WHO IS AMY SCHNEIDER?

The Jeopardy! champion answers the big questions in this young readers’ adaptation of her memoir.

In nine chapters (among them “How Did You Get So Smart?” and “How Can I Fully Be Myself?”), Schneider covers her run on the popular game show, her gender transition, life with attention deficit disorder and depression, fame, friendship, and her love of learning. She writes in a casual, approachable tone, explaining concepts at readers’ level while never veering into the preachy. The book is chock-full of big and small life lessons, from the way Schneider figures out the meaning of a new word, like oviparous (“Because I know that ovi- means ‘eggs,’ I can guess that -parous might mean something like ‘giving birth’”), to the importance of self-acceptance. Charting a long journey that culminated in her finally feeling comfortable in her own skin, Schneider discusses the anguish of joining the Boy Scouts, the community she found as a theater kid in high school, and her pride in raising visibility among trans people. Her candid, humorous voice will entice readers, especially those who have also felt like outcasts for being “too smart,” who are neurodivergent or queer, or who otherwise struggle to express their true selves. She offers a critical look at the concept of intelligence, acknowledging that it is complex and difficult to measure and encouraging learning for its own sake; ultimately, this is a lesson in living life with curiosity and confidence.

A fun, honest memoir that champions knowledge.