This is a great book, especially for parents and educators. The content discussion points and data were very informative and thought provoking. The text was easy to read and explains difficult concepts in layman’s terms. This is well written and a great resource!

For teachers that are struggling with children who exhibit challenging behaviors, there is a high chance of being burned out quickly in the school year. There are many statistics on teachers leaving the profession early on in their careers due to burn out. Jessica Sinarski uses brain development to show ways to help children learn and teachers have less burn out in her book, Light Up the Learning Brain. Her book features low-stress actionable tips to use in the classroom, motivational quotes to inspire teachers, and even downloadable resources that teachers and parents can use to help children understand their feelings. Light Up the Learning Brain shows how the upstairs brain and the downstairs brain work together to help children learn and how having Adverse Childhood Experiences affects brain development. Not only does Sinarski's book talk about brain development, it also shows how sensory experiences and neurodiversity, such as autism, can affect learning as well. This book is a quick read at 120 pages, and it is a valuable resource for teachers to learn some new techniques in supporting the children in their classroom. I give this book five out of five stars for its usefulness and library of downloadable resources.

Light Up the Learning Brain is a book I sincerely wish all teachers would read; in truth, though it’s written with educators in mind, all parents could benefit from this book, too. This book is written from a perspective of helping equip children learn. It’s fantastic. It’s short enough that it doesn’t feel like a slog, but it’s scientifically based verifiable facts with resources cited throughout. I so appreciated that in addition to neurotypical learners, this book also addresses and affirms neurodivergent learners. Additionally, the author is trauma informed, and educates readers on how to be a “safe person” to children suffering from developmental trauma. I am such a big fan of this book.

While I’m not an educator, I am a parent, and so often I want to teach my children - this book was insightful and made me appreciate things about my children I never noticed before (like having high sensory needs). I was helping my son with homework yesterday, and he began stalling, getting distracted and would not focus. I suggested we take a brain break and together we worked out vestibular and proprioceptive systems for 2-3 minutes, and we collapsed on the floor in giggles. Shortly thereafter he sat down and worked through the rest of his homework without further fuss. I could hardly believe it! *adds indoor trampoline to cart*

This is a book I can’t wait to purchase and donate to my children’s schools because it’s that good. Phenomenal read and I highly recommend it.

I’d like to thank National Center for Youth Issues and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a really great book to help educators understand the underlying causes of difficult behaviors. I have learned so much that I will be implementing with my kids. I really like that the author relates different survival behaviors to animals, making it easy for children and adults to understand. I strongly recommend every person in the field of education read this book.

This is an engaging and enlightening book about the role the brain plays in behavior. Understanding how our brains work - the upstairs brain and the downstairs brain - will help us regulate our emotions and guide the children in our care to do so as well. This is a great book for educators and for parents.