Sara and the Search for Normal by Wesley King

 This book was given to me to read by one of the teachers at my school.  It is the prequel to the book OCDaniel that I borrowed from him a few years ago.  Sara and the Search for Normal is another book dealing with mental health issues that are faced by so many students.  

In this story, all 12 year old Sara wants is to be 'normal', in fact she wants it so much that she has a list of over 100 rules that will help her be normal. Some of the items on her list are things like:  stop having panic attacks,  get back into a regular classroom and stop taking pills.  In her weekly therapy sessions with her doctor, he constantly reminds her that there is no normal, and that she needs to learn to like herself, but Sara has a hard time believing that.  When her doctor recommends group therapy, Sara meets Erin, another girl who has her own issues and who handles her anxiety by pulling out her hair.  Erin becomes Sara's first friend and together they learn that nobody is normal, but lots of people are good at pretending they are.  

I thought this book was amazing!  I could not put it down.  As I was reading it I was thinking about so many kids who need the messages found in this book - learning to accept yourself, flaws and all is so hard for students, and for students who struggle with mental health, it is even harder.  I can see so many students learning from this.  Once again, Wesley King has dealt with a serious issue that impacts so many kids in a way that opens the door for conversation, but most importantly for acceptance.   I will be buying my own copy of this book!

 

What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel

 What Kind of Girl is a book that arrived at my house last week.  I must have preordered it, but it was a nice surprise to see in my mailbox!  

What Kind of Girl is a very interesting story that deals with domestic violence and the impact that has on the victim / romantic partner, friends and family.  There are some mature parts to this story, but the message is a very important one, I think it would be appropriate for  mature grade 8 students and secondary students.  

The story begins when the most popular student and track star - Mike Parker's girlfriend tells the Principal that Mike has hit her and she has the bruise to prove it.    But the rest of the school is confused.  Why would she stay with him if he was hitting her?  Why didn't she go to the police?  Will this have an impact on Mike's scholarship potential?  How could such a great guy do something like this.  As a result of this, the school becomes divided.  Some of the girls want him expelled from school, his friends are defending him and accusing his girlfriend of lying.  And his girlfriend?  She is conflicted as well, why did she stay?  What will she do without him?  How will she move forward from this?  What kind of girl does this make her? 

I really enjoyed reading this story.  Sheinmel has a really interesting way of writing these different characters and I like how complex the story was.  The characters seemed so real and interesting, and they are not perfect.  They are all dealing with flaws and the stress of being a teenager.    

Just as a warning, this story does deal with mental health issues such as: bulimia, self-harm (cutting) drug use.  I think it is a great book, I would just be aware of the audience who is reading it.  

OCDaniel by Wesley King

One of the teachers at my school has talked to me about this book a few times, he reads it aloud to his Grade 8's each year.  I hadn't read (or heard about it) before he mentioned it.  Last week I was sharing a book I'd just finished and he suggested we swap books.  So as soon as he finished reading this book with his class, he gave it to me to read. 

OCDaniel is about a boy in 8th grade named Daniel.  Daniel is not one of the popular boys, but he is friends with one of the popular boys.  Daniel isn't good at sports, and he really isn't very good at math, but he is a nice guy, with a big crush on a girl who he is sure will never like him.  But Daniel also is hiding a big secret- he has OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  It takes him hours to fall asleep because he has a certain ritual he has to perform precisely before he can fall asleep.  He also has certain numbers that he really struggles with when he has to write them (or even perform them- like taking 5 steps to the bathroom).  He hides these feelings from everyone, his friends and his family.  But when Sara, a girl he has known forever, but has never spoken with because she doesn't speak to anyone starts seeking his attention, she starts to learn a bit more about Daniel and what he is dealing with every day.  Sara and Daniel are both young adults dealing with a mental illness and have to learn how to survive school, family and life in general. 

I really liked this story.  Daniel is such a loveable character.  I love his wit and his running commentary about the other boys in his school- the more athletic boys who seem to thrive at everything.  Daniel really reminds me of so many kids at my school.  I totally understand why teachers would read this book aloud- there is so much here to discuss and share with students.  I learned a great deal about how people struggle with OCD, and how some kids are battling some real challenges when they come to school.

I'd strongly suggest all teachers read this book. 

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

I have no idea where I found this book, I ordered it Thursday and it arrived Saturday morning.  When I opened up the box will all the books, this one stood out as what I need to read next.  I've not read anything by Tamara Ireland Stone before, but you can be sure my Amazon cart currently has more of her books in it. 

This story is about Samantha - a 16 year old who on the surface has it all.  She is popular, is friends with all the right girls, does well in school, has a great family and is on track for a college scholarship in swimming.  But Samantha is hiding a mental illness, Samantha has OCD and she struggles to turn off her brain when it starts to worry about something. 

Samantha is secure with her friends, but she also knows that one small slip up and she will be shunned by them all, and that scares her a lot.  But then Sam meets Caroline who introduces her to Poet's Corner, a secret group of kids from her school who aren't like her regular friends.  As Sam gets to know these other students, she is drawn to AJ more and more, and she starts to feel like she is a normal teenager.  However, what Sam needs to learn is that normal is different for everyone. 

I LOVED this book- I read it in about 3 hours straight.  As I was reading it I was thinking about a few kids in my school who struggle with anxiety and mental health.  Sam reminds me so much of one of my girls- a girl who like Sam thinks she is weak and different and broken and yet like Sam, she is stronger than anyone I know.  I'm really hoping this student will read this book, but I'm not sure I can convince her of that. 

There is one mature scene in this story, however it is gentle enough that this book still belongs in an Intermediate classroom.  I can't wait to read more books by Tamara Ireland Stone. 

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

My TBR (to be read) pile is huge- I mean there must be at least 30 books on my shelf that I've purchased because they sounds good, and then I start reading another book.  Not being in the classroom this year means that I also read more adult books.  However last week, my friend Karen mentioned this book and was talking about how great it was.  It sounded familiar (this is how bad the TBR pile is- I don't even know what is on there), but sure enough, when I got home I looked through the stacks (and stacks) of books and found this one just waiting to be read.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to read it,but it was just what I needed.  I've read another Teresa Toten book before- The Game and I quite liked it.  I love the fact that Toten writes about issues of mental health.  It is so important that young adults see themselves reflected in the books they read, and any of us working with kids recognizes the upswing in the issues youth are dealing with.  That is why I love Toten's book, she writes about real characters who are dealing with real issues.

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B, is about a boy named Adam who is in group therapy to help him deal with his OCD, his mother's issues, his parents divorce and his step-brothers anxiety issues.  He has a lot of his plate, more than any 15 year old should have to deal with.  When a new girl joins the group, Adam is completely taken by her.  But he struggles over how someone with all the issues he is dealing with could have a normal relationship.  Adam is an incredibly sweet young man, who does indeed step up to be the hero to many people he meets, all while dealing with his own issues.  I was completely in love with Adam myself.

There are so many reasons to love this book, but the characters and the topic are what sold it to me.  I am not really sure if I would have this in my grade 7 classroom, it would have to be for the right student.  Grade 8 and older for sure. Intermediate teachers, I would suggest you read this first to determine if it is right for your students.  There are parts of Adam's story, like when he is describing how his OCD manifests itself that may confuse some readers, but it is so worth the read.

Teresa Toten is an author I will continue to buy everything she writes!  Check out her website here.