Advanced Study of Children’s Literature
Schneider Family Book Award Reading Response
Carol Holt
a)Reaching for Sun
b)Written by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
c)Published by Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books, New York, N.Y., 2007
d)In Zimmer’s book, Josie Wyatt describes her daily life including her innermost feelings and emotions about being a young teen with cerebral palsy. Zimmer uses lyrical free verse to tell Josie’s trails and tribulations with students at school, and with her mother and grandmother at home. Josie finally makes a friend with a new neighborhood boy, Jordan. To Josie’s surprise and delight, Jordan doesn’t seem to be curious about or bring attention to her disability. Josie and Jordan develop a close relationship while she becomes closer to her grandmother and eventually to her mother.
e)Wow, this story has such colorful, descriptive language! Even though this story is written in poetry form, it was surprisingly realistic. By that I mean I could identify with the feelings Josie expressed. It gave me a window into a teen’s life living with cerebral palsy. As I read, I imagined what it must feel like to want to hide in the girl’s restroom until after the bells has rung and the halls are clear, just so you wouldn’t have to walk past anyone. I wondered how it must feel to have students think of you as “a retard”, as Josie put it. She was so withdrawn a school that no one knew how intelligent she really was. I found this story to be poignant and I truly sympathized with Josie’s situation.
Right from the beginning you get a sense of Josie’s life through her revealing thoughts. She seems down on herself and has a negative attitude about living a life with cerebral palsy. It’s not until she meets the new neighborhood boy, Jordan, that you see a change in her character. Her attitude in general changes from unenthusiastic to excited when she befriends Jordan. Who wouldn’t be excited about finally having a close friend?
Her concern for her grandmother after having suffered a stroke is apparent. Her feelings are so heartwarming that I actually puddle up reading this part of the book, and again when Josie and her mother make amends. This story is so realistically written that I found it easy to make connections with Josie’s point of view.
f)According to the American Library Association, the Schneider Family Book Award is awarded to an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Reaching for Sun is a great example of what it is like to live with a disability. This book would be a great springboard for a discussion about feelings and how we should treat other with or without disabilities. Another application for this book in the classroom would be for teaching descriptive language, simile and metaphor.