Focused

by Alyson Gerber

Overview

Following Braced, which had three starred reviews, comes a story of a girl caught between her love of chess and her ADHD.

Clea can't control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can't just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can't help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?

It's starting to be a problem-not just in school, but when Clea's playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.

Clea knows life can't continue the way it's been going. She's just not sure how you can fix a problem that's all in your head. But that's what she's going to have to do, to find a way to focus.

In a starred review, Booklist called Alyson Gerber's first novel, Braced, "a masterfully constructed and highly empathetic debut about a different kind of acceptance." With Focused, she explores even further how, when life gives you a challenge, the best way to face it is with an open mind, an open heart, and the open support of the people around you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338185973
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/26/2019
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	103,504
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Alyson Gerber wore a back brace for scoliosis from the ages of 11 to 13, an experience that led directly to Braced, her first novel. She received her MFA in Writing for Children from the New School, and her essays have been published in everything from Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Mothers & Daughters to romance-advice websites. She lives with her husband in Brooklyn, New York. Please visit her on the web at alysongerber.com and on Twitter at @alysongerber.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2019

Gr 5–8—Seventh grader Clea doesn't know why she can't seem to get her homework done on time or why she gets distracted and fails tests. Saying things she doesn't mean is her normal, even when she wishes it wasn't. She blurts out answers at chess club, ruining a live-action game, and then exposes her best friend's family problems to everyone at school. When her parents take her to be tested for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), she is angry and anxious but also hopeful. She doesn't want to have ADHD, but she does want to feel like she has control over her actions. Clea's signs of ADHD are realistic: the little things that distract her, impulse control issues, and poor management skills. Readers with and without ADHD will relate to Clea's struggles in her school and social life as she strives to achieve the balance she needs to be successful. At times, the protagonist appears more mature and self-aware than her age. She puts her doctor's and counselor's support into place with very little parental help and quickly learns how to advocate for herself. Her explanation of her diagnosis and enumeration of its effects on her and the supports she needs sometimes takes away from the immediacy of the story and veers toward the didactic. However, the portrayal of what it can be like to live with ADHD is spot-on. Also, the message of supposed weaknesses being hidden strengths is a perennially important one. VERDICT A good addition to realistic fiction collections.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

School Library Journal

★ 2018-12-16

Gerber, who tackled scoliosis with Braced (2017), turns her lens on a young woman with ADHD.

Massachusetts seventh-grader Clea loves magic and chess, hates math, and wants to be a better friend, sister, and student. No matter how hard she tries, she struggles to finish homework and tests on time, putting her spot on the chess team in jeopardy. Meanwhile friendships hit a snag when she impulsively blurts out sensitive information her best friend and chess teammate, Red, would rather keep secret. When teachers and the school counselor suggest her struggles may be related to ADHD, Clea is resistant to diagnosis and treatment, considering it a black mark and further evidence that she is somehow broken. Through it all a friendship blooms with Sanam, another chess teammate, who encourages Clea with her own story of learning differences and her persistent optimism. Though not a biographical story, Gerber's tender first-person narrative perfectly resonates with the ADHD experience, which she knows firsthand. The supportive world Clea inhabits both at home and at school is an ideal place free of stigma; would that all students with learning differences experience such in real life. Gerber's text and author's note feature excellent information and resources for ADHD brains and the hearts who love them. Clea and Red present as white while Sanam's name suggests she's Middle Eastern or South Asian.

An accurate and compassionate picture of growing up with ADHD is the icing on the cake of this well-told novel. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Focused:

Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2019

Today Show Best Kids' Books of 2019
A Mighty Girl's 2019 Books of the Year
Austin Public Library's Best Middle Grade Fiction of 2019
The Children's Book Review Best Kids Books from 2019, So Far
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Rhode Island Middle School Book Award Nominee
Oklahoma Library Association's Book Award Nominee
Michigan Library Association's Book Award Nominee

"A story full of charm, compassion, and empathy." -- TODAY

* "An accurate and compassionate picture of growing up with ADHD is the icing on the cake of this well-told novel." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Author Gerber, who has ADHD herself, is able to compassionately and realistically convey the experience in this sweetly appealing story." -- Booklist, starred review

* "This book includes middle school family drama, a little romance, and could be used for growth mindset lessons about being assertive and an effective communicator, identifying what individuals need to succeed, and learning to become a self-advocate." -- School Library Connection, Highly Recommended

"Gerber handles this very detailed and informative look at a mind under the influence of ADHD with remarkable grace and clarity, highlighting both the difficulties and the lesser-known advantages." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Readers with and without ADHD will relate to Clea's struggles." -- School Library Journal

Praise for Braced:

* "The author doesn't diminish Rachel's difficulties, but at heart her story is uplifting . . . Comparisons to Judy Blume's Deenie might be inevitable, but Rachel stands admirably on her own." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A masterfully constructed and highly empathetic debut about a different kind of acceptance." -- Booklist, starred review

"Rachel's story is about more than straightening a spine; it's about expanding the human heart. Braced earns its place on the shelf with other titles promoting empathy and compassion." -- Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky and Audacity Jones Steals the Show

"Alyson Gerber's Braced is a rare gem of a novel: intimate and engrossing at once. Rachel is the best kind of character -- vibrant and brave, struggling and strong, and most of all impossible not to root for and relate to. A lovely and deep book that will get readers right in the heart." -- Corey Ann Haydu, author of Rules for Stealing Stars

"Braced is an honest, inspirational story about perseverance in the face of adversity. Readers will come away wishing they could be best friends with Rachel and believing that they, too, are stronger than they ever expected." -- Alison Cherry, author of The Classy Crooks Club

"Rachel gives us an inspiring look into coping with the challenge of bracing that many of us have trouble putting into words. Join Rachel as she discovers her voice in her brace! This book is an important read for all Curvy Girls and anyone who loves and supports one!" -- Leah Stoltz, founder and president, Curvy Girls Foundation

From the Publisher

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