This was such a great middle grade novel for helping to understand ADHD. I'm so glad that this book exists. I read this with my 8 year old twins and they absolutely loved it. Really great realistic likable characters and a wonderful story line.

I fell IN LOVE with Westin and his troubles! This is a page turner about a boy who conjures a tiny T-Rex in his bedroom (among other creatures!), but also about so much more--his ADHD, his friendships, art as a tool to focus his brain, and his family. I highly recommend Trouble with a Tiny T for classrooms, libraries, homes, and as a read aloud. It's Terrific with a capital T!

An ARC was provided to me for a honest review.

Absolutely spectacular story about a boy named Westin, who struggles with ADHD and the world he creates.

I would recommend this to anyone, but especially anyone with ADHD or knows someone with ADHD. This story depicts it so well and really helps you see things from the boy’s point of view.

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Also, disclaimer: I don't personally have ADHD, but I have a brother who does, and that has had A LOT of similar difficulties and experiences with school and being misunderstood as the main character in this.


4.5⭐️

I really enjoyed this one a lot, and I hope that we see more great books like this with ADHD prominently featured in the future! I think the author captures ADHD and the ADHD experience of some very well, not only internally in the main character but also from the parent's perspective. Like, it's possible to love your child unconditionally and desperately want to help them fit in, but also be extremely frustrated, especially as a single parent, and I think it's important that it also showed this storyline.

Another thing I felt was done extremely well is the focus on not understanding social settings fully, and not "taking a hint". Wes does not understand why the boys he view as friends are so mean to him, or that they are actually making fun of him and tricking him. ADHD is an Autism diagnosis, so I'm glad it didn't only focus on having a scattered train of thought and a lot of energy!

Can I also say that I get SO MAD whenever I hear people say that they don't want their kids medicated, almost as if doing so is giving up or something??? Also, that somehow medication will ruin the child and leave them as a shell of what they are (which btw, if it does that you should look at OTHER types of medication because that one specifically is not working for you / your child) . Like, medication is there to help people, and I 100% think it would have helped Wes in school especially, together with some actual adaptive teaching from the school. So really glad this book dipped into the issue, even tho it wasn't dug into that much.

The only reason why I didn't give this a 5 ⭐️ is that I wish this had spent even more time on the "making friends" storyline and less on the "everyone makes fun of me and lowkey bullies me" storyline. Otherwise it was a really great read, and would recommend it!

Definitely engaging, with a strong portrayal of a character with ADHD and solid friendship/bullying storylines. Still, some of the plotlines felt unresolved, the disappearance of Westin's uncle being one major example. I also felt that there wasn't necessarily a longterm solution presented to Westin's problems in the classroom, and especially that there was no real change made to the behavior of his teacher consistently singled him out and avoided helping him; on the one hand, this is unfortunately likely to be realistic to many kids' experiences, but considering how neatly most other elements wrapped up, it felt a little jagged.

Recommend to readers who like something a little silly but don't mind a bit of heaviness.

What a great book! I think that kids will be able to see themselves in this story and learn something from it as well. Well done Merriam!

Trouble with a tiny t is about young Westin Hopper, a middle school child grappling with ADHD, or 'vacation brain' as he likes to call his condition. Social adjustments, making friends, trouble with teachers, concentration and focussing are few of his many tiny troubles. The book also brings focus on issues like bullying, friendship, divorce and death.

Narrated in a simple and easy manner, this book helps us to understand the lives of children dealing with ADHD. An enjoyable and instill read.

Oh, boy, does Westin have trouble. He's got family trouble and bully trouble and, through it all, he's dealing with ADHD. His troubles become even bigger when his toys start coming to life. What ensues is the kind of crazy chaos young readers will enjoy. Great pacing and engaging writing.

Kids will love this book about Westin who discovers a magic pouch that his uncle had. When he opens it, he discovers a magical world when a tiny T Rex comes alive. This starts quite an adventure with toy soldiers, a super hero and a new friend.

Ok, this book is great.
I'm an adult with ADHD, and my youngest daughter has ADHD. I am always interested in books that have neurodivergent stories, especially as sometimes, they can be done insensitively and or also include negative tropes.
I think Merriam has created the right balance here, addressing the more challenging side of ADHD (vacation brain) but with the repetition that the protagonist shouldn't need to change who they are just to be liked and fit in, they have a lot to offer, especially when supported by the right friend.
I wish there was possibly a little less 'bullying' in this book, as I struggle to find stories that just allow the protagonist to be, without having to have bullies coming in to make the protagonist feel bad about their neurodiversity. But I do fully understand, that with ADHD we do face a HEAP of bullying and sadly, it seems to be a huge issue and part of our lives ; lack of empathy and/or understanding of our 'differences'.
My daughter still faces challenges being accepted, and now myself, as an adult, I am wary of new connections in order to protect myself due to years of being called out for not being enough. Books like this are needed and I hope, more books will be available to help kids with ADHD, and to help others, understand.

This was a perfect book for upper elementary/middle school, I can't wait to add it to my classroom library. It is funny, smart, descriptive, and has some moments that break your heart.
It is well written and brings you right back to troubles with fitting in and how a true friend really helps you grow. The tiny fantasy creatures are the perfect compliment to the desperation of trying to fit in. This book covers so many issues and really packs a punch.

Westin is such a loveable character, and his story will appeal to kids who don't feel like they fit the mold of school or even their family's expectations. And everyone could use a tiny, hilarious Thor as a sidekick and confidante!

What a lovely story for middle-aged children! I love how the book has it's fantasy themes that children love to read about (magical pouch) while also touching on everyday societal topics, like insecurity and bullying. This book will help children who struggle with ADHD and remind them that they are not alone. The character development of Westin will be an inspiration to children. Also, the true friendship between Westin and Lenora was absolutely adorable; it teaches children how to be a good friend. Definitely a well-written book; absolutely enjoyed it!

Westin is an eleven-year-old boy with ADHD. Sometimes Westin gets in trouble for having what he calls a “vacation brain.” His parents always argue about how to raise him but his uncle Marty was the only person who really understood him. When uncle Marty goes missing, out of curiosity, Westin goes through his uncle’s things and finds a magic pouch. It turns something imagined into a mini version in real life. Westin takes this pouch to his home where he accidentally makes his plastic T-rex into a real mini fighting T-rex who tries to eat him and in the process damages his room. Along the journey to get the T-rex back in the magic pouch, Westin creates more miniature real life things. All this magic on top of navigating his school life, friends, and protective parents forces Westin to learn and grow and realize the good things about his "vacation brain."

Overall this book was really fun. My favorite thing about this book is the humor. There were many parts that just had me laughing. 😆 😆 I think for the middle grade reader this book is really relatable and I love that the main character has ADHD. Really brings great perspective on kids who struggle with ADHD and the highs and lows of living life as a pre-teen. The adventure went in a different direction than I expected. Instead of him navigating the use of his magic pouch I thought he was going to search for his missing uncle. At the end Westin briefly concluded that his uncle was in the pouch. I thought the story would be him finding that out and trying to bring his uncle back. It really felt like he didn’t care to much about his uncle being in the magic pouch.

Westin has a lot to deal with; his ADHD, bullies and family. But when toys begin coming to life, and then growing larger (Hello T-Rex!) Westin has to reach out and get help. What follows is a story that confronts some tough and important themes such as learning to embrace your differences, divorce and loss. This books would make both a fun an an important addition to any classroom library.

Westin Hopper, a twelve-year-old boy in a suburban middle school whose ADHD makes it hard to make or keep friends discovers a magic bag in his grandparent’s basement and accidentally imagines a tiny t-rex into his home. If it had been hard to stay focused before, now it is basically impossible as all he can think about is the tiny dinosaur is destroying his room. Westin gets help and makes a friend with a girl he meets at the Friendship Club run by the school’s counselor and begins to understand that the boys he is trying to hang out with aren’t acting like friends. Westin finally stands up to his dad at the end of the book, explaining his feelings and asking his dad not to be mad at him. Although the magical mayhem is exciting, young readers will understand that this is a book about the importance of friendship, imagination, and seeing past disabilities to the value of everyone.

This is a cute and quirky book that my fourth grade students would enjoy - especially lovers of dinosaurs and Thor. The magic in this book with small toys coming to life and acting in uncontrollable ways reminded me of The Indian in the Cupboard, Small Soldiers and Toy Story. I was pleased when Westin began to make a real friend as opposed to the group of boys who were not so genuine to him. This book explores several meaningful topics such as ADHD, bullying, friendship, divorce, the death of a parent, among others.