Under Pressure - by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This is a fact-packed and energetic look at the science of stress and the history of stress research. It explores the effects of stress on the human body, how those effects were discovered, and what we can do about them. The book also includes wacky historical beliefs, strange experiments and the biographies of stressed-out stress researchers. Middle grade readers will learn about the fight, flight or freeze response, how our bodies handle chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, the beneficial effects of stress, anti-stress science (methods people use to counteract stress)"--

Book Synopsis

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-Ève Tremblay, which make learning about stress an enjoyable and interesting experience.

Review Quotes

... a helpful resource for any reader - adolescents, parents, educators, counsellors - seeking to understand the concrete processes that human bodies and brains undergo in stressful situations.--Montreal Review of Books

Excellent for research into the subject as well as personal enjoyment for science lovers.--Kirkus Reviews

This title packs a great deal of useful information in a thoroughly engaging package.--School Library Journal

Under Pressure provides a good overview of the science of stress, including types of stress, how to manage stress and stress research.--CM Magazine

About the Author

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 Under Pressure, 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-Ève 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.