This was a great book. My daughter read it and loved it! It gave a lot of helpful information and I will be referring back to it. ( )

Excellent book; 101 Success Secrets for Gift Children is not only full of tips that is helpful for children, but equally helpful for adults as well. My daughter really enjoyed the book and it gave her a lot of tips to help her. I'd suggest that a parent reads the book alongside the child so that they can discuss and come up with ways to implement various tips as needed in daily life. Highly recommended. ( )

"101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids" is a gentle, 'feel-good' self-help guide for 'kids' who view themselves as 'gifted.' I appreciate what I take to be the author's approach to the topic, which is the magnanimous view that all 'kids' are gifted in one way or another and that as the author states, being 'gifted' "isn't just about being smart, " but about "how you are hardwired" (p. 21). Yet for many folks, when they hear the phrase 'gifted kid,' they think of particularly brighter-than-average youth who are academically robust students. Reaching out to these brighter-than-average academically robust students and their parents is where Fonseca could add some emphasis in a later edition. Although she provides excellent references with in-text citation throughout the book (and a great recommended reading list!) the introduction is a bit weak. Ideally, a book geared to gifted kids and their parents might well begin by presenting a brief survey of the literature that includes vernacular explanation of major theories with descriptions of types of intelligence, etc. Perhaps such a scholarly approach is better suited to a tween or older adolescent. From the intro and back cover of the book it's unclear just what age-group audience she is pitching to. Younger children will probably enjoy the pithy sequence of success secrets and the quizzes that accompany them. ( )

Once again Fonseca scores with the second edition of her work, the work is aimed for use by the gifted learner themselves, but also could be used by the parents of a gifted learner or the educator of gifted learners. The work is full of advice aimed at making life easier for gifted learners, it is divided into four parts, What it means to be Gifted; Gifted at School; Gifted at Home; Gifted in the World. Each section deals with real life events and situations that the gifted learner will more than likely face in real life. Each section is filled with worksheets and tables to aid the reader, as well as sheets for the reader to fill in with their own thoughts. Fonseca concludes with a section of resources for both the parents and the gifted learner.Her reference section is brief but references some of her other works that have detailed reference sections. This work is also short but filled with those secrets to get the gifted learner on the right path to do well in school and at home.
Why has it taken so long for a work like this to come about? I surely could have used it some forty years ago as I personally struggled with these same issues at school and at home and in the real world too. Even now just reading it helped me to get a better understanding of why things in my life went the way they did. the cost of only $19.95 is well worth every penny of it to help get the secrets out there to work for your learner. ( )

I approached reading and reviewing this book from the direction of public education. My first impression was that it would provide helpful strategies for children who have been labeled “gifted,” as well as the adults (parents, teachers) who help raise them. I was correct. 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids, by Christine Fonseca, is packed form cover-to-cover with ideas, tips, self-evaluative quizzes, and prompt for reflection.

That being said, this book had a secondary impact on me. As an adult in my late 50s who was labeled “gifted” as a child, I found the book to be incredibly insightful in highlighting some of the struggles I had as a child, as well as strategies that I can still use in my life now. I was not expecting this, but I welcomed the surprise.

For any child or adult who reads this books, I would raise one caution: always be careful of labels. They can be accurate, but they can also be limiting, stereotypical, and potentially pejorative. “Gifts” come in many forms and vary widely from person to person. Intelligence manifests itself just as variedly. Whether or not this book speaks to you, find your gifts, share them to make the world better, and above all, find and celebrate the gifts of the people in your life. ( )