The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin

The “Homework Squad” shows attention-challenged students how to study smarter.

The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin, PhD, illustrated by Tracy Bishop. Imagination Press, 2021, 131 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: Ages 8-14

ADHD may not be an official diagnosis, but all kids have trouble focusing from time to time. (My mind wanders to this day.) Four friends with the same problem banded together to practice study skills and find out what works best for them. Their sponsor Dr. Shiflin had plenty of exposure to ADHD kids, so he was able to guide and make suggestions. Now Hunter, Mateo, Michael, and Prisha are here to share what they learned.

That’s the story—not very likely, perhaps, but the books is chock-full of tips and tricks for improving study skills and working smarter. Many are familiar but worth a review. Most are specific to various disciplines: reading, math, writing, listening, note-taking, memorization, etc. Each chapter ends with Journal Prompts for reviewing and re-evaluating what you’ve learned.

Some suggestions you may disagree with (I disagree with taking notes on a laptop.) But the Squad is up front with the fact that not every tip will work for everybody. The friendly presentation and firm but gentle follow-up should help motivated students improve. How to motivate the unmotivated is a question for another day. But all students should learn how to study—a topic most schools never address.

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

  • Worldview/moral value: 3.5
  • Practical value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

Support our writers and help keep Redeemed Reader ad-free by joining the Redeemed Reader Fellowship.

Stay Up to Date!

Get the information you need to make wise choices about books for your children and teens.

Our weekly newsletter includes our latest reviews, related links from around the web, a featured book list, book trivia, and more. We never sell your information. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

FREE Bible Guide!

Get a guide to the Best Bibles for Children and Teens. Perfect for an Easter gift.

Janie Cheaney

Janie is the VERY senior staff writer for Redeemed Reader, as well as a long-time contributor to WORLD Magazine and an author of nine books for children. The rest of the time she's long-distance smooching on her four grandchildren (not an easy task). She lives with her equally senior husband of almost-fifty years in the Ozarks of Missouri.

We'd love to hear from you!

Our comments are now limited to our members (both Silver and Golden Key). Members, you just need to log in with your normal log-in credentials!

Not a member yet? You can join the Silver Key ($2.99/month) for a free 2-week trial. Cancel at any time. Find out more about membership here.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.