My Distraction Troll Won't Let Me Focus!

Helena Harastova is a writer, translator, and mother. She graduated in dramaturgy from the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts, having previously worked for the National Theatre in Brno, Czech Republic. Her most unusual pastime is proofreading texts for errors in spelling, grammar, and style.Lucia Dercalikova, known online as Lumaluje, was born and lives in Bratislava, Slovakia. She fell in love with drawing in her childhood, primarily thanks to the illustrations of Adolf Born, which later influenced her own work. After studying fashion design at the Secondary School of Fashion, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she focused her work on children's illustration. In the same year, she illustrated her first book for a self-publisher in the USA, which led to collaborations with additional publishing houses. Her signature style, which combines playfulness, cartoon elements, and the appearance of hand-drawn, non-digital sketches, has already been featured in books in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and the USA.

"Gr 1-5–This insightful addition to the “Keep Your Rascals Under Control” series introduces Hannah, a light-skinned girl struggling with a common internal foe: her “Distraction Troll.” The narrative follows Hannah through a relatable school day of missed cues and lost time, from morning routines to a challenging quiz, and finally to a bedtime delayed by wandering thoughts. Haraštová expertly deconstructs executive functioning struggles—such as “topic-hopping” in conversation and losing track of time—without tethering them to a specific clinical ¬diagnosis. This universal approach makes the content accessible to all children, regardless of whether they have a formal ADHD diagnosis. The book’s structure is highly interactive; each chapter concludes with a reflective question to prompt self-awareness, such as “What are some ways that tuning out can cause problems?” When Hannah eventually enlists the help of a purple-haired Focus Fairy, the tone shifts toward empowerment. Dercalíková’s charming cartoon illustrations depict the troll as a whimsical, polka-dotted puffball, softening the frustration of the character’s challenges. The final pages offer a ¬robust summary of strategies, presented in clear bullet points for easy reference. ¬VERDICT A comprehensive and compassionate resource for navigating focus-related challenges, this is an essential purchase for school counselors and primary educators looking to bolster their SEL collections." —Heidi Dechief, School Library Journal"This Czech import, the second in an ongoing series, follows a youngster dealing with concentration challenges and time-blindness. In the first Rascals book, Haraštová described how the memory goblin wreaked havoc on young Hugo, resulting in misplaced belongings, neglected schedules and commitments, wandering thoughts, and missed responsibilities. Here, brown-haired, tan-skinned Hannah has similar troubles, all rooted in a lack of focus: unfinished work, careless mistakes, a messy room. She also finds herself swiftly switching hobbies and interests, leaping from topic to topic while conversing with others, and losing track of time. Her problems take concrete form in the distraction troll, a goofy, snaggle-toothed creature with yellow fur, stick limbs, and polka-dotted wings that resemble Hannah’s hairbows. In need of help, Hannah imagines the focus fairy, a hip-looking, beige-skinned, purple-haired winged creature rocking knee-length boots and a minidress. With assistance from her new friend, Hannah relies on brain-strengthening games (word searches, mazes) to hone her concentration and learns to assess new hobbies before jumping in. Haraštová includes plenty of other useful, well-explained suggestions: organizing tasks into steps and doing the dull ones first, taking breaks, accepting help, confiding in adults, and practicing self-care. Derčalíková’s amusing, colorful illustrations are attention-grabbing, and the addition of new tactics and strategies will expand the audience for the series. Fun and practical." —Kirkus Reviews"This non-fiction self-help book for children and teens summarizes, through the character of Hannah and her struggles, several typical problems shared by “people with distraction trolls” and offers advice on how to overcome these problems by recruiting the help of a “focus fairy.” All of this is accompanied by cute illustrations." —Daria S., Blogger