Awareness Project Children's Literature Reviews

Children’s Literature Reviews

1.     Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair by Jamee Riggio Heelan  (2000)

Rolling Along is the story of boy named Taylor who was born with cerebral palsy who finally gets a wheelchair and becomes more independent. Taylor has a twin brother Tyler who does not have cerebral palsy. Taylor has always used braces and walker to get around, but he gets tired very quickly and moves really slowly. He doesn’t like that when he gets tired, he has to be carried. When he is big enough, his parents get him his very own red and blue wheelchair. Tyler helps Taylor wheel himself around until he is strong enough to do it himself. Taylor is so excited about his new chair and all the places he will now be able to get to on his own. He also realizes that there are some places he will not be able to take his wheelchair like buildings that only have stairs. Taylor also talks about how his school has built a ramp and widened his classroom doors so that he can move through his school on his own. Taylor is so thrilled with his new independence, he feels unstoppable.

                This book is a perfect read aloud to 1^st and 2^nd graders. The book has real faces for Taylor and Tyler, but their bodies and the rest of the illustrations are done crayon making it engaging and interesting. For classroom use, I would have it as read aloud during a unit on acceptance. Since there is very little information about the actual disorder, this book would need to be complimented with something else so that children might have a clearer understanding of why some people are the way they are. Following the reading of this book, I would conduct a question and answer seesion with my students to clear up any misconceptions they may have. I feel the most important lesson to be learned from Rolling Along is overcoming obstacles.

2.     Be Quiet, Marina by Kirsten Debear  (2001)

Be Quiet, Marina is a cute little book about two disabled preschoolers who have to learn to accept each other and be respectful of each others differences. Four year old Marina has cerebral palsy and Moira has downs syndrome. Marina likes to live it up. She loves to dance and play dress up, but tends to make a lot of noises by yelling and shouting often. Moira also enjoys playing like Marina, but she likes quiet. When Marina and Moira first meet, Moira is scared of Marina because she is so loud and the two girls do not play together. However, soon they become best friends and Marina learns to control her outbursts while Moira learns to be accepting of other’s differences.

                This book is appropriate for preschool and kindergarten students. For use in the classroom, teachers can introduce not the disabilities of cerebral palsy and downs syndrome, but also lessons of acceptance, being a good friend, and how to stand up for yourself. The use of black and white photographs to depict the story makes it truly realistic.

3.    Imagine Me on a Sit Ski by George Moran  (1994)

Imagine Me on a Sit Ski is the story of Billy, a young boy who has cerebral palsy. Billy is in a wheelchair and attends school with other disabled students. He uses a wordboard in his class to communicate with his teachers and others. Billy gets very excited when he hears that the class will be going snow skiing on the mountain. Billy and his classmates are eager to go, but they also have natural fears about whether they will be able to do it. When they get to the mountain at Snow Valley Ski Resort, Billy and his class learn all the different ways that disabled people can ski. Some use crutches, but Billy gets to use the sit-ski which is almost like a wheelchair, but it has ski blades instead of wheels. The rest of the book details Billy’s adventures on the slopes.

        This book would be appropriate to read to your 3^rd and 4^th graders to teach them that people with disabilities can do many things that regular people can do just with modification or with special equipment. Because the book is set in a wholly disabled class, I feel another book that promotes inclusion might be a better fit. Additionally, using this book in South Carolina will not be as effective because many of your students will not be able to relate to snow skiing.

4.    Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis  (2000)

Susan Laughs is a wonderful little story about a young whom is like everyone else. Written in a rhyming pattern, the books show all the things that Susan does. Susan paints, she throws, and she gets mad at her cat. Only on the very last page do we learn that Susan is in a wheelchair. The point of this book is to show that disabled children are just like you. They have the same feelings, enjoy doing the same things, and really just want to be accepted. Written for preschool to 1^st grade, this would be a wonderful book to introduce the concepts of understanding and acceptance because your students will get to see all the things that Susan does before they ever know that she is in a wheelchair. Many of the books I have looked at focus on the child’s disability and how it affects their daily life rather than on what the child can do. I would recommend this book for any classroom teacher to use so children can see that disabled children are just like them.

5.    A Contest by Sherry Neuwirth Payne (1982)

Even though this book is slightly outdated, I thought the storyline was radically appropriate for what is going on in schools today. The book focuses on Mike, a 5^th grader who has cerebral palsy. Mike is transferring to a new school and will be in a regular classroom for the first time. Being that he is an older elementary student, his classmates are unfriendly and he even has a bully to contend with. As Mike struggles to fit in, he gets little support from home and it isn’t until a teacher really tries to get to know Mike that his classmates start to see that a being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you cannot do anything. Mike likes to play pool and swim and soon his classmates see that he can even beat some of them at some things like arm wrestling. I would use this book in my class to show that every single person has things that they excel at no matter what disability they may have. I would also make sure my students understand that treating someone meanly because they have a disability is not acceptable behavior. It is important for students to understand that there may come a time in their lives that they feel like they don’t fit in and they will want others to be friendly towards them.

6.    Stoner and Spaz by Ron Koertge  (2004) 176 pages

What a wonderfully funny and touching book. I loved this book whether I had to write a review on or not. Stoner and Spaz follows the story of two misfits who find each other and form a friendship. Ben Bancroft is a 16yr old high school student who has cerebral palsy. He lives a lonely existence with grandma after mother leaves him. Ben is a preppy who has no friends except the workers at the Rialto, his favorite movie theater. Colleen is known around school as a drug addict/dealer. She does any drugs that come her way and copes with her troubled home life by staying as high as possible. One night they meet at Rialto and life suddenly changes for Ben. Colleen not only talks to him, but teases him about his disability and actually touches his bad arm even though it makes Ben uncomfortable. From then on, this unlikely duo learn many things from each other. Colleen encourages Ben to talk to more people and put himself out there. When he gets the chance to make his own movie, Colleen encourages him to base it on high school life. Colleen exposes Ben to many new things including going dancing at a club and smoking pot. In return, Ben tries to make Colleen realize she doesn’t need to get high all of the time. She eventually enters a rehab and makes a good effort at staying sober. When Ben’s movie gets chosen for a student film festival, his life truly starts to change and other students take notice. This story shows how two people from such different backgrounds can really impact each other’s lives. Due to the drug use depicted within this book, I would not recommend as a classroom read. It is definitely geared toward students over the age of 13, but teenagers will love this hot mess of a love story.