Title: Quiet Power: The Secret Strength of Introverts
Author: Susan Cain (with Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz)
Illustrator: Grant Snider
Publication Info: Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Young Readers Group (2016)
Suggested Age Range: Grades 5 and up
Summary:
Susan Cain’s remarkable best-seller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Won’t Stop Talking, changed my life. Definitely for adults, Quiet validated everything I had felt as an introvert who actually can spend time in front of people and with people. Cain, a former lawyer turned personality advocate, wants to help everyone feel comfortable in their own skin and the way they were made. What Quiet did for adults, Quiet Power: The Secret Strength of Introverts can do for kids of all ages.
Cain uses her same theories and stories, but makes them relatable to what youth are going through today. From the fear of being called on in class to the need to escape from uncomfortable situations, this book gives introverts the words to express their world, and extroverts a way to understand their introverted friends better. There is a common misconception that introverts are standoffish, snobbish, and/or enjoy, isolation. The reality, however, is that introversion is about how you get refreshed, not about your ability to be around others.
Quiet Power is broken up into four parts: school, socializing, hobbies, and home. Each section walks through how introverts experience these parts of their lives and how introverts can and are changing the world. 
As an introverted kid, nothing scared me more than being called to the front of the classroom to do a math problem. There were two reasons for this: I was embarrassed…and I was really bad at math. I’m pretty sure I did one of each of the above at some point in class, but the “preemptive strike” was usually the last ditch attempt to not be asked something I didn’t know.
Quiet Power is a book I wish I had as a teen; and it’s a book I wish more people would read now. There is nothing wrong with being an introvert OR an extrovert. We just have to know what we are, and how to deal with those different than us. Schools and social settings are designed with the extrovert in mind and books like this help introverts find their place, too.
Read-Alikes and Other Books
Has Quiet Power made you (or someone you know) want to read more about their unique style of recharging and relating to the world? Here are some great resources:
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World that Won’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
- The Introvert’s Way by Sophia Dembling
- The Power of Personality by Sylvia Loehken
- The Genius of Opposites by Jennifer B. Kahnweiler
Websites, Activities, and More
- Quietrev.com is Susan Cain’s website on introversion and the Quiet movement.
- Classroom activities for introverted students
- Strategies to help introverts and extroverts to their best work
- Free personality tests
Hi Emily,
I agree that every person who deals with youth should read this book! Too many children have been made to feel that they are “less than” because they have different preferences. I can’t wait to explore your Read-Alikes. Great post!
Emily,
Quiet is one of my favorite books! I still need to read this version that Cain wrote…it sounds great! I really enjoyed your read alikes and resources. Thanks for sharing!
Great review! I really want to read the adult version, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking but have not had the chance yet. I will check out this version for kids/teens though. 2 out of my 3 children are introverts and by your description of the book, could benefit from reading this! I also really appreciate your read alikes and additional resources.