A welcome workbook for teens wishing to get a handle on their anger issues.
Adolescence can be fraught with competing desires and expectations, often leading to anger; this book aims to provide the necessary tools to cope.
Firmly rooted in principals of cognitive behavioral therapy and written by an expert in the field, this book functions as a CBT workbook that can be used on its own or incorporated into a formal therapy plan. Beginning with helping readers identify how their anger is expressed and what some common triggers are, progressive chapters scaffold learning and skills to rein in angry thoughts and actions. Subsequent chapters address ways to reframe thinking, halt rumination, and improve communication, among other useful tools. Each chapter includes worksheets to help with skills practice along with a brief “In a Nutshell” summary of the key points. Throughout the book, ethnically diverse cartoon characters, seemingly based on actual teens, share their first-person experiences with uncontrolled anger, its consequences, and how the book’s tools have helped. While this is the sort of book that many teens are unlikely to pick up on their own, if trusted adults recommend it, they will find the content worthwhile. Though the homework vibe of some of the worksheets might put some readers off, the content and skills are excellent and accessible. The clean layout, with chunks of prose broken up by clear headers, lists, and text boxes, enhances the reading experience.
A welcome workbook for teens wishing to get a handle on their anger issues. (suggested reading, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3247-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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