Love is the Cure: On Life, Loss, and the End of AIDS by Elton John - A BLEEP REVIEW

I reviewed this book in the August issue of BLEEP Magazine! Read it HERE!

Jonah Lehrer Liar Liar

In the latest book news, Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works admitted to making up quotes and other material for his book. Specifically, he put his own words into Bob Dylan's mouth.

Avid readers will remember that I gave a not-so-good review to the book in BLEEP Magazine
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REVIEW

Lehrer was outed by Michael C. Moynihan who published the story in Tablet Magazine. With no saving grace in sight, Lehrer publicly apologized for his falsification. He is also stepping down as his position as staff writer for The New Yorker. Consequently, Barnes and Noble is pulling all editions of the book.

DANIELLE'S VIEW: I was right all along. Don't waste your money on the book. And, really, come on Lehrer - don't mess with Dylan. 

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee by Tom Angleberger

Do you remember that weird kid from Middle School? The one who never acted socially appropriate? And, said weird stuff? And, never actually looked anyone in the eye? That kid is the unlikely hero in Tom Angleberger's hit series Origami Yoda.

The latest in the series, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee finds the crew back at McQuarrie Middle school but without their strange friends Dwight and Origami Yoda (See Darth Paper Strikes Back for the full story). Dwight is at another school which calls him "special" and everyone is super nice to him. His differences are so "understood" that his uniqueness is no longer celebrated. Meanwhile, at McQuarrie Middle, the gang is trying to survive another school year but find themselves lost without Origami Yoda. They start to appreciate Dwight's strangeness and want him back.

As an adult reading this book, I know I have a different perspective than a child. As an adult who is also a special ed teacher, I think my perspective is extremely valuable when it comes to this book. When I read about Dwight, I recognize the signs of a kid with high functioning autism or Aspergers syndrome. However, this is not a book told by adults. This is a book told by kids who don't use official labels. They don't see Dwight as disabled. They merely see him as different.

When Dwight attends a school where he is labeled as "special", he becomes miserable. The other kids are nice to him but they hold him at arms length. He's not part of a social group. He's just "special".

Oh, what a lesson this is to us adults. We are all so quick to slap a label on a kid and then disregard the quirks that make them unique. We say they need to learn to be normal instead of teaching others to celebrate that child's gift. In reality, we need a little bit of both. The kid does need to learn some appropriate social skills and the other kids need to learn acceptance.

I hope that is what Tom Angleberger saw when he visited my classroom last school year. He visited our school and spoke to all the students but he also did a special presentation for my students. In my classroom where there was a mix of 'neurotipical' students and also students with disabilities, I hope he saw us celebrate each others differences with true acceptance instead of a fake smile. It is my fear that he may have seen the opposite.

Children reading this book will not fully understand the social statement behind it. They will learn the important lesson to be yourself and accept others who are themselves - even when they are weird.

I applaud Angleberger for writing a story with parallel meaning for children and adults. I am already anxiously awaiting his next book - one that will undoubtedly contain another paralleled message to children and adults about the controversy surrounding schools doing away with extracurricular classes in order to spend more time on standardized testing preparation. As an educator - I can't wait!

DANIELLE'S VIEW: This is a must read for kids and educators. If you haven't read the series, go ahead and start from the beginning. This book will make you laugh out loud but still make you think about real issues facing kids today. And, don't worry, all the books include origami instructions. You can have a fortune wookiee for yourself! 

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer - A BLEEP REVIEW

I reviewed this book in BLEEP! Go here to read the magazine and my review.


BLEEP with Imagine Review

Gay Conversations with God by James Langteaux - A BLEEP REVIEW

I reviewed this book in BLEEP! Go here to read the magazine and my review.


BLEEP with Gay Conversations with God Review