Solid, reassuring, and appealingly presented advice from a professional.
What can middle schoolers do to avoid being consumed by worry?
Psychologist Guerra structures her overview of middle school stressors and coping mechanisms as if it were a game with levels from one to 10. Following the format of other books in the Kid Confident series, she introduces three young people who are diverse across various dimensions of identity, pointing out both their strengths and the things that may stress them. These stressors are wide-ranging, from being hungry or easily discouraged to impulsivity and perfectionism. Readers are likely to recognize some of these characters’ issues as their own. Using a comforting tone, the writer addresses readers directly with competence and confidence. Emphasizing that stress is a natural and protective bodily response, she discusses the conditions that may cause stress in middle school, how it presents itself, how to manage it, and ways to keep it at bay. She encourages the adoption of good physical and mental habits, providing hacks for self-calming and feeling better emotionally. The book also explains the concepts of mindset and GRIT (here, a mnemonic that breaks down the components of perseverance). Guerra calls for and explains how to achieve the adoption of an attitude of self-efficacy. Regular review and reinforcement are provided through sidebars with activities, puzzles, and short quizzes as well as reminders at the end of each chapter of the skills learned. Spot art, charts, and diagrams also break up the text.
Solid, reassuring, and appealingly presented advice from a professional. (resources, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3816-3
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
Potentially useful insights for youngsters encountering loss.
Advice on coping with loss, from the death of a family member or a close friend to a beloved pet’s demise to life-changing events such as divorce.
Imperi, a chaplain and thanatologist (“someone who knows about death, dying, grief and loss”), uses her own terminology to distinguish between “deathloss” (“when a person or an animal we love dies”) and “shadowloss” (“the death of something, not someone”). These categories make sense, but kids grieving the death of a loved one may find it difficult to wade through sections about other serious problems. Although the recent pandemic caused many actual deaths, this book describes Covid as a shadowloss, a disrupter of normal life. Imperi mentions a few religious traditions, but the book is primarily concerned with practical ideas and individual experiences. Specific thinking, writing, and creative exercises for moving through the grief process are included. She spotlights five diverse teens, along with their coping strategies for different types of loss; they appear to be composite portraits rather than real individuals. The black-and-white line illustrations and charts throughout will appeal to some, but the boxed affirmations on many pages may feel repetitive to others; the work overall feels a bit like an expanded magazine article. Still, patient readers will likely find guidance—and reassurance.
Potentially useful insights for youngsters encountering loss. (grief journal, glossary, note for caregivers, resources, references, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781525309656
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2024
As an overview of global conflict, it’s concise and accessible—remarkably so—but as a call to individual action, it’s less...
A penetrating look into the roots of global conflict, the many ways it can begin and possible resolutions.
Attempting to answer the question “Why do we fight?” is ambitious from the start. Following a natural arc by explaining different types of conflict and then contemplating ways conflict can escalate, Walker touches on topics that could each have their own book. However, she keeps the pace lively and the flow of information smooth. Preteen readers may anticipate finding solutions to conflicts in their everyday life, but instead, the focus is on global issues: fighting over natural resources, culture clashes, religious beliefs, etc. Underlying parallels to personal practice can certainly be drawn, but it is not the ultimate purpose of this work. Designed in a visual, infographic style with bold headlines and a sharp yellow, black and white color scheme, the sunny layout provides structure and bounce to a dense topic. In a concluding chapter entitled “What do YOU think?” Walker encourages readers to use their newfound knowledge and tolerance to become global activists. A laudable goal, but directions to getting involved with organizations such as UNICEF’s Voices of Youth or Amnesty International would have been appreciated.
As an overview of global conflict, it’s concise and accessible—remarkably so—but as a call to individual action, it’s less successful. (sources, index, author’s note) (Nonfiction. 11-14)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-926973-86-9
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
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