Written by Alyson Gerber Focused is about the struggles of a teenage girl who is diagnosed with ADHD and how she overcomes some of the challenges associated with her diagnosis. This book was very interesting to me as I noticed some of the habits and problems that Clea went through as being similar to some …
Written by Carolyn Mackler While Sensory Processing Disorder gives Willa something to cause her to feel out of place and “weird,” she has managed to make a best friend who doesn’t know anything about Willa’s condition. Compartmentalizing and therapy help Willa appear “normal” and allow her to feel like she is more like other people. …
Written by Pablo Cartaya A Social Studies assignment ignites a spark in a Middle School classroom. As students work on their projects they find themselves in a heated real-life debate over a school district plan to merge students from two different schools. Students start to discover their history, their beliefs, their community, their opinions, and …
Written by Gail Shepherd Lyndon Baines Hawkins, Lyndie, is an 11-year-old girl whose life is changing in ways that she doesn’t like. She and her parents are moving in with her grandparents, her mother is not well and her father is dealing with his service in the Vietnam War. Lyndie wants her old life back, …
I still smile at everyone in the street.Not everyone smiles back, though.When they don’t,I want to say,‘You don’t have to worry about me.I am just a girl who likes movies.’ –Jude, in Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home Written by Jasmine Warga This is the engaging story of Jude, a girl who lives in a …
Various Authors, Edited by Bethany C. Morrow This collection of short stories made me laugh, cry, scream, and also want to hide. Every story speaks for an individual experience in the confines of a wider culture. One story is not better than the others because they’re so unique, brimming with overt & covert meaning, and …
Written and Illustrated by Jen Wang This is a well told story with lots of emotions mixed in. It hits topics of friendship, expectations, figuring out who your are, acceptance, jealousy, guilt, and more. The art is great and helps the story read quickly. I think it will be read and loved by many. Reviewed …
Written by Cynthia Lord I think this book is good because it has some interesting facts when you get to the beginning of a chapter. Also, because Emma was trying really hard to fit in. One last reason why it’s good is that Emma was also brave to go to public school. I think that …
Written by Eileen Spinelli This is an incredibly sweet story about 12 year-old Birdie Briggs, who loves birds, bird watching, and bird facts. Birdie has just moved to Idaho with her mother, to live with her Grandma, after the death of her father. It’s about first love, second love, friendship, grief, and healing. Lovely characters …
Various Authors, Edited by Marieke Nijkamp This book had potential to be a great read. However, I found that I only enjoyed 4-5 of the 13 stories in the book. There were a few that I even skipped, since they just weren’t interesting enough to hold me. The stories I liked, I really liked; they …
