Under Pressure: The Science of Stress, Hardcover

Adolescents are no strangers to stress. Here's a book just for them that explores the science behind that sweaty, heart-racing, under-pressure feeling they sometimes get as they struggle to navigate their changing world. It covers the fight-or-flight reaction to sudden danger, how people cope with chronic stress, how trauma can affect the brain, the ways athletes put pressure to work and the surprising treatments scientists have found for stress in everyday life. By examining how pressure affects the human body and different ways to manage it, this book allows middle graders to get a handle on what normal stress is and isn't --- and how to deal with it either way. Because knowing the facts can make all the difference.

Tanya Lloyd Kyi has written a clear, well-organized, fact-packed book that is meant to empower adolescents with information about stress. With experts increasingly embracing mindfulness techniques and stress-reduction programs for children, this book is an ideal tool for parents, teachers and students to learn the science behind it all. And its unique focus means it supports science, social studies and health education curricula. The book is divided into chapters and sections that break the information into easily readable chunks, with sidebars and factoids throughout. And the text contains loads of stories and examples, along with simple and often humorous illustrations by Marie- ve Tremblay, which make learning about stress an enjoyable and interesting experience.

Tanya Lloyd Kyi writes both fiction and nonfiction on topics related to science, pop culture, social history or a combination of all three. Her recent books include Prince of Pot, DNA Detective and Mya's Strategy to Save the World. Tanya lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and two kids.

Illustrator Marie-Čve Tremblay's work has appeared on posters, stamps and television, as well as in numerous magazines and children's books, including Inside Your Insides and Lines, Bars and Circles. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.