Calling readers of all ages! This is the book to read if you want to know what it is like inside the mind of a neurodivergent person. Gwendolyn may only be eleven years old, but when she shares her feelings of inadequacy, she will touch the hearts of many.
Gwendolyn struggles every day. She has lived most of her eleven years being told she is bad. In an effort to control her own behavior, Gwendolyn has compiled a list of 54 things she believes are the things that make her bad. She reads through the list every night before she goes to sleep, and every morning she folds the paper into a small square that she places in her shoe. Those 54 things have come to haunt her.
When Gwendolyn sneaks a peek at an IEP report given to her mother, she learns that even the grownups can't pinpoint what is wrong with her. "Inconclusive" now confirms to Gwendolyn that maybe she can't be fixed.
A new doctor, Dr. Nessa, takes on the task of doing more tests with Gwendolyn. Her conclusion is that ADHD might be the cause of some of Gwendolyn's behavior issues. After trying Gwendolyn on several medications that have her suffering some debilitating side effects, Dr. Nessa realizes there is more to the problem. Is Gwendolyn a hopeless case, or will she find a way to explain what's happening in that unique mind of hers?
Author Caela Carter does an amazing job of capturing the thought processes of a troubled mind. Readers will be rooting for Gwendolyn, cringing when teachers, friends, and family react unsympathetically, and cheering as this wonderful little girl comes to better understand her own behavior. It is made clear from the very beginning that there are no magic cures for neurodiversity, but there are ways to understand and better aid people struggling to fit into what is considered to be the "normal" world. FIFTY-FOUR THINGS WRONG WITH GWENDOLYN ROGERS is a must read!
No comments:
Post a Comment