Shortlisted for the Junior Aventis
prize for science-writing
First published by Walker Books 2005
This is the NEW edition - published Nov 2007
See also my new brain book, Know Your Brain
"Nicola Morgan has that rare gift of being able to communicate science and make it fun. She brings the biology of the brain to the general reader in a way that will not only educate but entertain."
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen
Department of Developmental Psychopathology
Cambridge University
"..really good and it taught me a lot about my brain,"
Ross Rae, 13
"...and me a lot about my son!"
George Rae, 45
"It’s nice to know that your bad moods, bad attitude and all the less attractive parts of your personality could be partly down to your teenage brain! I particularly enjoyed the cut scenes, quick tests and the helpful hints to make my brain brilliant!
Katy Balls, 15
"A highly entertaining, enlightening and thought-provoking read. It was reassuring and amusing to read through some of the scenarios, which aroused some feelings of familiarity! And I enjoyed the tests and quizzes."
Katy’s mother
"I want to say how much I enjoyed the book. It is excellent and just what is needed."
Professor John Stein, Oxford University
Q: Who is it for?
A: Avery interesting question. I wrote it FOR teenagers. It speaks to them. BUT I think this is a book parents should read. I think parents will buy it for their teenagers but what would be really wonderful would be if teenagers would buy it for their parents....
Q: What is it about?
A: What’s going on in your head. Why. Why it’s important. How long it will last. And what you can do about it.
Q: What’s so interesting about that? It’s just a brain.
A: Yes, but there’s fantastic new research into the teenage brain and what scientists have discovered in the last few years will amaze you. And reassure you. And amaze and reassure your parents.
Q: Explain.
A: Well, scientists used to think that when we are born we have all the brain cells (neurons) we’ll ever have. Now they know it’s not true. And especially that just before puberty large numbers of extra ones suddenly grow. Then, during the rest of adolescence, about the same amount are cut back drastically. During adolescence, bits of your brain develop at different speeds. Your teenage brain is in a state of physical change, probably greater than at any time since you were two years old and greater than at any time you will experience again.
Q: Give us an example.
A: Researchers asked a group of adolescents and adults to look at a picture of a woman showing a particular emotion. Then they asked them all what the emotion was. All the adults got it right. Many of the teenagers got it wrong.
BUT the most amazing thing was that when researchers scanned their brains while they were doing the test, the teenagers who got it wrong were using a completely different part of their brain. They were using the bit that deals with raw emotion, gut instinct, not logic. The adults were using the logical sensible bit.
Q: Can I do this test too?
A: Yep. It’s in the book....
Writing Blame My Brain changed me
I didn’t mean it to. It has changed other adults who have read it, too. Quite simply, it has changed the way we react to and think about our teenage offspring. Understanding that teenage behaviour could be caused by what’s going on in their brains, and knowing that it is temporary and necessary and has positive reasons, is incredibly reassuring.
I don’t worry about my teenagers’ behaviour any more. I still shout at them though - I blame my own ’middle-aged parent brain’ for that. Well, you’ve got to blame something.
Main Reviews
(Blame My Brain is also praised on too many websites to mention. People say lovely things about it - THANK YOU!)
British Medical Journal - review by Lesley Morrison, GP
"Written for teenagers but invaluable reading for those coping with them—parents, doctors, and teachers—Blame My Brain, a guide to the biology behind teenage behaviour, is informative, accessible, interactive, and fun. There are self administered "tests," scientific explanations (including wonderful images of trees to depict brain development), useful advice about emotions, sleep, risk, and harmful behaviours, and guidance about websites and other sources of reliable information. I am a parent of three teenagers, and many of its stories about getting risk in proportion rang bells for me.
"I heard author Nicola Morgan speak in Edinburgh last year about writing for teenagers, which is something she does well. She strongly disagrees with those who believe that acceptable writing for young people should be cleansed of sex, violence, and unpleasantness. Much better and healthier is it, she feels, to confront difficult issues on the safe pages of a book than for the first time in real life.
"Although she states clearly that she is not a scientist, she is well qualified to communicate scientific material about "the amazing teenage brain." Her message to teenagers is subtle but clear: "You might even decide to respect your brain and treat it a bit better, once you know what’s going on inside it."
"For adults, connecting with teenagers is always a challenge. Knowledge gained as a parent can be useful as a doctor and vice versa. In the surgery a basic grasp of the language of skateboarding can serve to open doors. An awareness among parents of the practicalities of the local justice system can impress children avidly seeking information about friends and acquaintances in the court section of the local newspaper.
".... Blame My Brain is pro-teenager without being anti-adult, sympathetic without being sentimental, sensitive and funny.
"Our practice has a books-on-prescription scheme. The local library holds books on health related issues for us and we issue "prescriptions" for patients who are not library members. I am going to suggest that we get six copies of this book. In fact, maybe I’ll suggest that we get a copy for every family in the practice."
The Scotsman - Frank Gerstenberg
“IT IS very rare that an author succeeds in writing a book for teenagers which is also a "must read" for their parents and teachers. Nicola Morgan has done just that with her Blame My Brain. It does not seek to excuse anti-social teenage behaviour, but it certainly goes a long way to explaining it. ……Morgan has given them a sound basis for at least understanding the changes. …..There is no adequate text book for parents and their children, but this one fills an important gap, and Morgan deals with all the issues with good humour. …. it is so important that parents and teachers also read this book. …she ends on an optimistic note, emphasising that the brain is indeed a wonderful thing, and that while a small number of teenagers do suffer greatly during their teenage years, the vast majority come through relatively unscathed. Blame My Brain can only help them do that.”
Times Educational Supplement - Rosanne Bartlett, assistant headteacher
"Blame My Brain was written for teenagers, but teachers and parents can benefit from it. Not all young people find adolescence turbulent and challenging, but for those who do, Nicola Morgan explains why the brain might be to blame, drawing on the latest research.
"All parents of teenagers will empathise with the first chapter, "Powerful Emotions". I only wish this book had been around when dealing with my own teenager’s antisocial behaviour. So why do some go through such difficult times? As Nicola Morgan explains: "Adolescence is a period of huge physical change in the brain ... maybe the pathways for sensible behaviour are just not working well."
"The reason for this is the sudden growth of cells (neurons), which takes place just before puberty. During adolescence the connections which have been made are cut back; it is during this time that the parts of the brain do not appear to communicate with each other. Could this explain why the teenage years are associated with risk-taking? The sections on alcohol and drug abuse will support PSHE programmes in school, as well as offering useful websites.
"Throughout the book, Nicola Morgan returns to the theory that in order to learn, we have to be willing to revisit what we have been taught: that the more often you complete a task, the stronger the connections, the better you will become at it. This is a good resource to share with students to help them deal with what is potentially the most challenging, but also the most exciting, period in their development."
Sunday Herald - Lindsey Fraser
"In Blame My Brain, ... Nicola Morgan proves that the teenage brain really is different. She points out that there are scientific reasons for feeling as you do - whether it’s elated, down in the dumps or just plain confused. When you read the book, you’ll discover what a fascinating contribution you make to the human race and that although being a teenager isn’t straightforward, it’s a necessary period in your life. Blame My Brain won’t prevent you taking the flack for some of your less illustrious actions, but it will shed some light on why you think and behave in the way you do."
Sunday Telegraph - Caroline Quinton Smith
"...significant changes take place in the frontal cortex, which is the area responsible for processes such as planning and organistion. To understand this fully, and for an enjoyable read, we recommend the book Blame My Brain by Nicola Morgan."
Reading Time (Australia)
"...this is one of those rare information books that entertains as it informs....Smart advice in an irrestistible package."
Bella Magazine
Says Blame My Brain is your bible if you are “living with a difficult teenager” because “it gives real insight into all those annoying teenage habits.”
Austral Ed - Australian website for schools
"New scientific research points to real biological reasons behind the behaviour of teenagers - their mood swings, their risk-taking and difficulties with learning. As the mother and teacher of teenagers and also a writer for teenagers, Nicola Morgan brings an extremely interesting mixture of scientific knowledge which she has related to the social context of teenage behaviour. ... Nicola Morgan ... has many suggestions which will help teenagers deal with powerful changing emotions, erratic sleep patterns, difficulties with learning, depression and other problems. There are a number of quizzes about aspects of personality and a very interesting discussion of the differences between girls and boys. This is an extremely informative and entertaining book. At times it is very funny and I think teenagers, parents and teachers will all find it very useful to help them understand why teenagers can behave so erratically at times."
http://www.australed.iinet.net.au/MYP_NF_Areas.html
I frequently speak at conferences and schools about the mysteries of the teenage brain. For details, see the page Inviting me To Speak.
Click here to buy Blame My Brain from Amazon
UK 
