26. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

listened on Chrip (although I started on Kindle)

2017
262 pgs.
MidGrades/YA Crf/Myst
Finished 4/16/23
Goodreads rating: 4.31
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Phoenix, AZ

My comments: I've wanted to read this for a long time - it's set in the Arizona desert and has cacti on the cover and in the title, for cryin' out loud!  So sorry it took me so long, because this was an amazing story. It should be required reading for everyone! The way it looked at and handled Tourette's Syndrome was particularly special...heartbreaking and informative at the same time.  Great characters, interesting setting, wonderful plot.  What more could one want?

Goodreads synopsis:  Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.

Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.

39. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

read on my iPhone - Amazon Prime
2013 Katherine Tegen
335 pgs.
YA CRF
Finished 2/29/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.76 - 49,498 ratings
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Contemporary America

First line/s:  "Sometimes I think that everyone has a tragedy waiting for them, that the people buying milk in their pajamas or picking their noses at

stoplights could be only moments away from disaster."

My comments:  Terrific tale.  I loved being able to totally get into his head, to feel his back-and-forth feelings about his new disability, his friendships old and new, his future, and his past, his relationships during his senior year, trying to find his place in the world.  And, SPOILER ALERT: It doesn't have the typical "feel good" YA ending, but the ending works just fine...it's probably a lot more real than most YA CRF/romances.  I'm going to definitely look into other books by this author.

Goodreads synopsis:  Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and classics like The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye.
          Varsity tennis captain Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was before—before his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with unpredictable new girl Cassidy Thorpe.
          As Kirkus Reviews said in a starred review, "Schneider takes familiar stereotypes and infuses them with plenty of depth. Here are teens who could easily trade barbs and double entendres with the characters that fill John Green's novels."
          Funny, smart, and including everything from flash mobs to blanket forts to a poodle who just might be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby, The Beginning of Everything is a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novel—a heart-wrenching story about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

Picture Book - Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson

The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Illustrated by  Sean Qualls

2015, Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House Children's Books

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.38 - 2051 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers: A smudgy pinky, dusty solid

1^st line/s: 
"In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born:
Two bright eyes blinked in the light,
two healthy lungs let oout a powerful cry,
two tiny fists opened and closed,
but only one strong leg kicked."

My comments: ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.  This true story shows this  completely.  Born with a useless leg, Emmanuel was treated as and considered a beggar with no worth, but he wanted to EARN his way in the world.  This story shows how he really did make a difference, by proving to everyone that physical disabilities do not change a person's worth.  He biked - with one leg - for 400 miles across Ghana and had it recorded.  Because of his persistence and drive, Ghana's disability laws were changed!  This book is written really well and I totally enjoy the accompanying illustrations. A surefire winner for any "Making a Difference in the World" study!

Goodreads:  This picture book biography tells the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who bicycled across Ghana--nearly 400 miles--with only one leg. With that achievement he forever changed how his country treats people with disabilities, and he shows us all that one person is enough to change the world.

POEM: Kids Who Are Different by Digby Wolfe

Kids Who Are Different

Here's to the kids who are different,

The kids who don't always get A's.

The kids who have ears twice the size of their peers',

And noses that go on for days . . .

Here's to the kids who are different,

The kids they call crazy or dumb,

The kids who don't fit, with the guts and the grit,

Who dance to a different drum . . .

Here's to the kids who are different,

The kids with the mischievous streak,

For when they have grown, as history's shown,

It's their difference that makes them unique.

                                     ~Digby Wolfe

MOVIE - Wonder

PG (1:53)

Wide release 11/17/17

Viewed around 12/1/17: 

RT Critic: 84   Audience:  88
Critic's Consensus:  Wonder doesn't shy away from its bestselling source material's sentiment, but this well-acted and overall winsome drama earns its tugs at the heartstrings.

Cag: 5/Loved it 

Directed by Stephen Chbosky

Lionsgate

Based on the book by Patricia Polaccio

Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson

My comments:  The ultimate feel-good movie.  They did a really good job re-creating the book, choosing excellent actors and creating a wonderful setting for the two schools and the city of New York.  Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson were almost too perfect playing the parents of Augie.  I really enjoyed the weaving of the story of Augie with the story of his sister, Via, who was four years older.  Hooray to R. J. Palaccio for writing such a heartwarming story, which I've not only read to myself, but shared aloud with two or three different groups of kids.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman. Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, his new classmates, and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

PICTURE BOOK - We're All Wonders by R. J. Palacio

Illustrated by the Author

2017, Alfred A. Knopf

32 pgs.
Read 7/7/17

Goodreads rating:  4.15 - 1142 ratings

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers Bright Red

1^st line/s: "I know I'm not an ordinary kid."

My comments:  I've read the original chapter book thrice - twice aloud to a group of 3rd and 4th graders.  Their discussions about the book were marvelous and right-on.  This book is a simplified version, focusing on the "be nice to everyone" aspect.  Much of our discussion was "try not to stare," there's a really cool person on the inside. Let's face it, there's a certain shock of first seeing someone that looks really, really different.  It's hard not to stare. That's what I think the Ms. Palacio is trying to say. I don't think it's sappy at all (as some reviewers have suggested).  It's a good starting place to begin conversations with younger kids and/or kids who haven't read the original chapter book about how not to hurt other people's feelings, especially when you're caught off guard.  Ms. Palacio's illustrations are bold and colorful.  I like it a lot.

Goodreads:  The unforgettable bestseller Wonder, soon to be a major motion picture, has inspired a nationwide movement to Choose Kind. Now parents and educators can introduce the importance of choosing kind to younger readers with this gorgeous picture book, featuring Auggie and Daisy on an original adventure, written and illustrated by R. J. Palacio.
          Over 5 million people have fallen in love with Wonder and have joined the movement to Choose Kind. Now younger readers can meet Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, and his beloved dog, Daisy.
          Countless fans have asked R. J. Palacio to write a book for younger readers. With We’re All Wonders, she makes her picture-book debut as both author and artist, with a spare, powerful text and striking, richly imagined illustrations. Palacio shows readers what it’s like to live in Auggie’s world—a world in which he feels like any other kid, but he’s not always seen that way.
          We’re All Wonders may be Auggie’s story, but it taps into every child’s longing to belong, and to be seen for who they truly are. It’s the perfect way for families and educators to talk about empathy and kindness with young children.

69. Anything but Typical - Nora Raleigh Baskin

Audio Read by Tom Parks - beautifully
Brilliance Audio, 2009
3 unabridged cds
4 hours
208 pages
Many places I've visited say "YA". I go with the ages 9-12, grades 4+
Rating: 5

I started reading this last year, but I couldn't renew it because there were other holds on it, so I didn't get very far. When I ran across this audio form I jumped at the chance to listen. Tom Parks gave the protagonist so much character - this was an excellent read/listen.

Jason Blake is autistic. He flaps, he can't look anyone in the eye, he feels safest looking down or standing toward a wall. He rarely speaks directly to someone other than repeating the last words they said. He has no friends - of course everyone thinks he's "weird." He tells his story in the first person, we get INSIDE HIS HEAD. Wow. Like Out of My Mind, every teacher in the world should read this book!

Jason is a writer, writing on the computer on a STORYBOARD site where others can read his stories and respond to them. He makes a friend in this way, but when he finds they will both be attending a storyboard convention in Dallas he tries to sabotage his attending, because he knows that once Rebecca sees him they'll not be friends anymore. Reality. A happy ending would be great, right? Reality......

I also really enjoyed the way that Baskin included Jason's parents in the story.....how Jason interacts with them, how he knows what they're feeling by the way they act and the looks on their faces, how he relates to each one of them individually. Outstanding on every level, with my parent hat on, with my teacher hat on, with my reader hat on.

I recommended this book to all my colleagues at Wednesday's staff meeting. To get inside Jason's head was magical to me. Everyone's brain works differently, and some work REALLY differently. We all need to not only remember that, but see it and feel it and live it through the pages of an exceptional book like this.

The Junkyard Wonders - Patricia Polacco

Philomel Books, 2010
$17.99
48 pages
Rating: 5
Endpapers Aqua-azure

Patricia Polacco does it again - and of all her books - I do love 'em all - this is at the very top of my list. Why? It's about a very special teacher, which I think (as a teacher) is very cool. It's about a group of kids who are who they are -- they've had no choice in the matter. Whether the've got diabetes, tourettes, visual and/or physical handicaps, learning difficulties, they are all put into the same class. And they bond. They shine. They care about each other. And they're smart and special.

On the first day of school, Mrs. Peterson shares with them the following definition of GENIUS:

"Genius is neither learned nor acquired.
It is knowing without experience.
It is risking without fear of failure.
It is perception without touch.
It is understanding without research.
It is certainty without proof.
It is ability without practice.
It is invention without limitations
It is imagination without contstraints.
It is ... extraordinary intelligence!"

This story is about how five kids - our author; Patricia Polacco, Thom, Gibbie, Jody, and Ravanna, prove the genius definition. It applies to all of them.

At the end - as an afterward - PP tells what became of her "tribe."

Simply wonderful storytelling.

54. Reaching for Sun - Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Bloomsbury, 2007
HC $15.99/Public Library
181 pgs.
For: Middle Grades (one site shows ages 8-12, one says grade 7 up, though I'm not sure why)
Rating: 4

Josie Wyatt has cerebral palsy, which affects her left hand and arm as well as her speech. However, she just wants to ignore it. People think she's a "retard", but only because she has to work to speak well and because of her physical shortcomings. But she's really, really bright and knows a huge amount about nature and gardening. She is being raised by her single mom and her single grandma. Her mom is rarely home, she's working on a double major and is very job-oriented. It's her grandmother that has taught her about the world.

The farm the Wyatt's live on has been slowly surrounded by massive homes as developers take over much of the land. A new boy, one who happens to be in her class in school, moves into one of the mansions just behind her. He is a naturalist, a scientist, and the two hit it off immediately. This, of course, will change her life.

This is a quick read, but written in lovely verse form:

Kingdom of Imaginary Worlds

An oily stink
blows in again from the bulldozers---
those metal monster dinosaurs
that scar the landscape
behind our old farm.
The tornadoes of dust they kick up
as they move closer each season
leave the porch cushions
and our teeth
dusted with a grimy film.
The echoes
of early-morning hammering
wake me
even on Saturday mornings.
And though I hate
what they've done
to my kingdom of imaginary worlds---
fairy towns and factories
closed,
the summer camp for ogres
shut down,
a homeless shelter for gnomes
flattened---
with chin on knees
I can't help but study the men,
busy as bugs,
not satisfied until they
block another tree
from me.

40. Out of My Mind - Sharon M. Draper

For: Middle Grades
"ages 10 and up"
Atheneum Books, 2010
HC $16.99
292 pages
Rating: 5

Wowzer. Sounds trite. This is NOT a trite book. What a wonderful gift, this book. A fifth grader with major cerebral palsy, has never spoken a word, though she is extremely bright and has thousands of words whirling around in her head.

"Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes --each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands. .... Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. Mountains of phrases and sentences and connected ideas. Clever expressions. Jokes. Love songs."

No one knows how smart this drooling, spastic child is. She knows she drools, she hates it. She knows that she makes weird noises and flails her arms in awkward, embarrasing ways. She hates it. No one knows the insightful thoughts that are in her mind. No one knows that that mind is practically photogenic, that she can see colors accompanying music, that is a sponge ready to learn, learn, learn. Her parents have an idea. Her next-door neighbor, the woman who takes care of her while her parents work has certainly figured it out....and we, as readers are to discover how Melody's life changes as others figure it out, too.

How prejudiced our world - me included, I'm ashamed to admit - is to people with disabilities. We stereotype. We are embarrassed. We look away...or we stare. We avoid this world at all costs. We can even be mean. In this story, we watch all this happen and see it through Melody's eyes. We see her frustrations, we look at her world differently, and we celebrate and cry with her.

This is an exceptional story. It is gut-wrenching. Sharon Draper is a brilliant, insightful author to have created this masterpiece. I will not forget it...and I will read it again and again. I want to keep reminding myself to be a better person, to look deeper.

Wowzer. Do NOT miss this book!

Sharon Draper has a blog that includes a great review - much better than mine. And on her website she even has a study guide!