Button Pusher - by Tyler Page (Paperback)

About the Book

"Tyler's brain is different. He has a hard time paying attention. He acts out in goofy, unpredictable, immature, and sometimes dangerous ways. Nobody, including Tyler himself, understands why he does these things until his doctor diagnoses him with ADHD. But the label is only the start of Tyler's journey. Between managing his medications, controlling his impulses, and dealing with his parents' fighting, Tyler's preteen years are full of challenges. The biggest of all? Understanding how his race car brain is part of who he is."--Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

A memoir-driven realistic graphic novel about Tyler, a child who is diagnosed with ADHD and has to discover for himself how to best manage it.

Tyler's brain is different. Unlike his friends, he has a hard time paying attention in class. He acts out in goofy, over-the-top ways. Sometimes, he even does dangerous things--like cut up a bus seat with a pocketknife or hang out of an attic window.

To the adults in his life, Tyler seems like a troublemaker. But he knows that he's not. Tyler is curious and creative. He's the best artist in his grade, and when he can focus, he gets great grades. He doesn't want to cause trouble, but sometimes he just feels like he can't control himself.

In Button Pusher, cartoonist Tyler Page uses his own childhood experiences to explore what it means to grow up with ADHD. From diagnosis to treatment and beyond, Tyler's story is raw and enlightening, inviting you to see the world from a new perspective.

Review Quotes

A 2022 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of the Year

"A well-paced interweaving of story beats and explanation, told with a refreshing honesty of feeling, make this a factually informative, accessible introduction to ADHD." --Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"Highly recommended for graphic memoir collections, especially where graphic medicine is popular, this is a reassuring and informative resource for neurodiverse kids."--Booklist, starred

"This resonant memoir shows one boy's journey through childhood and adolescence as he struggles with his father's anger and his own brain." --School Library Journal

"Page's storytelling incorporates an appealing mix of humor, angst, school story, relationship drama, and medical information; it's a winning tried-and-true formula à la Telgemeier's Smile..."--Horn Book

About the Author

Tyler Page is an Eisner-nominated cartoonist and educator. He has worked with a mix of national and international clients and publishers, in addition to publishing more than half a dozen books of his own. Tyler lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife, author/illustrator Cori Doerrfeld, and their two very blonde children. His book, Raised on Ritalin, was called "essential reading for medical students and those involved in helping address the challenges of ADHD" by the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.