Tag Archives: resilience

Review: Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide by Jayme L Peta, Deb Coolhart, and Rylan Jay Testa

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,
Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide by Jayme L. Peta, Deborah Coolhart, and Rylan Jay Testa

Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide
Jayme L Peta, Deb Coolhart, and Rylan Jay Testa
New Harbinger Press
Published May 1, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Trans and Gender Diverse Teen Resilience Guide

A teen-friendly guide to help you embrace your identity, build resilience, and thrive.

As a transgender or nonbinary teen, you may sometimes feel like you are alone. The world can be a scary, unkind place, and if you’re struggling to find support, you may be tempted to lose hope. But it’s important for you to know that there are other teens out there just like you—as well as a whole community of folks who have been where you are now, and who are thriving as adults. Finding hope, happiness, and community takes time. In the meantime, this compassionate guide can help.

Written just for trans and nonbinary (TGNB) youth, this book offers trauma-informed skills to help you embrace who you are, give and find support in community, and thrive. You’ll discover tools to help you manage intense emotions and stress, cultivate self-compassion, prioritize self-care, and create communities of support. Finally, you’ll learn how to focus on creating the life you want to live, in a positive community of others.

When faced with life’s challenges, it’s vital to remember that you are not alone, and you deserve to be happy, safe, and loved. No matter what. This book can help support you as you navigate the world and discover all the wonders that make you you.

My Review

I read this book as a part of expanding my knowledge as an ally, and even though the content isn’t directed at me, there are lots of ways in which it still applied. So, that was a nice bonus.

The book helps readers thoughtfully develop self-care habits and routines. It’s packed with solid, tried-and-true information explained clearly and gently. I love that the suggestions include practical steps for how to navigate relationships with unsupportive versus supportive people.

The book includes journal prompts and encourages readers to dance or exercise or get outside in nature to help manage anxiety and other difficult emotions.

The only thing I wish was different about the book is the way it’s organized. Though it’s pretty short– I think the whole book is only 122 pages– it’s only broken up into seven chapters. The text is broken up by bold subheadings. Each chapter ends with a bulleted list of “takeaway” ideas.

I think breaking up the text with dialogue boxes or separating out the journal prompts (or repeating them at the end of the chapter) would make the book easier to use. It’s possible that the final version has better formatting– I just read an electronic ARC (advanced review copy) that I got on NetGalley.

As a person connected to a couple of people who are trans and/or gender diverse, I found the book helpful, too. I learned some things about internalized transphobia that weren’t obvious to me before. It also helped to sit with information about the experience of being trans or gender diverse.

I’ll be reviewing another book shortly on gender identity called The Gender Binary is a Big Lie, and I’m interested to see if there are ways in which the two books overlap.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to dating relationships.

Spiritual Content
Briefly encourages mindfulness practices.

Violent Content
Vague references to bullying.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe
Tricia Springstubb
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published June 1, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

Eleven-year-old Loah Londonderry is definitely a homebody. While her mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save the endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, Loah anxiously counts the days till her return home. But then, to Loah’s surprise and dismay, Dr. Londonderry decides to set off on a perilous solo quest to find the Loah bird, long believed extinct. Does her mother care more deeply about Loah the bird than Loah her daughter?

Things get worse yet when Loah’s elderly caretakers fall ill and she finds herself all alone except for her friend Ellis. Ellis has big problems of her own, but she believes in Loah. She’s certain Loah has strengths that are hidden yet wonderful, like the golden feather tucked away on her namesake bird’s wing. When Dr. Londonderry’s expedition goes terribly wrong, Loah needs to discover for herself whether she has the courage and heart to find help for her mother, lost at the top of the world.

Beautifully written, THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE is about expeditions big and small, about creatures who defy gravity and those of us who are bound by it.

For fans of SHOUTING AT THE RAIN by Lynda Mullaly and THE ADVENTURES OF A GIRL CALLED BICYCLE by Christina Uss, a novel about one unadventurous girl who discovers she is anything but.

My Review

I want to say all the things about this book at the same time, which could be my coffee kicking in. This book is odd in all the best possible ways. It has super quirky characters. A mysterious home deep in the woods. I love stories that feature the importance of community and found family, and THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE UNIVERSE absolutely does that so well.

At the beginning of the story, Loah is isolated and fearful. She’s counting down the days until her mom comes home and life will be normal again. Not only does that not happen, but her mom extending her trip is only the first in a series of dominoes that change Loah’s carefully ordered small world. As she faces circumstances that challenge her, she finds a fierceness that she didn’t know she had. The girl who once felt as isolated as an endangered bird becomes the catalyst for bringing a group of unconnected people together as a community.

I love the characters in this book. Sweet, soft-spoken Theo who can always be counted on to slip Loah some gummy worms and pragmatic, no-nonsense Miss Rinker reminded me of Matthew and Marilla from ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Loah’s neighbors, a keep-to-themselves, self-sufficient family also have strong personalities. At first they scare Loah, but they teach her a lot about resilience and family.

I haven’t read either of the two books mentioned in the book summary, but THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE reminded me of SIX FEET BELOW ZERO by Ena Jones or CHIRP by Kate Messner. I think readers who enjoyed either of those books or who just like stories featuring small, quirky towns with big characters will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
One minor character is described as having dark skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some pieces fall from Loah’s roof, nearly injuring someone. A vulture vomits on someone.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THE MOST PERFECT THING IN THE UNIVERSE in exchange for my honest review.