Not So Different

Title: Not so different : what you really want to ask about having a disability
Author: Shane Burcaw
Recommended for: Grades 1-4
Pages: 40
Call Number/Link:  E 362.43 BUR

Synopsis: Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles’ growth. As a result, his body hasn’t grown bigger and stronger as he’s gotten older—it’s gotten smaller and weaker instead. This hasn’t stopped him from doing the things he enjoys (like eating pizza and playing sports and video games) with the people he loves, but it does mean that he routinely relies on his friends and family for help with everything from brushing his teeth to rolling over in bed.

Comments: This is a great book to start a conversation about disabilities with grade school kids. The photographs by Matt Carr are funny and engaging, which perfectly matches the text by Shane. The book is both realistic and lighthearted. My favorite story is about how he flipped out of his chair while playing soccer with friends (remember to always strap in!) and my favorite picture is the side view of his motorized wheelchair with labels like “joystick” and “rocket boosters.” 

 

Not if I see you first

Title: Not if I see you first
Author: Eric Lindstrom
Series: N/A
Recommended for: 8th thru 12th grade
Pages: 310
Call Number/Link:  TEEN FICTION LINDSTROM

Synopsis: Blind sixteen-year-old Parker Grant navigates friendships and romantic relationships, including a run-in with a boy who previously broke her heart, while coping with her father’s recent death.

Parker Grant lost her sight at the age of seven in an accident that killed her mother.  As a coping mechanism, she created what she refers to as “The Rules,” and she expects everyone in her life to adhere to them. “Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you’re just getting in my way or bothering me.” “Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter.”  Through these rules, and many others, I was drawn into what it is like to be a blind teenager (as much as I could be).  With the recent death of her father, she is trying to continue on with life in a no-nonsense fashion.  She has a quick wit and a gift for sarcasm.  Things get complicated when she meets a boy who doesn’t treat her like a blind girl, and her former best friend/boyfriend begins attending her high school (she hasn’t spoken to him in two years). Luckily she has some true friends who help her navigate the ups and downs of life.

I loved this book!  It drew me in right away, which surprised me because I wasn’t convinced I would like the book when I read the book jacket.  The struggles of high school as a teenage girl rang very true (I was a teenage girl back in the day!).  The insights into being blind were very interesting to me, and made me think about so many things I take for granted as a sighted person. The friendships were genuine and the emotions very raw at times.  I highly recommend this book for someone looking for realistic fiction.  It is a safe book to recommend if the patron is looking for a book without sex.  The most physical interaction in a make-out session in the back seat of a car.

 

Laughing at My Nightmare

Title: Laughing at My Nightmare
Author: Shane Burcaw
Series: N/A
Recommended for: High school
Pages: 256
Call Number/Link:  Teen 617.482044 BUR

Synopsis: With acerbic wit and a hilarious voice, Shane Burcaw’s Laughing at My Nightmare describes the challenges he faces as a twenty-one-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his situation with humor and a “you-only-live-once” perspective on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-opening perspective on what it is like to have a life threatening disease.

I didn’t particularly like this one because of how he acts towards those with disabilities. He spent the whole book trying to get the reader to not judge him because of his own,but then went and bashed almost every disabled kid he mentioned. At one point, he describes two of his classmates in gym as smelling like they had “atomic bowel movements simmering in their pants”. I know it’s suppose to be “funny”, but I hate that type of humor & makes me a bit hesitant to recommend it. Although, it was a Non-Fiction Honor award book, so mileage will vary. I also would have loved to hear so much more about his parents/brother as they’re the reason he can even function day to day. However, there are some good points, especially his childhood memories w/friends and his outlook on problems/tackling life. There is a lot of swearing and a bit TMI, but nothing a high school-er couldn’t handle. Also, for what it’s worth, my book group teens loved it. (Although, they did agree w/me that he was a massive jerk.)

How to Sell it/Quick Spiel: Quick, funny, & often entertaining read about a kid surviving spinal muscular atrophy. His various hijinks, such as using his wheelchair and rope to lift his younger brother up to dunk, often get him in trouble.

 

El Deafo

Title: El Deafo
Author: Cece Bell
Series: N/A
Recommended for: Grades 3 – 5
Pages:  233
Call Number/Link: GN J Bell, C.

Synopsis: Starting at a new school is scary, even more so with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here she is different. She is sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school–in the hallway…in the teacher’s lounge…in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?

Based on Cece Bell’s life, you can’t go wrong with recommending this book. Filled with both humor and serious moments, kids will easily be able to see themselves in Cece as she struggles to fit in and find a friends. Great discussion book for kids about those who may have disabilities and how they really aren’t that different from us after all. It’s one that will have to be hand sold, but once they start they’ll love it. (If hand selling, I’d focus on the fact that she can hear the teacher every where making her a super hero-like/secret agent powers.)