A valuable and affirming overview of depression’s many layers and comorbidities.
An age-appropriate conversational discussion covering depression’s signs and symptoms, who is affected and why, and possible treatments and preventions.
This overview covers basic facts about depression and its complex set of symptoms, pointing out how they vary from person to person, including how long depression lasts and how much it might affect someone’s day-to-day life. The text, which is written in a clear and concise way, doesn’t patronize teens or sugarcoat the data. The illustrations and graphs are easy to read and support the evidence-based information, which is offered in a just-clinical-enough manner throughout. The authors clarify commonly held beliefs about depression, its causes and treatments, break down the stigmas and myths surrounding the subject, and carefully describe depression’s various iterations. Readers learn that anyone can have depression, no matter their gender, race, age, or socioeconomic status. The book makes sure to mention relevant social and economic factors, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, racism, and being unhoused, and it includes information specific to gender and sexuality, which are often overlooked in medical studies. Along with walking readers through diagnosis and treatment options in a way that could prepare them for their own experiences, the text includes information on suicide and its prevention. Quotes from experts included throughout add important context. The stock photos depict a diverse range of young people.
A valuable and affirming overview of depression’s many layers and comorbidities. (content warning, glossary, source notes, bibliography, resources, further reading, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798765626986
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 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
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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