In the prologue to this collection, the author explains that what lies beyond is “an absurd recounting of my nonsensical life presented with the intent of making you smile.” There follows a whirlwind of pieces featuring Zeebo. “Country Fried Gizzards” finds him eating at a diner with fellow traveling musicians as he waxes about the oddities of Southern cuisine. “The Year of the Goat” chronicles a relationship with a woman named Chloé; she is beautiful but insists on “complete domination over everything and everybody she allowed into her life.” In “Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo,” Zeebo is in Colorado. His plan is to get stoned while on a layover, but he winds up getting a little too high for his own good. “Ode to Redneck Pete” is a character sketch about Zeebo’s neighbor Pete, a man who likes to use alliterative phrases like “sleazy old slime slut.” The longest piece, “The Blueberry Society,” follows a teenage Zeebo on a quest for love during a strange adventure in upstate New York. The stories run wild with whimsy and off-color humor; in “Christmas and the Art of Curling,” Zeebo, while tripping on acid, decides to “yank out every pubic hair” he has with tweezers. In one of the funniest scenes, while Zeebo is trying to avoid Chloé after a breakup, he remarks that he “felt more in control even though [he] continued crawling around on the floor” as he found himself “reduced to a paranoid reptile.” There are portions in which not much happens; “The Blueberry Society” includes mundane observations, like someone remarking, “That’s an osprey looking for a snack.” Still, the story includes more emotional content than the reader might initially expect—Zeebo is even reduced to tears as he imagines another character’s “hopeful vision of a future.” Taken altogether, Zeebo’s adventures are delightfully rife with the unexpected.

Heldorfer focuses one chapter each on the work of a nurse practitioner, dental hygienist, optometrist, chiropractor, dietician, and medical and health services manager. This selective approach allows her to go for depth over breadth, giving readers richer guidance than if she attempted a sweeping overview of the more than 250 healthcare-related professions recognized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each profile covers job responsibilities, a typical workday, education and training requirements, opportunities for continuing education, and the skills and personality traits essential for success in each career, capturing the realities of each role. The book contains segments on potential employers, salaries, and the outlook for the career path. Useful sidebars distill critical facts for quick reference. Links at the end of each section guide readers to additional resources. Clear and accessible, this insightful guide offers a realistic view of work/life balance, job satisfaction, and expectations. A handful of stock color photos show people of a variety of races and genders offering or receiving care.

This brief overview explains the brain-based research behind an ADHD diagnosis. After an introduction, five chapters define ADHD and describe how it’s diagnosed, its treatments, and how ADHD affects people in real life. Most notably, the author explains how brain imaging studies discovered differences in the prefrontal cortices of children with ADHD, which may affect executive functioning. Sidebars with bright green backgrounds highlight topics of interest, such as daily report cards, social skills training, or utilizing gamification for engagement. One particularly interesting sidebar describes a physician’s observations of children with ADHD-like symptoms in 1798. Case studies of people of varying ages highlight some key difficulties that those with ADHD face and show how they achieved success using strategies suggested by experts. These examples emphasize the continuum of symptoms and their impact while also reminding readers that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. At the same time, this concise guide highlights the positive aspects: People with ADHD are often creative, innovative, curious, and passionate. Mooney largely ignores controversies around diagnosis, medication, and accommodation, instead describing professionals’ approaches and maintaining an encouraging tone. The clear and accessible language makes this short work an accessible read, and the stock images include representation of people of diverse ages and races.

That’s a complex question, and one that’s a little easier to answer thanks to this in-depth and engaging look at this history, effects, and future of recycling in the United States. The short answer is no; the long answer is that it could be better if more people followed the guidelines. While “91 percent of Americans have access to recycling programs…only one-third of all recyclable garbage is properly recycled,” a number that hasn’t budged much since the widespread arrival of recycling programs in the 1990s. The figures also vary depending on what types of materials are being recycled. Kallen unpacks the details over the course of five succinct, nuanced, and engaging chapters: “The Benefits of Recycling,” “Facilities Facing Problems,” “The Problem with Plastic,” “E-Waste Overload,” and “Innovative Solutions.” Each chapter’s straightforward content is supported by color photographs and supplemental facts in colorful text boxes. The combination of the two enhances the text and helps to break the narrative into more manageable chunks for struggling readers. A list of source notes at the end is broken down by chapter, helping those looking to supplement reports, develop arguments, or simply further their understanding of the issues discussed. An up-to-date bibliography for further research and list of organizations worth exploring further enhances the appeal of this work, especially for savvy caregivers and educators.

Twelve-year-old Tuva has always felt different; she’s never had any friends. She hides mysterious scars on her neck behind her long, white-blond hair. But when her classmate Axel goes missing in an ominous fog, and Tuva finds his gym partner, Rasmus, being led through the forest by what turn out to be actual fairies, she’s thrust into the center of a thriller that’s all the more suspenseful for resisting the temptation to be frantic. More people go missing around Runmarö Island, tensions mount in the tiny Stockholm archipelago community, the police seem stumped, and Tuva and Rasmus team up and take matters into their own hands. As the adults around them prove increasingly tight-lipped, hostile, or downright frightening, and the sea between the islands grows blacker and more dangerous by the hour, Tuva and Rasmus uncover dark secrets, discover a world of living folklore, and, perhaps most importantly in this compellingly told tale about loneliness and isolation, forge a strong connection. In the end, only Tuva has the power to confront the ancient threat brewing in the deep—but first she must find out and accept who she really is.