Reviews

“Do you have stress in your life? Pretty much every teen does. But fret not—there are effective ways to reduce stress and Too Stressed to Think? A Teen Guide to Staying Sane When Life Makes You Crazy by Annie Fox and Ruth Kirschner (Free Spirit, 2005) can clue you in on the best ways to do it.

“The book explains how stress saps the energy from your body, which can contribute to your poor decision-making. It identifies stress traps to steer clear of, such as procrastination, avoidance, obsessions, and worries. The book also offers strategies on how to combat stress, including breathing exercises, taking time to think about the situation, and seeking advice from peers and adults.

“Too Stressed to Think? is definitely worth reading. The book won’t eliminate all the problems in your life, but it will help you reduce how often you get stressed and help you deal with the things that annoy you.”

—Scholastic Choices, April/May 2009
Copyright © 2009 Scholastic, Inc.

“Gr 7 Up—This well-organized, upbeat book discusses what stress is and how it affects the body and brain, talks about tools to reduce and control it, and gives suggestions for recognizing the myriad situations that can trigger stress at home and at school and seeking help when necessary. Best of all, each one of these scenarios includes information on how the situation might be addressed. Nice also are the tips that encourage readers to use breathing exercises to calm and center themselves. Sprinkled throughout the book are quotes from teens on what works for them and what causes them anxiety. Related helplines are appended. This volume is one of a number of other similar-themed books, but it is probably safe to say that a school library, in particular, cannot have too many such titles. It may well be the one that strikes the right cord with a distressed teen.”

—School Library Journal, 6/1/2006
Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School
Maplewood, NJ
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information
Used with permission

“The information was something that teens (and adults for that matter) could easily relate to in terms of stressful situations. More importantly, the suggestions offered could be easily put to use. Parents tend to forget how incredibly difficult it is to be a teenager, and this book helped to remind me to be more understanding of the pressure teens are under and offered wonderful ways to help them better cope. I would recommend this book for any teen and it makes a wonderful gift.”

—Tina Nocera, 12/2006
Founder of Parental Wisdom

“The authors bring current tools for handling stress to teenagers and provide a viewpoint that may be new to them. It is certainly a viewpoint that is wonderful for them to gain exposure to.”

—Parent of teen, 12/2006

“I loved the book. It is very easy to read (short and sweet). I got all the information I need in a nutshell. I also like the terminology (survival brain, thinking brain). I love the ‘get- back- in- balance’ tool kit. I found the 8 tips of school Balancing Act very useful, you can add them to your planner in a few word to keep you in track. The breathing techniques are explained in detail compared to the common ‘take a deep breath’ and that's it.”

—Parent of teen, 12/2006

“The format is great, and the way it is written doesn’t feel preachy, it is just good sound advice. I liked the different scenarios to illustrate all types of situations someone (my daughter’s age) would face. It helps to have something in the back of your mind when your teen comes at you with questions!”

—Parent of teen, 12/2006

“Gr 7 Up—This well-organized, upbeat book discusses what stress is and how it affects the body and brain, talks about tools to reduce and control it, and gives suggestions for recognizing the myriad situations that can trigger stress at home and at school and seeking help when necessary. Best of all, each one of these scenarios includes information on how the situation might be addressed. Nice also are the tips that encourage readers to use breathing exercises to calm and center themselves. Sprinkled throughout the book are quotes from teens on what works for them and what causes them anxiety. Related helplines are appended. This volume is one of a number of other similar-themed books, but it is probably safe to say that a school library, in particular, cannot have too many such titles. It may well be the one that strikes the right cord with a distressed teen.”

—School Library Journal, 6/1/2006
Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School
Maplewood, NJ
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information
Used with permission

“This self-help guide is certainly needed by today’s teens. It begins by going through physical and emotional reasons for stress and responses to stress of all kinds. Then adolescent physiology is covered, as is why sleep and food are so important at this stage. Techniques to respond to stress in a healthy way are explored, for dealing with simple to complicated situations. A great resource section contains links and books for teens to get help. Examples of stressful situations based on the authors’ research with teens include interesting stories and quotes from teens themselves- the strength of the book. For example, one section addresses what to do when friendships end or change and how to respond from conversations to finding new friends. This book best handles daily stressful situations for teens, and spends less time on serious issues such as family situations and abuse, which are touched on, from possible warning signs of abusive boyfriends to eating disorders, but are covered in depth in other resources, including the associations listed in the back.

“The book is meant to be an engaging read for teens with an average amount of stress, and it succeeds. There are plenty of easy tips for those situations. Because it addresses sexual pressure in relationships, it may be placed in collections for older teens.”

—VOYA, 6/1/2006, Amy Alessio

“The authors are well versed in all things teen. Annie Fox has written a book about teen dating and has a website, www.theinsite.org devoted to positive guidance to teens who want to make the world better, as well as a site to help teens and parents create healthier relationships, www.anniefox.com. Too Stressed to Think? recognizes that stress for teens is valid and comes from many sources. It describes in a straightforward manner how stress impacts the brain as well as the body, then goes on to discuss ways to reduce that stress. One of its greatest strengths is that it offers ways to work through and resolve issues that all tens have in their lives, with school, family, friends, or significant others. Useful tools that help teens cope with all types of situations include breathing exercises, journal keeping, working through the conflicts, and finding ways to relax and decompress. The final chapter addresses big problems that go beyond the scope of the book and suggests ways for the reader to get more help, such as through support groups and professional help.

“Intended for high school students, advanced students, and even adults, and great for a report for a health class geared towards stress, this book is highly recommended for all public and high school library collections.”

—KLIATT, 5/2006, Krista Bush, Librarian
University of New Haven, CT

“Too Stressed to Think? aims to help teenagers confront a common and powerful menace: Stress. The authors, both educators, have developed a curriculum to help teens understand how stress affects them physically and mentally and how to create more balance and control in their lives. In addition to gaining useful tools and techniques to combat stress, teens can read insights and suggestions by other teens and stories about real-life challenges.”

—Youth Today magazine

“...helps high-schoolers cope with pressures including family conflicts, school, friendship issues, dating, peer pressure, harassment, bullying, identity issues, anxiety, depression, alcohol, drugs, and sex. Authors Annie Fox and Ruth Kirschner provide real-life examples that cover what they need and what works for them. Readers also gain a basic understanding of stress and learn techniques to reduce it in their lives.”

—Curriculum Review