of the world is an old story, argues the author, presenting evidence in brief surveys of eschatologies from the world's major religions and mythologies of ancient civilizations. Miller also notes how end-of-world scenarios have captured humanity's imagination in their frequent appearances in science-fiction novels and motion pictures. (Disappointingly, the reasons for this ongoing fascination are not explored.) A chapter about imminent predictions for 2012 explains the Mayan prophecy and a theory about a phantom planet called Nibiru crashing into Earth. Another chapter examines pseudoscientific end-of-world theories such as planetary alignment and pole shifts. The primary focus is on scientifically plausible scenarios: self-destruction through nuclear war or continued environmental exploitation; humanity wiped out by a pandemic; an asteroid or comet strike destroying Earth.

Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a high-interest topic that should inspire many to further explore the subject.   (chronology, glossary, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-7613-7396-4

Page Count: 120

Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner

Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011

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