Where's My Stuff?: The Ultimate Teen Organizing Guide

by Samantha Moss, Lesley Schwartz Martin

A user-friendly reference offers tips for helping teens to become organized at school, at home, and while out, in a lighthearted and illustrated guide that shares step-by-step recommendations for decluttering, overcoming disorganized habits, and managing a schedule.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Parenting

102 pages, Spiral-bound

Published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Arpita (world of a book enthusiast) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is basically for teenagers and tweens to learn and organise. I think we adults could can also learn a lot. I liked specially where we can organise stuff where the space is limited. It well designed and short.

[Scout Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Where's My Stuff? is a short illustrated book for teens.

First of all, it's well designed. It's a short book (but that is a good thing), organized well (broken into sections & chapters), and the pages are designed well visually and layout wise.

Secondly, the tips are pretty helpful and there are some good ideas in here. The rating wasn't super high so I wasn't expecting it to be too good (the cover/title didn't really support it being great either) but it ended up being a worthwhile read!

I loved that it was short, the design was visually appealing which is always great, and the way it was organized was very good. Illustrations and colours were nice. All around good (except for a few things mentioned below).

Random thoughts/partially why I didn't give 5 stars
The Organizing Quotient (personality type) quiz at the beginning was really badly done. Usually none of the answers applied to me. You could either be a striving procrastinator, an anxious person, a person with too much to do or a dreamer. A lot of teens don't fit into that.

They forgot 2 pocket folders in the SOS section until the Notebook page. The S.O.S. idea was cute but I didn't totally agree that their filing system was the best way to be organized.
Is alias really another name for shortcut icon? 😕
This book is old because they suggested using an iPod as a backup device (not a good idea unless it's a music backup)

Some ideas such as the Drop-Off Station are good, but most families may not have space for it. The image shows a full bookshelf dedicated to school stuff (not sure if that's really doable, including a full shelf dedicated to binders/textbooks - why do you have that many binders?)

They recommended one planner for everything (school, social, etc.) and strongly warned against using multiple planners. I get why you would recommend that if you assumed teenagers need things simple and can't deal with TWO whole planners. However I've tried both and sometimes having a calendar/planner for school only can be really helpful because everything you have to do for it is right in front of you and it's isolated.

Didn't get this: "If clutter is compromising your quality of life, you have 2 choices: Move some stuff out, or move into the garage with the cat's poop box." (90). Cat's poop box?

The authors obviously talked about decluttering which is important. However, I don't think teens have a problem throwing out "the ink cartridge that cost $12 when you bought it but only fits the printer that you gave away last year". I think they have a problem getting rid of more important things and sentimental things.

In conclusion, would recommend to kids/teens or parents. There are some good ideas here. The book isn't patronizing, the authors are pretty good at knowing what they're talking about. It's so quick that you can skim whatever you're interested in and it won't be a waste of time!

[Rianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/55 books read in 2020.
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great short basic organisation guide for teens, students, or anyone else who doesn't have a lot of space or a lot of experience organizing.
This is a great gift to any young person in your life that needs a little help with cleaning and organizing their room.
Sometimes it is easier to accept information if you read about it yourself than if your mom tells you, so if you have a teenager like that in your house, I double recommend it ;)

The book is split up into sections that make sense and are easy to use. Giving the reader the option to read it from beginning to end or pick and choose the sections that speak to their needs.
Also, the layout is really colourful and fun, which is always a plus.

They finish the book with a summary of some of the tools mentioned in the book. I think this is a great idea and I wish this would have been expanded to include all of the tools and printouts which would have made it even better.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Name: Leslie Short

APA citation: Moss, S. & Schwartz, L. (2007). Where’s My Stuff?: the ultimate teen organizing guide. San Francisco, CA: Orange Avenue Publishing.

Genre: Informational

Format: Print

Selection process: Found title on Titlewave.com; 4 of 5 Stars from Amazon

Review:

This book provides a fun and effective way for teenagers to get organized. It is broken into sections to tackle organizing different aspects of a teenager’s life including school, time management and personal space. The book starts off with a personality quiz and provides teens with why being organized is so important.

The section on school includes how to take proper notes, keep a planner, keep a clean locker, keep a clean book bag, and how to keep computer files organized. The time management section shows teens how to manage deadlines, how to make effective decisions, and also gives teens a real sense of time. The personal space section shows teens how to keep their room clean and offering techniques to make effective space in one’s bedroom.

Moss and Schwartz do a great job at presenting this informational topic. This book is very appealing, easy to read, organized, very colorful and provides checklists for tasks.

Highly Recommend

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADHD approved!

I Love this book, though it doesnt go into great detail for every little thing, it works awesome for teens, because it remembers that we only have ONE ROOM.
I suggest this hand-over-hand for teens to start off with, expectually disorganized and adhd teens, because it keeps it simple and to the point, while giving options.


***** i suggest my other favorite organizing book to pair with this one: Organizing from the Inside Out for Teenagers: The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Room, Your Time, and Your Life (ISBN-10: 0805064702)

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to not only the completely-at-loss-with-organization people, but also people who are I'm-kind-of-pretty-much-organized people. I'm completely disorganized, and this book helped me a lot!

[Sarah Luziani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coool :)

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I'd rate this for older teenagers it is so dumbed down for teenagers nowadays. Many older teens are already taking classes we took our first years on college are and I know my boys as teenagers wouldn't have liked the book.

It would be great for pre-teens transitioning into middle school when they first begin to get challenged and need to get in a routine. I do need to say the colors are just painful to look at. I like bright and cheerful but this actually hurt my eyes and I had to dim the screen so I could finish the book. I am also not a fan of the chapter headings constantly changing colors and font sizes. I found it distracting.

There are good organizational opportunities in the book but again all my kids were already using most of these in middle school once the classwork became challenging and most teachers expect their schoolwork to be organized in this manner.

I would say this book is best suited for the ages if 10-13 year old kids. At that age my children were already taking computer classes and were familiar with organizing digital submissions and writing basic papers. That particular chapter (6) would stay applicable to most any student because I've seen college students struggle with organizing files and using thumb drives.

However, making an all encompassing list that includes buy soda, text my friend back, apply to college, sit down at a desk and read my homework assignment..... For one nobody wants to read an entire day of trivial information to buy stuff from the store. No teenager alive needs to be reminded to text friends. And adding walk over to a desk sit down at the desk and read my homework assignment is insulting.

I do realize this is just information to get them in the habit of making to-do lists but let's be realistic these are things that probably need to be on separate lists. But that's just me being nitpicky and Invisioning teenage boys to reading this and finding it helpful. Inknow they wouldn't want a tutorial on how to pack stuff into a backpack or organizing a locker but I could be wrong.

I do like chapter 12 dealing with deadlines it has good advice. Overall I guess what I'm saying is some parts of this book are great and some not so much. Each person will be different and on a different organizational level so there is something probably for all in this book. I guess embrace what you need and don't mind the rest. I recommend this book for middle school ages or first year of high school (if they are particularly unorganized) after that age I feel its too basic. I recieved this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Pam Devine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a fairly useful tool for my early teens who are preparing for a new grade at high school. While one of my children coped quite well with it, they are naturally organised anyway and enjoy making lists etc. My other child found it too wordy, too "hard", they wanted to "do it later", all of the other things that make them disorganised in the first place! There are many resources available at stationery shops and the like which are probably more convenient than this book e.g. not having to photocopy the planning pages in the book and that makes the book a little redundant in some ways. It also tries to cover an awful lot of ground with the organisation of schoolwork, school bag, school locker, bedroom and study space and both of my children found this a little overwhelming. Its focus on the American market was also a bit off-putting for my kids: talk of 3 hole binders, Ivy League school applications and so on were confusing. They also found some of the solutions confusing or impractical, such as bringing an accordion file with school work in it to class. I'm not sure that this book would be something I would buy my children. We might get it out of the library or look through it online but another book to add to the clutter of already messy bedrooms and brains isn't an option.

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really sure where to place this book as there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, it's just that it would definitely depend on the type of teen you're buying this for. For some kids this would be a 5 star, for others it would be a 1. I like the idea of this book and the tips. I like the use of the bright colours and I like the illustrations. I particularly like the few interactive sections that will help keep kids engaged, especially the quiz at the beginning. However, I'm just not sold on the idea that the 'average' teen would WANT to read this, and wouldn't just view this book like more homework. As I said, this would definitely be a great book for the right reader, but it's not for everyone.

Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like how this book explains how organizing now can help you in the future. I also like that it shows how not only your room, backpack, etc. can be disorganized but your thoughts that are running through your head. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in need of organizing and needs the basics, but even the basics make a huge difference. I will be re-reading this book over and over again.

[clivey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the clear and concise layout of this book. Along with tips, the authors include checklists and and other helpful illustrations that allow you learn or remind yourself at a glance. Sometimes the side comments seem a little young for teens, but the information is valuable -- and adults could even learn a thing or two about organizing. Their section on digital organization, though brief, is an important inclusion - and gives readers a good starting point.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to look up the authors' websites. They have written other books I would like to look into. Good book. I was actually able to use some ideas and techniques to help me declutter my room some what. On going! Staying organized is an ongoing, daily task. They mentioned this in the book. Good reminder. Not a one and done deal.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so helpful for me, even tho I am no longer a teen. I would really recommend it for anyone who quickly needs guidance for organizing their space/life/school. Includes pictures and examples and even a planner template that you are allowed to copy.

[Vanalottiel Olanthir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for any teenager, whether they're organized already or not. I picked this up as an already-organized person, but it was still extremely helpful in discovering some areas of my life that could use a little more organization. It was straightforward and funny- the perfect book.

[Jessica Bogue_Cucchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a Mom of a middle school teen, I struggle with trying to help her keep organized. This is a simple book with helpful organizing tips for teens as well as adults. It was short and easy to follow. Bonus, there are example pictures.

[Anomaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon looking at this book, the first impression it gives is "this is the offspring of a For Dummies book and a textbook." The colours are very bright and reminiscent of a Microsoft Word template, the layout a little bit like a textbook that's trying to be hip and trendy. I can't say I like that much, but I also can't say I hate it: I just think maybe it's trying a little too hard to appeal to teens and in the process appealing a little more to preteens who want to feel like teens. I mean, the book even starts off talking about "the s word" -- by which it actually means "stuff" and not the thing most of us assume.

That said, however, this book is quite useful in spite of its borderline-kitschy appearance (there's a lime green page with primary red writing and another with the exact inverse) and possibly trying a little too hard to be appealing (one section drones on about how kids these days have it so much worse than their parents because they have to keep track of digital files and not just physical notebooks). When you get past the subpar quiz, for which there are such limited and somewhat stereotypical answers that I often found myself unable to answer with complete honesty, this book provides tips on how to combat some of the most common issues which stand between teens (and in some cases people in general) and getting organized. In fact, one tip for using a repurposed tackle box to organize writing materials is one I used back in the mid-2000s when I was a teen! It felt nice to see something that I found super helpful get suggested for use in a organizational guide.

In addition to the methods of organization, this book offers a few tips on dealing with the overwhelming nature of having too much on one's mind, having a busy schedule, etc. I found these tips especially useful, even as an adult. That said, however, I imagine I'll never find the time to actually act on these tips... and I highly doubt most active youth will, either. It's one thing to suggest writing down and organizing all your thoughts and things you consider doing; it's another to actually have the time or energy for following through. But planners? Oh, yes, I plan (ha!) to make great use of the tips in that section. I've never understood how to make planners WORK, and with explanations and guides provided here I finally think I might understand a bit better. I sincerely think this will help me get my plethora of abandoned projects and last-minute appointments back in order. Hopefully. (Never know until you try, right?)

Overall, this is a somewhat overly stylized yet useful guide to learning how to organize, sort, plan, and otherwise try to be less overwhelmed by clutter of both mind and physical space. It's a quick and easy read which gets right to the point most of the time but doesn't leave too much guesswork. I strongly suggest getting a print copy instead of a digital copy, as it contains little worksheets where you're meant to write down your plans etc. while learning how to organize better.

(Note: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest and voluntary review. The opinions in my review are mine alone.)

[Lillian Angelovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little organizing helper for teens with poor executive function skills.

Just make sure you've discussed the concept of *why* you're giving them this book before you hand it over. Some of them don't believe that they are disorganized so you'll need to wade into the room, clear off a spot on their bed, sit down, and have a little chat first. Just because their clothes are all over the floor and their desk is an unholy mess and you can't see any structure at all does not mean that they don't know where things are, or that they are going to believe you when you tell them it all needs to be cleaned up. Maybe read over it yourself, first, have that little chat, and then offer to help them make everything better than it is now - with no suggestion that it isn't fine already. I speak from experience.

Good to use in conjunction with and after you have already read "Organizing the Disorganized Child" by Martin Kutscher and Marcella Moran.

[Ellie]

I really liked this book!

[Lauren Farris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh gosh. This book had me cleaning all weekend! My desk is organized and my room has less junk (haha to my mom's delight...)But I have to admit that this book did help me a lot :P

[Beth White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good tips just not right for my age group. It's more for a school age student

[Lauren (: · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely motivates me to want to clean and organize my life. The tips for school assignments sound really helpful and I'll have to adopt them for the next school year.

[hope christman · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEST ORGANIZING BOOK EVER

This book totally helped me organize everything and become more motivated. If only it was updated for 2015 or 2016