Professional Review

Valerie F. Patterson, Queens Borough Public Library, NYCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

I found a further review from the School Library Journal. The review is from a librarian with an insight on what children typically check out. It states:

"Grade 1-3-- A young boy with muscular dystrophy goes to a special camp where
he is paired with an intelligent golden retriever who performs everyday
tasks that are too difficult for the physically challenged. They are leashed
together while the boy learns to give commands, and Buddy learns to obey.
When they leave camp, the dog is able to help his human friend dress, attend
school, shop, and play. Readers will benefit from this easy-to-read,
first-person narrative of an unusual friendship that also demonstrates the
desires of the handicapped to be independent and to be treated like everyone
else. Graceful watercolor illustrations that emphasize the closeness between
boy and dog are a perfect accompaniment to this entertaining and informative
book."

I chose this review for the simple reason that it would be something readers would be able to relate. A librarian knows what patrons want to read and they should know what the best books for the library are to have. I completely agree with the review in that it is an informative book for readers. It is difficult these days to find a book that is useful for readers while at the same time captures attention.

Book Review 3

Powers, Mary Ellen. Our Teacher's in a Wheelchair. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1986.

Our Teacher's in a Wheelchair tells the tale of a teacher that was once athletic but is now partially paralyzed. The picture book shows real black and white photos of the teacher to help emphasize that he is a real person with a real job. The story goes through the aspects of Brian, the teacher in a wheelchair, from how he gets around at school, to going out with friends, and how he is confident with himself. It helps to show students how they can be anything they want no matter what or where they are in life.

One of the main reasons I chose this book is that it describes some children are afraid of Brian. It puts the perspective of how some children might actually feel about a person in a wheelchair but in a way that children are able to understand. That might be something children will not be able to understand as heavily as it intends but it is none the less important. Aside from that aspect of the book, I really feel the pictures will allow for students to understand that people in wheelchairs are still people, not just someone with a condition. This book is a very useful teaching tool for teachers in the area of a physical disability discussion. It is also something students can read on their own and still enjoy.

Book Review 2

Osofsky, Audrey. My Buddy. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1992.

My Buddy follows the story of a young boy in a wheelchair. This particular picture book focuses on his service dog, Buddy, and the ways Buddy helps along. It follows events of everyday life from school to home and how he came about to get Buddy. The young boy puts a positive light on his wheelchair but explaining how cool it is to have buddy.

I feel there is a positive and not so positive side to this. The only negative I could find is that some young readers might stereotype all people in wheelchairs have dogs. However, my including a dog in the story will draw readers into the story. I found there to be a positive light on being in a wheelchair by having the character explain all the interesting things buddy can do for him. It even puts a positive spin on the fact that his friends got tired of helping him. The fact that the young boy character is young shows that even children have struggles in life and works to be more relatable for young readers and can be a book read by teachers to students.

Book Review 1

Heelan, Riggio Jamee. Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, LTD, 2000.

Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair is a picture book for younger elementary grades. It is a story of a little boy, narrating himself, of what it is like to be in a wheelchair. He discusses how his friends and family help along and what it is like to be in therapy for Cerebral Palsy. As readers look at the pictures they can follow along on a journey with Taylor.

Heelan begins by introducing Taylor as an ordinary twin which allows readers to see he is just a normal boy. I found that this book was informational yet still easy for readers to understand. The pictures help to emphasize he is a real person while at the same time still informing children about what the condition is all about. I think this book is useful for future teachers, young children, or parents who want to help their children to understand.

I found further reviews, aside from my own, at Amazon.com. Since it is from an elementary school, it gives an outside perspective on what is useful to teach in schools. This review is from School Library Journal and it states:

"Kindergarten-Grade 3-A glimpse into the life of a young boy with cerebral
palsy. Taylor describes his condition, aspects of his daily activities at home
and at school, and his desire for independence. While he has been trained to use
a walker, he prefers a wheelchair as it enables him to go faster and not tire as
quickly. The book also includes some discussion of his physical-therapy
sessions. At times, Taylor's frustrations come through, as when the illustrator
shows him in his wheelchair facing a rather high set of stairs. However, in the
end, the message is that he enjoys the same activities as his twin (and other
children). In her mixed-media illustrations, Simmonds has superimposed
photographs of the individuals' faces onto drawings, creating an interesting
collage effect. This title is better suited for younger children than Alden
Carter's Stretching Ourselves (Albert Whitman, 2000)."

Margaret C. Howell, West Springfield Elementary School, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Boy Meets Boy

For this week it was my opportunity to write a paper and I was very excited to discuss this group that was very different from anything I've read. I chose to address the idea of whether stereotypes were reinforced or broken down. Without having to go into extreme detail about what my paper was about, I focused a lot the characters in the book.

This book contained some of the most unique characters I have come across in a young adult novel. Since the characters were very different it was what helped to make the book very different. I found it very useful for readers to have a main character that was gay. For some readers that might be struggling with their sexuality this book helped to make the struggle all the more real.

I feel that in my future classroom this is a book that I would like to introduce. Not just for the message that is behind the book but also the entertainment readers will get out of it.

Becoming Naomi Leon

When coming to write this post, I wanted to wait until I had met with my group to see what my group members thoughts were. In an overall sense, myself and the other group members enjoyed the book. I know that the book was written by the same author as Esperanza Rising and it was very obvious to find the similarities. Since I had enjoyed that book, I knew that I would enjoy this book.

There were two things in the discussion that my group members and I felt the same about. First, we all felt really annoyed and angry with the character of Skyla. What is even worse is that some families actually have that same kind of mother character. It was obvious that she was designed to be the character that readers are supposed to despise but it was still an unfavorable feeling reading about her.

The second thing we all agreed upon was the similarities between Owen and Natalie from Capone. It was kind of ironic that we read two books back to back with a disabled character. it was also interesting that in both books neither one of those characters disabilities was defined. I must admit that it sort of bugs me that I don't know what it wrong with those characters. I feel that I will be better able to connect to the book if I can fully know what is going on in the book.