Button Pusher

This episodic, autobiographical graphic novel from Page (Raised on Ritalin, for adults) chronicles his experiences with ADHD from grade school to high school graduation. When eight-year-old Tyler has trouble concentrating at school, sometimes behaving in a way that even he doesn’t understand, a doctor recommends family counseling, leading him to therapy, diagnosis, and medication, and shifting the way he understands himself and his loved ones. Alternating with a story arc that revolves around school, friendships, and family conflict, fact-driven infographic interstitials contextualize the story and clinical diagnosis, offering statistics and explaining changing understandings of ADHD over time. Crisp, clean art expressively conveys Tyler’s internal dialogue, feelings, and sensory experiences, effectively communicating emotionally charged personal moments, including his father’s angry outbursts and his own reactions to his “race car brain.” Though a mention of Tyler’s quitting medication due to body image is inadequately contextualized, the well-paced interweaving of story beats and explanation, told with a refreshing honesty of feeling, make this a factually informative, accessible introduction to ADHD. Ages 10–14. Agent: Britt Siess, Martin Literary & Media. (Mar.)