Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

There are a few important items to know about this title from a concerning content standpoint. First, a best friend who moved away is said to have two moms. This comes up in passing a handful of times and is mentioned as if it is very natural. The second revolves around one of the central topics of the book, ADHD. The author gives us a glimpse into the main character Elliott’s life. Elliott is said to have ADHD. The concerning part is Elliott’s mindset around this diagnosis. Much of the book is committed to basically communicates that because of this Elliott simply can’t remember his chores, doesn’t do well in school, etc. There is one scene where he sits a foot from a classmate working one-on-one with her on an important class project and we are told he simply can’t do it because there are a few other groups in the class talking at the same time. No matter what your feelings on ADHD, this can be a dangerous message to send to kids. It is hard enough to teach children godly attitudes toward work without handing them fallback excuses. At one point Elliott says that school is not for everyone, and maybe it is just not for him. We all have our own challenges. Things that hold us back or don’t come as naturally to us. Some people certainly find it harder to concentrate and remember than others, but our answer is never to shrug our shoulders and give up because it is more challenging for us. We wish this book had more focus on overcoming these challenges. We also find out Elliott is in therapy and some children will assume this is due to his ADHD (mainly because it is the focus of the book and we aren’t really told why he is there). The last main item to know about is Elliott’s relationship with his father. While his dad is not perfect, when we read Elliott’s thoughts about his father are always very prideful. He never seems to show his father respect or consider his viewpoint for most of the book. Instead, Elliott spends the majority of the time feeling right, basically saying that his dad just doesn’t get him. Again, this is a dangerous message to fill kids minds with, especially when Christian children are called by God to respect and obey their parents. — There are other instances where Elliott’s behavior leaves a lot to be desired. Early in the book we find him cooking in Dad and stepmom’s kitchen. He says that it is “technically a little bit off limits”. He justifies this by saying that it is unfair, “but that’s Dad and Kate for you”. In another instance his dad has him apologize for something he has done, but we see that he doesn’t mean it sincerely at all. He calls his chores and schoolwork “painfully boring”. — There is one point where we hear a somewhat “woke” analysis of a movie plot.