The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Pure Gold Baby in Books
Oct 7, 2020
Atypical Plays for Atypical Actors
Book
Although disabled characters appear often in plays within the Western theatrical tradition, seldom...
Tom Turner (388 KP) rated White Dolphin in Books
May 10, 2021
First thing I will say, in the book she doesn't make the particular disability, just referring to Cerebral Palsey, an umbrella term which covers a number of physical disabilities. Though it would have been nice to see the name dropped, I can understand why this is. The book is aimed at an audience aged around 11, and throwing up technical terms and explainations might be too much. Most children through osmosis know what Cerebral Palsey is, and if they don't, they've learned something. Plus, with the confirmation from the author, be and the knowledge of what Hemiplegia looks like it was obvious from the start that this is what it was meant to be.
But a novel is more than just a one aspect of a character, and so how did the story fair. At first I worried it might turn out to be a Free Willy rip off. But without going into detail, while there are elements of that in here it is just one part of the whole. There was a lot going on, ans not only were we seeing it act out through the eyes of a girl dealing with real issues, Kara felt incredibly real to me. I was surprised how psychologically deep Lewis was able to make her characters, and this kept me reading on. Never once did I feel Felix (the disabled character that had attracted me to the book in the first place) as a one dimensional character. More often than not fictional disabled people are flanderised so that their disability is their personality. This was not Felix. Sure, he had his frustrations with life due to his disability, but that was just a part of his personality. Nor was his narrative solely that of overcoming his disability. A chapter before Felix becomes joint hero with Kara, we have a scene where he's struggling to walk up a flight of outside steps because the rail stops short (something I personally have experienced too many times!) Emphasising and reminding the reader that while he is able to excel in one area, life can still be a frustration elsewhere.
I'm really glad I picked this book up. And will definitely be encouring my Goddaughters to read it - especially as they are currently the demographic this book is aimed at.
Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward without Leaving People Behind
Book
The blind person who tries to make an online purchase. The young girl who cannot speak due to a...
Users in Control: A Fresh Perspective on Accessibility
Podcast
This audio and PDF podcast offers an insightful look at how people with disabilities are empowered...
Caring for Young Children with Special Needs
Book
This easy-to-use guide gives you a quick overview on many topics related to working with young...
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Girl In Between in Books
Nov 5, 2019
This book’s main character Bryn has a sleeping syndrome, which means that she can suddenly sleep for weeks and months on end. This didn’t mean however, that she a poor defenseless girl, in fact she was the opposite. She was funny, sarcastic and a fully rounded teenager and I thought she was relatable and likeable.
This book wasn’t just about Disability but the book does cover some of the issues that, even though I don’t have the same condition as Bryn, I could relate to, when I was growing up. However, it was also a complex mix of real life, fantasy and Bryn’s condition, which was seamlessly and imaginatively, incorporated into the story.
There were a couple of times when I thought that this book would develop into a slushy teen romance, but thankfully, this just managed not to turn into this and any kind of romance was maturely and sensitively handled.
I found the pace of this to be excellent. In no part of the book did I feel the story dragged and I really wanted to know what would happen to the characters.
I think that the ending was really good and it resolved enough to feel satisfied at the end, but it left enough for me to want to read the rest of the series.
I will definitely be reading the rest of this series at some point. I would recommend reading this book, whether you want to read something with a strong main character who has a Disability, or you enjoy a good Fantasy read.
My Rating ****
The Weirwolf: My Story
Book
"Cripple. That was the word that really used to get to me. I could take a lot of insults. But...
Exploring Psychology - Audio
7.0
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Podcast
How humans think, develop, and experience the world around us has been fascinating psychologists for...
Flourishing: Health, Disease, and Bioethics in Theological Perspective
Book
This book gives a theologically satisfying discussion of health and disease that addresses key areas...