ADH-Me!

by John Hutton, Lisa M. Griffin (Illustrations)

“As far back as I can recall (starting when I was very small) I’ve daydreamed, gazing into space, climbed and jumped all over the place...” Written by a pediatrician and health literacy expert, ADH-Me! is an empathetic journey from the perspective of a child learning to live and succeed with ADHD. An accessible, rhyming narrative and inviting illustrations help families know what to expect from diagnosis through stages of treatment, while reminding all readers that love and support are the surest means to a happy ending.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Adhd

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

Dr. John S. Hutton is a pediatrician and researcher at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, owner/overseer of blue manatee children’s bookstore and founder of blue manatee press. His research and advocacy interests are the influence of home reading environment and shared reading on early brain development, the health effects of screen-based media, and the creation of children's books to effectively convey infant and child health information. His research was the first to show a measurable effect of home reading exposure prior to kindergarten on brain function, using functional MRI. His Baby Unplugged and Love Baby Healthy book series have been distributed to over 1 million families nationwide, often via statewide public health initiatives. A recovering novelist, he has won awards for his writing in several genres, and attended writing workshops in Iowa City and Squaw Valley, CA. He lives with his family, dogs, cat, rabbit, fish, and a whole bunch of Bees, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reviews

[Hwydiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodread's giveaways in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adorable book about a child with ADHD. The book is geared towards educating children and also helping children with ADHD with acceptance and treatment. Originally when I read it on my own, I was concerned it would be too long for my four-year old son. But I was wrong. The pictures and storyline captured his attention. Very well written and illustrated. After we are done with this one, I will add it to the special collection at our library so it can help other kids as well.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a good text on treatment and diagnosis of ADHD, with stuff about cognitive differences, lifestyle changes to manage symptoms, medication only after other things have been considered, and meds side effects. Not exactly a page turner, but solid picture book non fiction.

[Jaxon Thacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

a little too heavy handed with the drug promo

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book which really captures some of the frustrations and steps the child/family can face with an ADD diagnosis in a nice progression. There is still a huge amount of ignorance about this and sadly the child always bears the brunt of that ignorance. Anything AT ALL that helps these kids realize that different is not bad should be a required book in all schools in my opinion.

At the end of the story is a two page spread on fact and tips (clearly for the parent) and here I disagree with the author (despite the fact that he is a doctor). While it may be true that "ADHD is usually diagnosed around kindergarten...and almost always before age 12" this book covers ADD as well as ADHD and specifically alludes to inattentive type (although clearly the boy of the story is ADHD). Girls and those with ADD inattentive type are much more likely to be diagnosed later than kindergarten. Unfortunately blanket statements like the one above, while strictly true (for adHd and boys) is NOT true for girls and compounds the difficulty they have getting a proper diagnosis and treatment/accommodation. I hope in later editions the author can clarify this.

The book is written in verse and at times the rhyme is a bit forced but many kids find the rhythm of a verse book to be enthralling so I defer to the book's intended audience on that one.

[Mikey Golczynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

It really hit home for both me and my son.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. I love some kids who also have ADHD. This is well written and touches on many of the key challenges with ADHD. It is written for kids.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids liked this one...they love rhymes so this sucked them into the story.
This promotes believe in ones self and shows how support and love can help you go far.

[Nicole Tull · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is written so that a child dealing with an attention deficit disorder would see that other kids deal with it, too. There is hope offered with treatment and life beyond treatment.

[Donna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well illustrated book and age appropriate. I was impressed with the way it was written considering it was about a subject that could be scary for a child. I received this as a Goodreads giveaway in return for this review.