Saturday, 21 July 2018

Positively Teenage by Nicola Morgan, reviewed by Dawn Finch




First the blurb…
Full of practical, proven strategies for physical and mental health, Positively Teenage will show you lots of ways to flourish physically and mentally - from doing things you enjoy to learning new skills; looking after your diet, exercise and attitude to being healthy online; getting great sleep to understanding your personality - allowing you to take control of many areas of your life. With these new strengths and skills, you can survive any storms and thrive on the challenges of your exciting life.

I’m going to cut to the quick on this one. If I had been given this book when I was a young teen, I would have definitely (positively!) had happier teenage years. Nicola Morgan (author - NOT former politician, that's a different one) is one of the very finest writers on matters of mental health and well-being for teens and young people, and this book is a perfect example of the very best kind of self-help guide. No, not self-help, this book is more like a survival guide to help young people navigate their teens. Frankly, I found it made me feel a lot more positive about life too!

Inside this book you’ll find wise (but never patronising or cringeworthy) advice on staying positive. Positive attitudes to health and friendship abound, and there is so much good advice in these pages that it is hard to put down. Advice like how to notice what went well, how to improve the quality of your sleep, and how to appreciate yourself and boost your own self esteem...and loads more.

The book is uplifting and supportive in language that is approachable and direct. It never veers towards those glib soundbites that drip in a honeyed and sticky mess from the pages of other books of this type. Instead, Morgan speaks clearly, honestly and directly to the young reader, and comes up with practical and solid advice on how to feel..well.. positive about stuff. It is elegant in its simplicity, and heartwarming in its honesty. The advice is truly brilliant, and all of it is totally doable, and none of it makes you want to vomit. No sickly and hackneyed platitudes here!

This is a book that should be on the shelves of every public and school library (in multiple copies!), but more than that – this should be quietly slipped under the pillows of every young teen in the world. If that happened, the end result would be a more positive world all round.

Positively Teenage: A positively brilliant guide to teenage well-being, is out now and is published by Franklin Watts
ISBN - 978-1445158143
Find out more about Nicola Morgan's books, and her excellent classroom and learning materials, and her public speaking events and services on her website - www.nicolamorgan.com 

Dawn Finch is a children’s author and librarian.
@dawnafinch




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2 comments:

Pippa Goodhart said...

It sounds wonderful, and it sounds important. I shall go and read it ...

Nicola Morgan said...

Overwhelmed by your review, Dawn. It means a lot.

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