​Dr. Shanah Salter
  • ABOUT
  • Writing Craft
  • BOOKS
  • POETRY
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Contact
  • Medical Presentations
  • Medical Blog

Book Reviews

Show Me a Sign

5/11/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
SHOW ME A SIGN
By Ann Clare LeZotte


Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

​SHOW ME A SIGN is a beautifully written middle-grade, historical fiction novel. Set in 1805, it tells the story of Mary Lambert, a girl growing up on Martha's Vineyard. Many people on the island are Deaf, including Mary, and use sign language to communicate. Her island life is in many ways idyllic, though she doesn't realize this until she is forced to face life on the mainland. In Boston, there are very few Deaf people, minimal understanding of sign language, and even scientists and medical professionals are under the misapprehension that deafness is an infirmity.


Mary is an ideal heroine—smart, curious, adventurous, and imaginative. Readers will undoubtedly fall under her spell from page one and stick with her through the terrible ordeals she faces as the story unfolds.

LeZotte, a Deaf librarian, handles so much so well, from the Deaf experience and the intricacies of sign language versus spoken language to intolerance, cultural issues, and racism. The back matter is equally rich. Wonderful and essential reading for all! 

@kidlitexchange  #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit @scholasticinc
0 Comments

Can You See Me?

4/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
CAN YOU SEE ME?
By Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This middle-grade novel centers around sixth-grader Tally and her experiences starting middle school. But as well as adjusting to life in a new school and her "friends" changing before her eyes (becoming boy-crazy and into make-up), Tally has the added challenge of managing her autism and keeping the struggle silent.


Tally's journey is based on Ms. Scott's own experiences with autism and is a moving story about what it means to be "normal." It is told in close third person with interspersed diary entries written by Tally.

No doubt this book will prove to be an integral part of any school and library collection and an important conversation-starter for communities seeking to better understand autism and provide accommodations for autistic members.

@kidlitexchange #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit
0 Comments

Not If I Can Help It

12/28/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
NOT IF I CAN HELP IT
By Carolyn Mackler


This is a sweet middle-grade story featuring Willa, a dog-loving girl with Sensory Processing Disorder. 

Willa lives with her father and brother in a New York City apartment during the week and visits her mother and step-father on the weekends. She has regular sessions with a therapist and a reliable best friend, Ruby, who keeps her grounded at school. But Willa's world is flipped upside down when she discovers her father has fallen in love with Ruby's mom and intends to marry her.

Readers will quickly connect with likable Willa and empathize with her need for stability and her dislike of change. The detailed aspects of her disorder are well integrated into the story without them overtaking the plot or Willa's character development.

Strong themes of friendship, family, self-acceptance, and honesty abound as Willa grapples with disclosing her diagnosis to Ruby and contemplates how she will function with a new sister and step-mom in her daily life. 

Grab some gummy bears (Willa's favorite candy!) and enjoy.

#bookreview #kidlit #bookstagram
0 Comments

You Don't Know Everything,       Jilly P!

11/21/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING JILLY P
By Alex Gino


This new middle-grade title filled with heart, the latest from the awarding-winning author of George, is jam-packed with action, tension, and important social issues. It follows the story of Jilly, a book-loving hearing white girl (with hearing parents) in California whose baby sister is born Deaf. As well as journeying with Jilly and her parents as they navigate how best to support and raise the newest member of their family, the reader also sees Jilly dealing with race discrimination between members of her own extended family and also toward a friend she cares about.

The complex social issues raised in this story including Deaf culture, racism, and police violence make it an important read for middle-schoolers as they mature and begin to learn about the world around them. Hopefully, the book will provide a platform for caregivers, teachers, and peers to delve deeper into these subjects and ensure open-dialogue and conversations (even if uncomfortable) continue.

Gino's Author Notes at the end of the book are an important addition, providing more background and context for readers and educators.

Your heart might feel heavy with worry after reading this book but you'll be glad you did. 

@kidlitexchange #partner #bookstagram #kidlitexchange #kidlit 
0 Comments

Fish In A Tree

9/27/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Fish In A Tree
By Lynda Mullaly Hunt


Get ready to be transported back to sixth grade and the challenges of navigating class work, peers, and homework. Only, there’s a catch- undiagnosed dyslexia.

Ally is a well crafted protagonist- her strength, determination, and kindness shine encouraging readers to invest in her journey from the get go. Her teacher, Mr. Daniels, is the teacher every child hopes for and the type of educator every teacher aspires to be. 

This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever felt lonely or out of place in a room full of peers and a great snapshot of dyslexia.
0 Comments

Hello Goodbye Dog

10/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Patrice Barton
 
(Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.)

​
From Maria Gianferrari, author of Coyote Moon, comes this delightful tale of a wheel-chair-bound girl and her doting dog. A must-read for animal lovers!
 
Zara is a sweet girl, so sweet that her dog, Moose, wants to be by her side all the time, including while she is at school. Moose is all about the warm hugs and love that accompany "hello," "goodbyes" on the other hand, are a struggle. We follow Moose through these "hello" highs and "goodbye" lows. Finally, reaching an ending that is...all smiles!
 
An author’s note about therapy dogs is an informative inclusion.
 
With beautiful illustrations, by Patrice Barton, and a heart-warming portrayal of the bond between a girl and her dog, this story will quickly become a "read-again" favorite.

0 Comments
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    August 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017

    Categories

    All
    Acceptance
    ADHD
    Adoption
    Adventure
    Alzheimer's Disease
    Animals
    Asthma
    Autism
    Boarding School
    Cancer
    Cats
    Chapter Book
    Christmas
    Consent
    Crocodile
    Dance
    Deaf Culture
    Dinosaur
    Diverse Ability
    Divorce
    Dog
    Dyslexia
    Early Reader
    Eating Disorder
    Environment
    Epilepsy
    Family
    Fantasy
    First Crush
    First Words Book
    Friendship
    Gingerbread Man
    Grief And Loss
    Heart Transplant
    Historical Fiction
    Humor
    Immigration
    Japan
    Kindness
    Leukemia
    LGBTQ+
    Library
    Magic
    Mental Illness
    Middle Grade
    Monkey
    Mystery
    New Home
    Novel-in-verse
    Parent In Prison
    Performing Arts
    Pet
    Picture Book
    Race Relations
    Refugees
    Rhyme
    Roller Derby
    Romance
    Russia
    Schizophrenia
    School
    Seizures
    Sensory Processing Disorder
    Series
    Sexual Abuse
    Shark
    Skill Acquisition
    Social Media
    Spelling
    Stage-fright
    STEM
    St Patrick's Day
    Summer Camp
    Superhero
    Swimming
    Talent Show
    Team Work
    Travel
    Vehicles
    Wordless Picture Book
    Young Adult

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • ABOUT
  • Writing Craft
  • BOOKS
  • POETRY
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Contact
  • Medical Presentations
  • Medical Blog