Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21503 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Customer Reviews

I strongly recommend this book.
This is a story about a boy named Brian who has dyslexia but doesn't know it. He thinks he's dumb, his parents think he's lazy and a caring teacher recognizes that he is neither. The other kids at school make fun of him because he makes a lot of mistakes when reading aloud and writing on the board. The teacher recognizes the symptoms of dyslexia and sets about getting Brian the help he needs. I read this book to my seven-year-old son, who has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia, and he really felt that the writer understood the feelings that he has about school. Brian is embarrassed that he needs extra help in school. He's wants to do well in school and he wants to be cool. The story offers hope; Brian is really smart he just learns differently. I strongly recommend this as a book to be shared by parents and their children.

A joy, a story that children can identify with
Initially I read the first few pages of this book thinking "oh heavens, I've wasted my money, this is going to be an all-American gung-ho story". Not at all. Brian is a very believable hero, and the cultural differences are minimised throughout the story. I won't spoil the tale, but it has enough drama to keep children hooked, whilst providing thoughtful and valuable insights into the world of a child with dyslexia. Theories of dyslexia are cleverly woven into the tale, without it becoming a rewritten textbook. A must - have for children of 9-12 who feel they are the only dyslexic children in the world.

Dyslexic story for children
I recently bought this book (after it was recommended to me), and read it to my 9 year old dyslexic son. It is good as it doesnot preach, and is quite exciting. Also the boy with dyslexia is very much the hero of the story, but he doesn't live in some ideal world. His parents seem to have a few marital problems to work out. In particular his fathers attitude at times makes my own mistakes seem mild.
A few things seem a bit unrealistic, for example; how much freedom the boys have to go off by themselves. However this is true of most if not all children's adventure stories. I also liked how Brian's attitude to Isabel changed throughout the book. At the start he hates swotty Isabel, but by the end they are friends.
I would recommend it to all children as a good story, maybe particularily of interest to dyslexics and siblings of dyslexics.