Friday, November 30, 2007

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.

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