ADH-ME!

A pediatrician-penned story from the perspective of a child with ADHD.

Rhyming, first-person text follows an unnamed white boy as he learns to manage his ADHD after struggles at school and home and with the help of his parents, teachers, doctor, and medication. The rhyme detracts from the book—in no way does this style enhance or add to the delivery of the content—and in some cases it’s jarring and distracting. For example: “It felt good getting work done / and helping with chores, / eating healthy, early bedtime / (I even tried not to snore).” But there are practical tips, such as using to-do lists, restricting sugar, and getting enough sleep, as well as a matter-of-fact acceptance of medication as a tool. Of course, medication isn’t the path that all kids with ADHD take, and this isn’t acknowledged in the text, which may give some readers pause. Furthermore, the culminating statement, “I’m oh-so-proud to be A-D-H-Me!” isn’t reflective of any sense of pride developed in the text—beyond the pride of managing the disorder. In other words, there’s too little attention to the things that make this child an individual (he doesn’t even have a name). The graphite and digital illustrations are largely redundant of the happily-ever-after text, though they do introduce a pet dog for the boy and multiracial classmates.

A potentially useful if undistinguished book about managing ADHD.