An excellent portrayal of a young girl with ADHD. It does a great job of showing what is going on in her head. How she blames herself and thinks she just needs to try harder. ( )

Recommended by Maya B.

Clea is struggling in seventh grade, and after spending a few chapters in her head, the reader will understand why: she works so hard, but her brain zings from one thing to another, constantly distracting her, and she blames herself for being dumb and lazy. Based on a suggestion from the school, Clea's parents take her to a doctor to have her evaluated, and she's diagnosed with ADHD. The doctor earns Clea's trust by being honest and talking directly to her; Clea is honest in turn, even when it's not what her parents want to hear (or were willing to listen to at home). To Clea, the most important things are chess, her best friendship with Red, and her little sister Henley - and her parents want to take away chess so Clea will have more time for her regular schoolwork. That cannot happen - so Clea tries Ms. Curtis' strategies, asks for help, and tries medication. Combined, these efforts begin to help, but not before Clea impulsively spills a personal secret of Red's while trying to defend him. Will he forgive her? Meanwhile, Clea's science partner and chess teammate Sanam becomes a good friend, and reveals that she has dyslexia and needs certain accommodations at school too. Clea learns to identify her needs and ask to have them met, and she identifies her superpower as well: persistence in the face of adversity.

A tremendous empathy-builder for those without ADHD, and a book that's likely to make those with ADHD feel seen and understood.

See also: Give and Take by Elly Swartz, Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Quotes

I wish getting made fun of didn't hurt so much every tie and I could get better at it, like I have with chess, but it's the kind of thing that never seems to get easier. (97)

"Do you think you can change?"
"I want to."
"I bet you will. I'm pretty sure that's how it works. You can make most things happen if you keep trying." (Sanam and Clea, 235)

"Falling down and getting back up is sort of my thing."
"It's like your superpower." (Clea and Sanam, 287) ( )

children's middlegrade fiction - girl with ADHD (#ownvoices) struggles with schoolwork in 7th grade, gets tested for ADHD and finds that medicine helps her (she also competes in her chess club, makes new friends, and argues with her existing friend.

this book pretty much serves the one purpose - teaching kids about ADHD and helps those with the condition to cope and not feel alone - but it does a pretty good job and does fill that need. The medication part is simplified (there is one option offered to her and it works great for her--though at first gives her stomachaches); this is just one possible experience and there are many out there. Some people might not be happy with the simplification of the medication side effects (there are no long-term effects in Clea's case and I know people who have very strong feelings against this statement), but if they need it hopefully they have a chance to talk over all the ramifications with their doctor and parent-guardians. ( )

Relatable. Good for perspective. ( )