It's Monday and what am I reading?
I've been re-reading a review copy of my friend Janet McLaughlin's new book. It's available for pre-order (see link below) now and will be published in August.
I think middle-grade readers will find this novel so very appealing.
What's inside may surprise you-- and them. I don't know of many books for kids this age about Tourette Syndrome.
This is such an important book. But it's also fun and complicated and beautifully written in Izzy's appealing and spot-on voice.
Books written from the heart can take a long time to percolate, get written and revised many times over!- and find a home. Janet was not about to give up on this book. I'm so happy that DIFFERENT is now ready for the world.
Here's a little of what she says in her very helpful Author's Note about what inspired her to write about Tourette Syndrome-- a family member she's calling Madison:
What was going on in Madison’s head when she couldn’t walk down the street without stopping and touching the ground every few minutes? When she couldn’t leave a room unless she flicked the light switch on and off at least three times. How did she feel when she lost control and went into a screaming rage? I could only guess.
And that’s what I wanted to contribute to the world with this book. I wanted to let
the world know about this neurological condition on an intimate level— what it’s
like to actually live with the condition.
This is the link to the publisher's website. You can order the book, read more about it, and see this great endorsement from a long-time educator:
“As an educator for more than thirty years, it is wonderful to find a text that promotes an understanding of differences. I have had several students with Tourette Syndrome... This book lends itself to class discussions about what it means to be ‘Different.'”
Lora Netherland
