A gift for your support
I’m speaking on my local NPR affiliate on Monday about the Born Just Right community. I’m proud of the relationships we’ve built and touched by the number of people who reach out and want to connect. I plan to talk a bit about my vision after attending SXSW. If you’re really curious, the audio from the session is now available on my session’s SXSW web page.
In honor of all of you and the fabulous developments that are emerging from our SXSW panel… I’m giving away a signed book written by my panelist, Robert Rummel-Hudson. Schuyler’s Monsters is an honest look at how Robert grew into the advocate he is today. He doesn’t shy away from his feelings and experiences as his daughter was diagnosed with a brain condition that prevents her from being able to speak. I love the book very much and I know you will too.
So here’s all you have to do. For the next week, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and share a book you love. It doesn’t have to be about special needs… But that would be awesome if it was. I’d love to see new resources and perspectives. I love Robert’s raw views. I feel very lucky to be friends with him… even if he’s AMAZING at jumping into controversial conversations online. He can raise ire. I think it’s because he’s honest. I like honesty.
Leave a comment and I’ll put you into a drawing for Robert’s book. I will pick randomly from the list of commenters on March 31st.
My favorite books are any by Cathy Glass. She writes about being a foster parent. The books rock!
Awesome! I’ll check it out! Thanks so much.
I have nothing on special needs, sadly, so I’ll be keeping an eye on this to get recommendations about what to pick up!
A long-time fave of mine, though, is “Paula” by Isabel Allende.
Try Seeing Ezra by Kerry Cohen
I have a lot of favorite books, but three that I just couldn’t put down are ‘The Memory Keeper’s Daughter’ by Kim Edwards; ‘Evidence of Things Unseen’ by Marianne Wiggins; and ‘Blackbird House’ by Alice Walker. The first two are novels; the third is collection of short stories. The only ‘special needs’ angle is that ‘The Memory Keeper’s Daughter’ is about a girl with down syndrome. I highly recommend all three books.
Thanks Tim and Sharyn! Keep the great books coming.
I have a great recommendation. The book is “Dibs in Search of Self” by Virginia M. Axline. It’s a story similar to the one you are giving away. Dibs is a young child who has cut himself off from the rest of the world emotionally and verbally. He eventually learns to interact with his world around him, and this story shares exactly how he does it. It’s a wonderful book.
My favorite book for kids is “A Tree Is Nice” by Janice Udry. It is from the 1950’s I believe. Beautiful drawings-color interspersed with black and white. Simple ideas about the value of trees in our lives. One caveat for today is that is mentions burning the leaves in the fall, which is frowned upon nowadays. But a lovely, peaceful book. I said for kids-heck, I love this book !
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing!
Most recent ‘favorite’ book “A Secret Gift” by Ted Gup. Fantastic read (and a true story) about anonymous generosity in troubled economic times.
My two favorite books by special needs fathers are “Hurry Down Sunshine” by Michael Greenberg, and “The Boy in the Moon” by Ian Brown. Both are pretty unflinching and not at all sugarcoated, which is probably why I love them both so much.
And thank you for your kind words about my book.
You are quite welcome!
My favorite book at the moment is “I Blew It” by Brian Dollar.
I enjoy the books by Torey Hayden (One Child, Somebody Else’s Children, Ghost Girl, Twilight Children etc). She write about being a special education teacher in the 1970s and the children she worked with. She is not only a great writer, but it is also fascinating to read about the struggles at the time for Special Education students : some of the same issues she explores in her books are still unresolved.
It’s too hard to choose just one! I did get a laugh out of Big Daddy’s Guide to Autism. I enjoyed the Castle books recently for something more light too.
Heh, I already have my very own signed copy of Schuyler’s Monster, but I just wanted to say that it was a blast from the past to see someone recommend Dibs in Search of Self. Great read, and it’s been a long time since I thought of it. I will have to read it again!
I should ask for book titles more often. This is fun! I have a great growing list to read.
Maniac McGee is probably one of my all time favorites. The characters and story are fun and novel while the message that people who are different might not really be that different after all is classic. I loved it as a kid and now my boys love it.
Fun! Thanks for sharing.
We have three books in our house that seem to be making a bigger hit with our daughter, especially as she becomes more aware of her limb difference. All three deal with differences, all geared towards kids…
‘Harry and Willy and Carrothead’, by Judith Caseley. About a boy w a limb difference and another with red hair, both being different and accepted.
‘Finklehopper Frog’ by Irene Livingston about a frog who wants to jog like all the other animals, so he buys his jogging suit and starts, but the others make fun of him because he hops and doesn’t run…until the bunny comes by and helps him realize he has his own talents.
‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees, similar to the Frog, the Giraffe wants to dance with the othersx but he can’t dance like them, but learns to do things his own way.
All of them seem to let my daughter realize that being different is good, and everyone is different in one way or another.
My number one favorite series is and always will be any of the Harry Potter books, especially 5-7. Another that I adore is Tuesdays With Morrie although I must say I’m not fond of the author himself, Mitch Albom. A last and final favorite is A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle.
Gosh, I could devour books with time. I’ve been really enjoying kid book that my son gives me to read. Here are 3 that all deal with special needs in some way and are written for kids:
Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Firegirl by Tony Abbotth
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Enjoy!
Thanks so much Heather!