Foudy, Julie  Choose to Matter: Your Guide to Being Courageously and Fabulously You
Middle school, high school     304 pp.     Disney/espnW

Drawing on casual, "feet up, shoes off" (#SockTalk) interviews with successful women and on advice she gives at leadership clinics, Olympic gold-medalist soccer player Foudy encourages young women to develop leadership skills in broad social spheres. Some of the advice and related exercises are generic, but Foudy and her interviewees address readers with sincerity and don't take themselves too seriously.
Subjects: Life Skills; Self-actualization; Gender roles; Women; Self-confidence; Behavior; Adolescence; Soccer; Athletes; Women—Athletes

Hanh, Thich Nhat  Is Nothing Something?: Kids' Questions and Zen Answers About Life, Death, Family, Friendship, and Everything in Between
Gr. K–3     48 pp.     Plum Blossom

Illustrated by Jessica McClure. A Buddhist monk calmly answers myriad questions that "real children" have asked him: "What is mindfulness?" "How can I control my temper?" "Why do kids watch TV?" The responses are astute, insightful, kid-friendly, and, as promised, Zen-infused — making Buddhist principles approachable and relevant for children of any background. McClure's illustrations of chipper animals somewhat undercut the tranquility.
Subjects: General Religion; Religion—Buddhism; Questions and answers

Oostendorp, Leila Kadra  Animal Asanas: Yoga for Children
Gr. K–3     64 pp.     Prestel

Illustrated by Elsa Mroziewicz Bahia. Fourteen yoga poses are described here, some more commonly seen (e.g., dog, lion) in children's yoga books and others more unusual (e.g., locust, fish). Lovely illustrations and decorated borders accompany each pose, and amusing stick figures help readers understand the step-by-step instructions. The spreads are busy with additional adult-centric text in multiple fonts, but committed yogi parents and caretakers may appreciate the detail.
Subjects: Sports—Yoga

Rissman, Rebecca  Yoga for You
Gr. 4–6     64 pp.     Walter Foster

The volume's initial chapters introduce yoga and plug the benefits of practice on the mind, body, and spirit. Rissman then guides young yogis through an "energizing yoga sequence" and a "calming" one, breathing exercises, and beginner mindfulness meditations. The step-by-step instructions and illustrations of each pose are clear and accessible, and the book's encouraging, compassionate tone should help newcomers feel at ease. Websites. Glos., ind.
Subjects: Sports; Sports—Yoga; Meditation

Wooster, Patricia  Ignite Your Spark: Discovering Who You Are from the Inside Out
Middle school, high school      215 pp.     Simon Pulse/Beyond Words

Drawing on interviews with "super-amazing," successful young adults, Wooster gives teens relevant but commonplace advice on "connecting...to the things that make you want to jump out of bed in the morning." Interviewees offer a range of approaches; unfortunately, a didactic adult voice predominates in the main text. Interspersed "self-discovery quizzes" and "exploratory exercises" may prove useful. Includes a discussion guide and extensive resources list.
Subjects: Adolescence; Self-actualization; Self-perception; Behavior—Determination; Behavior—Individuality

From the January 2018 issue of Nonfiction Notes from the Horn Book.