Button Pusher

January 15, 2022
Page explores his childhood experiences with ADHD in this graphic memoir. Young towheaded Tyler's diagnosis of ADHD results in a prescription for Ritalin to help him behave, though it certainly doesn't fix a dysfunctional family life marked by his father's uncontrolled rage. In the 1980s and '90s, when ADHD was poorly understood, recognition of Tyler's neurodiversity is delayed because his schoolwork--when he completes it--is good. He struggles to keep friends and handle his anger, but the medication aids with focus. Despite his learning that Ritalin's more likely to be associated with weight loss, Tyler blames his pubescent weight gain on both the drug and ADHD-fueled disordered eating, so the summer after 10th grade he stops taking it. Despite a two-sentence parenthetical that suddenly stopping Ritalin without consulting a doctor was unwise, adult-narrator Page clearly associates life changes he considers positive (growing taller, losing weight, becoming more social) with his self-prescribed medication change. The narrator describes the adult ADHD that will plague future Tyler, but the memoir closes with his happily leaving home after successfully graduating high school. Readers who pay more attention to Tyler's story than to the interspersed scientific information and narrator's asides will likely feel that self-treatment was the correct choice. Expressive cartoon-style art in bright, saturated colors and clear speech bubbles make this a visually enticing work. An engaging memoir of one boy's experience of growing up with ADHD with a risky message around medication cessation. (author's note, photographs, art notes) (Graphic memoir. 11-14)

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Starred review from February 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Page's graphic memoir about growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an excellent addition to the growing number of graphic medicine texts targeted at middle-grade and tween readers. Throughout the book, Page thoughtfully and thoroughly presents the challenges and complexities he has faced dealing with ADHD through much of his childhood. Using detailed illustrations in an amiable cartoon style, type-written reports from his pediatric case file, infographic-like pages packed with comprehensive information about the disorder, and pointedly purposeful storytelling, Page deftly demonstrates just how difficult it was for him to cope with this disorder both at home and school. From tough times dealing with various ADHD symptoms before diagnosis to managing treatment after, Page presents an enlightening and informative account that shines a spotlight on how this disorder can both disrupt and shape the life of a young person, as well others who are a part of their lives. Page also includes details about his father's struggles with ADHD and his abusive nature, his parents' serious marital troubles, and the role that art played in helping him to cope. With deep insight and nuance, Page not only presents the struggles of living with the disorder but the importance of a timely diagnosis and various treatment avenues. Highly recommended for graphic memoir collections, especially where graphic medicine is popular, this is a reassuring and informative resource for neurodiverse kids.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 7, 2022
This episodic, autobiographical graphic novel from Page (Raised on Ritalin, for adults) chronicles his experiences with ADHD from grade school to high school graduation. When eight-year-old Tyler has trouble concentrating at school, sometimes behaving in a way that even he doesn’t understand, a doctor recommends family counseling, leading him to therapy, diagnosis, and medication, and shifting the way he understands himself and his loved ones. Alternating with a story arc that revolves around school, friendships, and family conflict, fact-driven infographic interstitials contextualize the story and clinical diagnosis, offering statistics and explaining changing understandings of ADHD over time. Crisp, clean art expressively conveys Tyler’s internal dialogue, feelings, and sensory experiences, effectively communicating emotionally charged personal moments, including his father’s angry outbursts and his own reactions to his “race car brain.” Though a mention of Tyler’s quitting medication due to body image is inadequately contextualized, the well-paced interweaving of story beats and explanation, told with a refreshing honesty of feeling, make this a factually informative, accessible introduction to ADHD. Ages 10–14. Agent: Britt Siess, Martin Literary & Media.

March 1, 2022

Gr 7 Up-In this memoir, Page looks back on a childhood and adolescence marked by abuse and ADHD. Tyler is a good-hearted kid, but his attention wanders and he's impulsive; he doesn't understand why he does the things he does, causing problems in school. He explains, "My thoughts and actions don't get through to my brain until it's too late." The family doctor prescribes Ritalin, which Tyler takes for the next eight years. As he grows, Tyler begins to see some of his own behaviors in his father, whose mood shifts quickly and who is verbally and sometimes physically abusive; Tyler vows not to be like him. Tyler's parents' marriage is volatile, and though his mom almost leaves his dad, they don't divorce till many years later. Before his junior year of high school, Tyler stops taking Ritalin (without consulting his doctor), but as he heads off to college, there's foreshadowing about the challenges he will face with adult ADHD. Action in the cartoon art is easy to follow, and high-emotion scenes are intensified with color: fighting parents in fiery orange, Tyler and his younger brother cowering in blue. Interspersed throughout are notes from doctor's visits and information about how the brains of people with ADD/ADHD work differently. Tyler and his family are white. VERDICT This resonant memoir shows one boy's journey through childhood and adolescence as he struggles with his father's anger and his own brain; it's a mirror and a window, but not medical advice.-Jenny Arch

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2022
This graphic memoir describes what it can be like to grow up with ADHD. When Tyler is eight years old, he whips out his penknife and proceeds to cut the seat of his school bus, landing him first in the principal's office and eventually in group counseling. It's not an isolated incident but rather part of a sustained pattern of behavior: distracted, impulsive, and out of control. It will ultimately lead to an ADHD diagnosis and a Ritalin prescription. The Ritalin is a mixed bag: it does help Tyler focus, but it brings some unwanted physical changes, such as constipation and weight gain. As if that isn't bad enough, Tyler is trying to navigate the difficult years of adolescence, even as his home life is fraught with tension. His father also has telltale signs of ADHD, frequently throws temper tantrums, and is verbally abusive; his mother contemplates divorce and comes close to leaving, despite medication for Tyler's dad and family counseling. It's a lot for Tyler to process, but he gets a handle on things by the time he graduates from high school -- sort of. Page's storytelling incorporates an appealing mix of humor, angst, school story, relationship drama, and medical information; it's a winning tried-and-true formula a la Telgemeier's Smile, etc. Informational vignettes about ADHD -- what it is, how it affects people, why treatments work -- appear intermittently throughout the book. Jonathan Hunt

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2022
This graphic memoir describes what it can be like to grow up with ADHD. When Tyler is eight years old, he whips out his penknife and proceeds to cut the seat of his school bus, landing him first in the principal's office and eventually in group counseling. It's not an isolated incident but rather part of a sustained pattern of behavior: distracted, impulsive, and out of control. It will ultimately lead to an ADHD diagnosis and a Ritalin prescription. The Ritalin is a mixed bag: it does help Tyler focus, but it brings some unwanted physical changes, such as constipation and weight gain. As if that isn't bad enough, Tyler is trying to navigate the difficult years of adolescence, even as his home life is fraught with tension. His father also has telltale signs of ADHD, frequently throws temper tantrums, and is verbally abusive; his mother contemplates divorce and comes close to leaving, despite medication for Tyler's dad and family counseling. It's a lot for Tyler to process, but he gets a handle on things by the time he graduates from high school -- sort of. Page's storytelling incorporates an appealing mix of humor, angst, school story, relationship drama, and medical information; it's a winning tried-and-true formula a la Telgemeier's Smile, etc. Informational vignettes about ADHD -- what it is, how it affects people, why treatments work -- appear intermittently throughout the book.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)