Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (The Button Pusher) through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 
I honestly wasn’t expecting much when I initially leafed through Button Pusher. I figured it was yet another light fiction piece done in graphic novel style for the middle school crowd. Instead, what I found as an informative, based-on-life graphic novel, delineating the effects of ADD/ADHD on a child and their family. Not a fun, or easy path in life. This would be an excellent book for upper elementary and middle school children and their families.
General Details
I received a full-colour, paperback edition with a built-in fly. Written by Tyler Page in an autobiographical format, within the graphic novel style. Within the story you will find breakouts teaching about different aspects of ADHD. Published by First Second out of New York. Running at 256 pages and written with youth 10-14 years. I’m reviewing on behalf of Raincoast Books.
Seeing ADHD through the eyes of Button Pusher
Learn about how people with ADHD deal with doctors, executive function, the genetic component, environmental factors, how Ritalin works on the brain and so much more. These blue pages are packed full of information helping youth understand how ADHD affects each person.  I find them to be really well done with language easily understood by middle school youth.
The bulk of the story is told in full colour, with an easy-to-read font. A full-colour spectrum is used which I thoroughly enjoyed. Don’t you enjoy it when a book uses a wide range of colour?Â
With that colour, you’ll also find a wide range of emotions. From anger, happiness, confusion and more. Tyler’s parents struggled in their relationship so you’ll see anger, and the result of objects thrown. Â
You will see firsthand some of the issues Tyler struggled with growing up. I found that often times his friends didn’t help him make wise decisions. Â
Should you pick up Button Pusher?
One of my son’s friends has a fairly debilitating form of ADHD. We’ve included him in some of our outings, and find even as a teenager he needs a fair amount of redirecting to help him stay on task.  Even to just keep him from wandering off when we’re out together. Â
Just as Tyler learned needed skills as he matured (and meds did play a part in that), my son’s friend has needed to learn a variety of skills. Maintaining friendships is part of that. ERGO I think this book would be immensely helpful to not only ADHD youth, but also the friends they may or may not have. It’s hard to manage emotions, feel confident about yourself, and be a good part of society while managing difficult conditions.Â
Button Pusher helps ADHD youth realize that they can do this. They can learn to cope and channel all that additional energy into good. Their friends can learn to help their ADHD friends make better decisions.Â
I wish I’d had this book when my children were little
Aw… Some books we run across after we need them. Been there.
Sounds like there is some good information in the books but I just don’t think it is in a useful format for many of us. One of the issues I have with graphic novels is that they are so wild, there is so much going on for each page, and following the story line can go straight across/up and down/left to right/etc and changes from page to page. This just seems to really not take into account the fact that people with the very issue they are addressing would have a difficult time reading this for that reason.
I guess we’ll need to disagree I found this graphic novel to be well written and straightforward. The clarity in how they highlighted various facts was well done