Written by: Tanya Lloyd Kyi 

Illustrated by: Drew Shannon 

For ages: 11-14 years

Language: English

Topics Covered: Activism, Social Justice, Critical Thinking, Growing Up, Media Literacy, Growing Up.

Summary: 

I loooove this book! Books that focus on explaining inequity and the need for social justice to young adults are some of my favorites. In the book, author Tanya Lloyd Kyi takes concepts like stereotype threat and implicit bias and then pairs them with easy to understand scientific data.

By learning about just how stereotypes invade and become situated in our brains from birth, we can also learn how to dismantle them and work to rewire our mind. I love the way this book touches on so many aspects of society and how stereotyping impacts everything from medicine, orchestra auditions, computer programming, and school! This is information that I’m sure many marginalized populations grow up experiencing, and can especially speak on it as adults. But to have this understanding as a child (and especially those with white privilege) it can truly make an impact on how we move about the world.

Another wonderful aspect of this book is giving tips and tricks for readers so they can stop and think for a moment when a thought enters their brain that they might have been conditioned to think. This book recognizes that the work is hard but necessary, and eagerly provides information and global examples to empower and encourage readers to take charge of themselves and change the world.

We accessed this book on NetGalley, but all opinions are our own. It is being published by Kids Can Press in September of 2020!

About the Author & the Illustrator:

Tanya Lloyd Kyi was born in Vancouver and attended the University of Victoria.  She has been a writer ever since!  Tanya has an incredibly entertaining website and Biography page, which you should definitely visit right here.  

Tanya Lloyd Kyi is the author of more than 25 books for children and young adults. She writes both fiction and nonfiction, often choosing topics related to science, pop culture, and history — or a combination of the three. Along with Under Pressure, Tanya is the author of Mya’s Strategy to Save the World, a middle-grade novel, as well as Eyes and Spies, a book for teens about surveillance and privacy.

Tanya’s favorite meal is breakfast, her favorite color is blue and her favorite children’s book is A Wrinkle in Time. Her personal remedies for stress include pancakes, long walks in the woods and time alone with a notebook and pen.

Tanya lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, Min. They have a 15-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son (who, no matter how stressed, refuses to walk in the woods).

Drew Shannon lives in Toronto with his cat, Ripley.