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!
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