A valuable, empathetic guide for teens who need information, whether for themselves or for peers, on mental health distress.
A succinct overview of the mental health crisis that many adolescents are currently experiencing.
The book’s introduction explains the current struggles that many teens face due to the heightened stressors of the long-term effects of social media and the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout the five concise chapters that follow, teenagers share their experiences with mental health distress, how they felt, and which resources (for example, therapy, talking circles, crisis hotlines, and open communication with a trusted adult) helped provide them with short- and long-term relief. Mount highlights several groups identified by public health experts as being at higher risk for mental health distress: LGBTQ+ teens, teens of color, and teenage girls. The research she cites provides value by driving home points from credible sources—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. surgeon general, and the American Academy of Pediatrics—all supported with quantifiable data. The text includes suggested talking points, such as what to say to a friend during a tough time: “How can I support you right now?” and “Would you prefer to talk right now or could you use a distraction?” This book is incredibly valuable and in the right hands could be lifesaving. Stock photos showing racially diverse teens punctuate the text, along with sidebars that contain additional useful information.
A valuable, empathetic guide for teens who need information, whether for themselves or for peers, on mental health distress. (source notes, resources and information, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781678208189
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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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