When I spoke with a mother who was finding resources and taking an active role in her child’s care, I told her how much I respected that.
My parents sought help for me, too. As I shared in I Never Stopped Learning, getting evaluated didn’t lead to the understanding we were looking for.
I can’t know exactly what different support would have changed. But I keep coming back to what it might mean for a child to understand themselves earlier—to have some language for what’s difficult, and help finding ways through it.
That’s where I want to introduce Penn and Kim Holderness and their children’s books.
A place to feel understood
You may know the Holderness Family through their funny videos. Their work also includes honest conversations about ADHD, relationships, and the difficulties that don’t disappear just because you can laugh about them.
Penn has written about being bullied, struggling to make friends, nearly flunking out of college, and feeling that he was letting his family down as the demands of adulthood grew. He also describes creativity and humor as things he values about his ADHD. Both belong in his story. Read Penn’s account.
That combination matters to me. There’s room for encouragement while acknowledging that some parts can be painful.
Their children’s books bring that conversation to younger readers.
All You Can Be with ADHD
All You Can Be with ADHD, written by Penn and Kim and illustrated by Vin Vogel, welcomes readers into an ADHD clubhouse. Through rhyme, humor, and shared experiences, it introduces children to the idea that other people encounter some of the same challenges they do.
The publisher describes it as a book for children with ADHD and children who care about someone with it. Its teaching materials emphasize belonging, understanding differences, and recognizing individual strengths alongside difficulties. Explore the book and teaching resources.
What draws me to that premise is the opportunity to start a conversation before a child has spent years trying to explain themselves.
Kim has said Penn wanted to create the book he wished he’d had as a kid. I can understand that wish. There are things I would have liked to understand sooner, too. Why they wrote it.
Get It Done & Have Fun!
Their next children’s book, Get It Done & Have Fun!: ADHD Hacks for Awesome Kids, takes the conversation into everyday tasks.
Its guide is Squeaky McGee, a squirrel with ADHD who enjoys adventure but finds chores considerably less exciting. Through playful rhyme and humor, the book introduces creative approaches to household tasks, including things like brushing teeth and cleaning floors. Penn and Kim again team up with illustrator Vin Vogel. Explore the book.
A squirrel helping people find their way through everyday friction? Something about that sounds familiar around here.
The premise connects with a question I ask often: there must be a better way.
When a task keeps becoming a struggle, I want to understand where it gets difficult and what might help. A book that brings some playfulness to that conversation gives families another place to begin.
The audiobook I have listened to
Those children’s books are introductions here. My firsthand experience is with ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD.
I listened to it on Audible. And when I say listened, I mean somewhere between 1.5× and 2× speed. That’s the pace I need to stay engaged.
The book combines personal experiences, humor, information about ADHD, and practical ideas for people with ADHD and those who love them. About the book.
For me, the connection is in making room for the whole picture: the curiosity that keeps me learning and the difficulties that have affected people I love.
That’s why I appreciate a conversation that can include humor and possibility without asking us to hide the struggles. Penn has directly addressed that balance in his own writing: encouragement matters, and so does being honest about the hard parts.
Earlier understanding, more ways forward
For a child, that conversation might begin with feeling welcome in a clubhouse.
For a parent, it might begin with finding another way to approach a daily battle.
For an adult, it might begin with hearing someone describe an experience that has been difficult to put into words.
None of these books can tell us exactly what another person needs. But they can give us something to talk about, questions to follow, and ideas to explore together.
I still believe the right challenge, support, and tools can change a person’s direction. I want children to have that opportunity early. I want adults to know there’s still room to learn, too.
The difficulties deserve attention. So do the people living with them—their curiosity, humor, relationships, and possibilities.
ADHD IS AWESOME.