I absolutely loved this concept. It is a well drawn out depiction of how someone divides their thoughts and feelings. Maybe everyone has a dark room and light room. One person can find the light easy and others live in the dark. Explaining emotions can be hard. But this managed quite well.

I am pleasantly surprised and enthralled with this book. We follow a majestic stone as an earthquake causes him to roll down the hill. We end up following him for thousands of years as he goes from a big boulder to a little tiny grain of sand and pops back up in what is known as the rock cycle. This was a fascinating book. At times it does rhyme, but the rhymes are harsh, and the cadence gets lost. And normally that’s a down factor for this reader but overall, I think the book works well. Plus, the illustrations are intriguing and exciting and different from what you see in most popular illustrated picture books today.

4.25 ⭐️

I very much enjoyed this book. I have ADD and could relate to this book on a lot of levels.

The main character's “house” immediately made me think of the BBC’s Sherlock and his “Mind Palace”. I liked that each room represented different ways in which someone might experience ADD/ADHD as it’s not always the same experience at all times nor the same for all people.

I appreciated that Vigg added the scene where the main character’s teacher had him sit at the front of the class near her, but made the mistake of putting him at a window. Most teachers, even now, don’t understand ADD/ADHD and can’t see the entirety of what is going on. They will try techniques that work for them but won’t work for someone with ADD/ADHD. Having someone with ADD/ADHD sit next to a window in order to get them to concentrate is so out of touch but also so very expected.

Luckily there has been more exposure over the years and now accommodations can be made that actually have a chance of helping. For instance, in college, I was able to take my exams in a “distraction-free zone” where all I had to look at was a blank wall and dividers on either side of me preventing me from seeing anyone or anything else.

My one complaint is that the transition from him trying to share a story in from of his class to describing the house inside his brain felt choppy and disjointed. I think one or two more sentences transitioning would have smoothed this out.

I would definitely recommend this book to individuals with or without ADD/ADHD as it explains symptoms in a structured and simple way that promotes empathy.

I have not been diagnosed with ADHD, but I believe strongly that hearing others' life experiences can help children and adults understand themselves and the world better, even when we don't have much in common with the subject of the story. Reading "Lost inside my Head" made me want to check in with the people I know who live with ADHD and ask: how does Vigg's experience resemble theirs, or not?

This book will be a great addition to classrooms and home libraries and belongs in conversations about various ways people navigate their inner and outer lives, with and without medication or other assistance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orca Books for a free e-copy for review.

Lost Inside My Head is the most powerful book on neurodiversity I have ever read. And it’s a book for children, about a little boy who is different than other children, misunderstood, and bullied. He spends most of his waking hours in a complex “house inside his head”, a place both scary and chaotic and safe and serene. He lives in this house at school, too, and even when his teacher thinks she can help him concentrate by giving him a desk near her and a window, he’s so assaulted by stimuli that he again zones out and produces no class work.

Eventually he starts to figure out how to live in the safe places inside his head and use those places in the outer world.

I can definitely relate to this child because I have many “different” attributes myself. I have ADHD and I hyperfocus on things I’d rather do to escape from the tedium of maintaining a household. I almost wept for this little boy in whom I saw a lot of myself, even though I’ve managed to develop coping skills so I’m not lost as I felt as a child.

The illustrations are beyond wonderful. I recommend this book for anyone. And I will tell my friends about it.

Thank you to the author, the publisher,and NetGalley for the precious gift of reading this book as an ARC.

This is a 72-page, full-color, full-page edge-to-edge illustrated children's book that tells what it is like to be inside the mind of a boy with ADHD. It is translated from French and written by a French-Canadian author, targeted to children age 6-8 per the book's description.

Every page features depictions of how Vincent's mind is partitioned into different spaces and how information flows visually into his brain, overlapping and overwhelming. There is a control room, which doesn't work properly (executive functioning), and demonstrations of how some interventions, like sitting near the teacher and window (away from distracting students) is just as distracting, but for other reasons.

I think this book does an excellent job showing visually and with words, just how confusing and confounding ADHD is a neurodiverse condition. This book helps normalize ADHD and explain how information comes to some children with ADHD, which is very, very important for families and educators.

That said, I thought the messaging of the book felt pretty overwhelming and a bit almost scary for the target audience of 6-8 year olds. I would have loved to read how Vincent got his brain to go to the light room, where he can think, and how his parents and teachers could help support him in that journey.

A very impressive work to explain how the ADHD brain works, which makes it a compelling read for parents and educators. 5-stars. Pub date 10/17/23. 72 pages.

Thank you Orca Book Publishers and NetGalley, for providing an eARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

#netgalley @netgalley #lostinsidemyhead #orcabook @orcabook

Read this for my son who is Autistic and recently received an ADHD diagnosis as well. Reading this book helps me, as an adult, place myself in his place and make me reflect on how much adults really lack the understanding of neurodivergent kids and lose patience with them - when there is so much light and creativity inside each diverse kiddo if they are given the right environment to thrive.

Can't wait to share it with my 7-year-old and see how he related to the character!

Lost Inside My Head is a great book to share with children about what living with ADHD is like. I would suggest this title for 3-5th grades as it is a longer book that requires a higher level of comprehension, especially to truly understand the struggle of Vincent to navigate his mind.

Great title to add to your SEL library! I received an ARC from Netgalley and never get paid for my reviews.

I think every teacher or behavior specialist should have this book. This book is sweet and touching as a young boy tries to navigate the world and his classroom "like everyone else". Vigg likens the boy's inner world to a house where he tries to sort out all the input in his world to make sense of it. It is heartbreaking to see how the boy wants to function and the ways that he tries even though the adults in his world (especially his teacher) aren't always helpful. I plan to add this to my class reading list as it is a kid friendly way to let other kids who struggle with focus know that they are not the only ones and I think it will spark some good conversations in a classroom.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orca Book Publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful look at one of the many ways that ADHD can show up for kids - and how that plays out both at home and school. Gorgeously illustrated and translated into language that makes it accessible for younger readers, “Lost In My Head” uses the analogy of a house of many rooms to show the reader what it’s like to live with a neuro-divergent ADHD brain. Rich in symbolism, there is a lot to unpack here. And readers of all ages will connect with the feelings of anxiety leading up to a classroom presentation - even one well-rehearsed.

Like many ADHD kids, my own son also has a few “superpowers”, and learning to name & harness these has been key to his success - both at school and at home. And, like Vincent, it has helped him to understand that he is not “stupid”, a “space cadet”, or “lazy”. Just that his brain works differently.

With this book, Vigg has gifted us with another example of normalizing neuro-divergence. My one wish for this book was that Vincent’s teacher had the chance to see his “superpower” and better understand him (and how to meet his needs as his teacher). As an educator - I am keenly aware of how our public schools often fail our neuro-divergent learners. And my hope is that, through story, we can help change that narrative by giving voice to those who often cannot advocate for themselves. The more we read, the more we know! :)

A wonderfully imaginative book about a boy with ADHD and the way his brain works! As a librarian with ADHD I related to his periods of hyperfocus about topics he was interested in and his easy distractability, as well as the frustration when you just can't seem to bring yourself to do things you need or have to do. I think this book would be beneficial for children with ADHD to feel represented, as well as framing it creatively for children without to understand. The illustrations were wonderful as well.

Thank you to Orca and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is the perfect little book for a child with ADHD. My little Alice was just diagnosed and this book spoke to my soul. the illustrations are perfect as well!

This book literally made me tear up. It was so sad to see the child trying so hard to concentrate like everyone else but his brain just didn't work the same way. My youngest daughter is six and we think she may have ADHD so it was so interesting to get a view of what it is like inside her head. She really enjoyed this book, however, my older daughter who is eight, thought that it was sad and didn't enjoy it as much. I think it gave her something to think about though.

Overall I think this was a good book about ADHD, and really explains to a kid that is trying really hard to sort through all of the stuff running through their head that they are not alone. The only recommendation I would have is to maybe include some more positive traits that are associated with ADHD as it does seem a little bit dark.

What a unique book! A childrens book about ADHD with absolutely beautiful illustrations!
This book describes what it's like to live whith ADHD, the beauty it crates for the world around the narrator, as well as the struggles it imposes as well.
I found the metaphors truly unique, and my young child was captiaved by the illustrations.
This is one our family will be revisiting time an time again. Highly recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for sending me this book to review. All opinions are my own.

I cannot wait to tell you about this book, its a 5/5 would recommend to any/all parents! I have a 7 year old daughter who is sometimes all over the place and gets jumbled in her head, just like Vincent! My partner has ADHD (as does the author!), and it was a special book for them to get to experience together.

The story takes you into Vincent's mind and man is it a rollercoaster from the start! He describes the inside of his head as a house filled with all different types of rooms, which can make it hard for him to focus. This book helped to solidify that it is okay to be different and that we don't have to be like everyone else to shine in our own way.

Vigg did an excellent job with storytelling and you can feel just how special this book is to them when reading it. It feels genuine and relatable, and the illustrations add to the book perfectly!

This book really helped to be a conversation starter in our house. It opened up a real talk with our daughter about our shared struggles and some of the ways we can help her get through them.

If you have a kiddo with ADHD (or just want a fantastic book about being different and finding self-acceptance) this is a must have! Trust me, it has been a gamechanger for us. This book with touch your heart and make you and your kiddo appreciate the beautiful mess that is our minds.

Lost Inside My Head by Vigg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Review: Wow. I need a moment to breathe after this story. Though I’m not usually a picture book reader, I had to pick this one up when I read the description. I’ve recently been coming to terms with my own possible ADHD (still waiting on that pesky medical diagnosis). I’ve This book brought literal tears to my eyes. Vigg perfectly described what goes on in my head. I will definitely be recommending this book to my library when it comes out.

📚Quotes: “I can’t think. No, actually, I can’t stop thinking. It’s complicated. And at night it’s even worse. It’s like the entire jumble of the universe is having a party in my head.”

This story in emojis: 🧠🏠👦🏼

This is a children’s story about living with ADHD, and it’s incredibly relatable the way it depicts the chaos and distraction one deals with on a daily basis. It no doubt can help many children - and some of us adults- feel less alone. The ending feels a bit pat, but overall it’s a great book to help children dealing with ADHD feel seen and understood. The illustrations are perfect as well.

Thank you to author and illustrator Vigg, translator David Warriner, Orca Book Publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.