Tag: Teenage Well-Being

Non-fiction November Review: Roar Like a Lion by Carlie Sorosiak, illustrated by Katie Walker

Cover design by Sarah Darby, published by David Fickling Books

After nearly two years living with the COVID-19 pandemic, research shows that many children and young people are suffering with poor mental wellbeing, so this newly published title from David Fickling Books will, I’m sure, be welcomed by many school librarians and school counsellors. It is an absolute joy in all respects, from the glossy, colourful cover, distinctive artwork and playful use of different font styles and its inspirational approach to the topic of mental wellbeing.

Author Carlie Sorosiak has looked to the animal kingdom with which we share such a large percentage of our DNA, to identify lessons that we can take from the mammals, birds and even reptiles that surround us. The tone of this book is one of kindness and compassion, which is brilliantly highlighted by the muted pastel colour scheme and Katie Walker’s distinctive and uplifting illustrations. The inspired decision to focus on stories of animals makes this book hugely appealing to tweens and teens, who can hopefully take encouragement from the cameos outlined here and apply the lessons to their own daily situations. The text is accessible, the advice written in down-to-earth fashion and nicely broken-up with different font effects, colour panels and the aforementioned illustrations.

My own favourite chapter is entitled DIG A LARGE BURROW Be Your Kindest Self which starts with this quote from author Henry James:

Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.

page 74, quote from Henry James

the chapter continues with tales of animals which have demonstrated remarkable acts that we would construe as kindness; wombats allowing other animals into their burrows to shelter from the devastating bushfires that swept Australia in 2019; dolphins who have rescued surfers from shark attacks and a giant tortoise who “adopted” a baby hippo in a Kenyan wildlife park!

Whether you want advice on making friendships, reaching out to other groups in an inclusive manner, finding your inner bravery or accepting your own unique self, there is a story for you in this book. In fact, if like me, you just want to read a warm-hearted book, packed with interesting anecdotes from the animal kingdom then I encourage you to find a copy of this delightful book. It is aimed at a readership of 10+ but I honestly think it could be enjoyed by anyone and should feature in all classroom, library or home wellbeing collections.

I am most grateful to Liz Scott and David Fickling Books for supplying me with a free copy of Roar Like a Lion in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Supercharges Your Teenage Brain written by Nicola Morgan

Cover illustration by Thy Bui, published by Walker Books

We spend, on average, one third of our lives asleep! However, most of us give very little thought to this process until it causes us problems. This wonderfully informative book, written by award-winning author Nicola Morgan, explains with perfect clarity the science of sleep and presents workable strategies to help achieve our 7-9 hours per night.

The book begins by taking us on a journey through the science of sleep, explaining sleep architecture, the physiology of the sleeping brain and current scientific theories about the reason for sleep. You will learn about the 2012 explanation of the glymphatic system, circadian rhythms and the function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus – don’t be put off by the vocabulary it is all explained thoroughly. The changes that take place during the teenage years are addressed in a reassuring manner so that teenage readers will recognise and be able to deal with sleep issues they may be experiencing. The author is very careful to explain which issues may require a consultation with a GP. With the change in all of our life styles caused by the shutdown of our normal social interactions it is a highly appropriate time for this book to be published as the many enforced hours inside our houses have probably caused a greater disruption to sleep patterns than at any time in recent memory.

After explaining the necessity of sufficient sleep for good mental health, for learning and exams which are obviously an incredibly important aspect of teenage life, through to explaining the current theories about dreaming, Nicola Morgan never patronises her readership. Instead, she explains complex scientific content with great clarity, precision and reassurance.

The final chapters of the book introduce strategies to aid readers to achieve the desired number of hours of nightly sleep. This includes improving the physical environment of bedrooms, useful strategies for the evening wind-down routine, advice about screen-usage and when to turn off your devices, and strategies to use during periods of wakefulness in the night. 

Nicola Morgan is clearly an author who knows her teenage audience extremely well. The inclusion of self-test quizzes and checklists throughout the chapters make this an engaging and interactive read, ensuring that the information is processed and absorbed to consolidate its usefulness. As someone who reads many academic papers as part of my day-job, I highly applaud her ability to distil advanced scientific evidence and theories into such a readable and engaging format.

All of the information presented in this book is backed up by evidence-based science and there is a comprehensive list of resources at the end of the book providing links to reliable sources of further scientific and health-based information. I am passionate about the provision of reliable health-related content to individuals and will be adding this book to my recommended reading list for a project I am working on. Although it has been aimed at teenagers, I would encourage parents of teenagers and indeed any adult with sleep-related concerns to read it.

Another aspect I loved about this book is that the author makes it quite clear when the science is inexact and points out that there may be different schools of thought about particular issues. I think it is really important for young readers to understand that science is constantly developing and testing new ideas and that often there is not an exact answer and instead we have to critically analyse the current evidence and make educated choices.

I am most grateful to NetGalley and Walker Books for approving my request to read The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Supercharges Your Teenage Brain.