This Morning Sam Went to Mars

March 1, 2013
A perfunctory story barely masks a corrective agenda for children with major or minor attention issues. Being given to daydreaming about expeditions to Mars and other locales rather than watching the time or staying on task at school, Sam is continually exhorted to "Focus!"--which makes him feel "frustrated, sad and dumb." When his (apparently single) father takes him to a doctor, he unhesitatingly unloads on her. In return, he gets a prescription to lay off junk food, organize his possessions, move his school desk away from the window, and ask for help from others but also not to stop exercising his "awesome" imagination. And, shades of Leo the Late Bloomer, "then one day...Sam got to school on time with his homework!" And soon he's doing well enough there that he's no longer hearing "Focus, Sam!" Carlson illustrates this tidy plotline with cartoon scenes of dot-eyed figures in static poses, and she closes by reiterating the same suggestions for improvement in a note addressed to parents and teachers. Valid the strategies may be, but it would be hard to present them in a less convincing way; it's 100 percent bibliotherapy. (Picture book. 6-9, adult)

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May 1, 2013
Grades K-3 After losing himself in a Mars exploration daydream at breakfast, Sam misses the school bus again. In class, distracted by an imagined deep-sea dive, he runs out of time on a spelling test, misses the last six words, and ends up feeling dumb. Sam visits a doctor who appreciates his imagination, but advises him on how to focus his powerful brain. Following her advice to eat well, sleep well, organize his homework, and ask his teacher or a friend for help, Sam gradually increases his ability to focus when he needs to, and enjoy his daydreams at other times. Brightly colored, with shiny pages, this picture book provides encouragement as well as sensible suggestions within a fictional frame. Without labeling Sam or his problem, the sympathetic story offers useful advice for children who may identify with him. An appended note for parents and teachers, Helping Kids with Attention Challenges, provides more detailed information. Purposeful but practical, this looks at a common problem and offers some possible solutions.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Daydreaming of adventures to Mars and the sea causes Sam to miss the bus and words on his spelling test. A doctor's suggestions on how Sam can improve his attention include avoiding junk food, staying organized, and getting enough sleep. While no mention is made of medication or therapy for ADHD, the basic advice and Carlson's child-friendly art make the book a good starting point.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)