A thorough and accessible resource for young people.
A guide to the history, methods, and benefits of mindfulness and meditation, which a growing body of research shows can change brains in ways that reduce stress and increase happiness.
The book guides readers through many strategies for practicing mindfulness, such as meditation, movement, and the cultivation of mental attitudes like compassion and gratitude. Throughout this empowering guide, the author helps teens understand their minds and frequently reminds them to reach out for help if their stressors feel overwhelming or if they are concerned about their mental health. More than two dozen practice scripts are included that present a variety of traditional approaches—such as noticing the breath, labeling thoughts, and moving mindfully—as well as contemporary updates, such as setting limits on screen time and mindful use of social media. The lack of recorded audio companions is an unfortunate omission considering that the resource is otherwise respectful of the varied lives and learning styles of its intended audience. The shaded information boxes and stock photos of diverse teens result in a textbook feel that may limit appeal, but for readers genuinely interested in the topic, this book has much to offer as they begin their practice and as it grows over time.
A thorough and accessible resource for young people. (source notes, glossary, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-4021-7
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Congolese-American Sophie makes a harrowing trek through a war-torn jungle to protect a young bonobo.
On her way to spend the summer at the bonobo sanctuary her mother runs, 14-year-old Sophie rescues a sickly baby bonobo from a trafficker. Though her Congolese mother is not pleased Sophie paid for the ape, she is proud that Sophie works to bond with Otto, the baby. A week before Sophie's to return home to her father in Miami, her mother must take advantage
of a charter flight to relocate some apes, and she leaves Sophie with Otto and the sanctuary workers. War breaks out, and after missing a U.N. flight out, Sophie must hide herself and Otto from violent militants and starving villagers. Unable to take Otto out of the country, she decides finding her mother hundreds of miles to the north is her only choice. Schrefer jumps from his usual teen suspense to craft this well-researched tale of jungle survival set during a fictional conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Realistic characters (ape and human) deal with disturbing situations described in graphic, but never gratuitous detail. The lessons Sophie learns about her childhood home, love and what it means to be endangered will resonate with readers.
Even if some hairbreadth escapes test credulity, this is a great next read for fans of our nearest ape cousins or survival adventure. (map, author's note, author Q&A) (Adventure. 12-16)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-16576-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unhappy teens in need of a lecture on thinking positively and being more in touch with one’s emotions need look no further.
Mangan presents in as many chapters a 20-point strategy that ranges from “Have a Positive Attitude” and “Cut Your Problems Into Pieces” to “Practice Being Patient” and “Appreciate the Value of Your Hard Work.” She blends private exercises like visualizing forgiveness with comments on selective attention, “problematic procrastination” and other bad habits, reframing situations to put them in different lights, “changing shoes” to understand others better and subjecting feelings to rational analysis. Though the author has a graduate degree and years of practice in clinical psychology, she offers generalities and generic situations rather than specific cases from her experience, and the book is devoid of references to further resources or even an index. Superficial advice (“If you are unsafe or are around kids that you know are bullies, just walk away”) combines with techniques that are unlikely to interest readers (“Make a song verse out of your list of helpful thoughts”). The author also makes questionable claims about the mind-body connection (“When you smile, your body sends a signal to your brain that you are happy”) and fails to make a case for regarding side forays into food habits and environmental concerns as relevant to her topic. Obvious issues and common-sense advice, unpersuasively presented. (Self-help. 12-15)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4338-1040-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
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