This is technically a kids’ book (preteen/teen), but it’s not. If you are a parent who has a child who struggles with any kind of learning disability or behavior issue, this book will keep you engaged and entertained. It is terrifically funny, sympathetic, tragic, and hopeful inside of 218 pages.
I bought it for Dancergirl last week to keep her from squawking about T and I sneaking off to Borders in the middle of the day after my oral surgery…she hates it when we go and she doesn’t. She read it in a day and I just finished it tonight.
Wendy Mass has written a wonderful book about a 13-year old girl (Mia) who is struggling with the loss of her grandfather, trouble in math, and a condition called synesthesia.
Before her condition is named, it struck me that it was a wonderful odyssey into the mind of an ADHD kid (particularly a distractible ADHDer). Mia sees letters, names and sounds as colors. There are lots of theories for the cause, but what’s more important is how it begins to interfere with her life as she has to cope with learning algebra and spanish, while able to whiz through subjects like history and spelling by using her synesthesia to her benefit.
Mango is her cat, and that’s all I’m going to say about him. He’s central to the story but I don’t plan on revealing his role — too much of a spoiler.
Wendy Mass has created a wonderfully quirky and real family with so many touchpoints for anyone who has kids that struggle with school, social issues, or just getting through those awful middle school years. No one is perfect, but everyone does their best in this book just to BE.
The book was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, and it’s not hard to see why. I laughed hard and cried harder. She’s a terrific writer and I can hardly wait to get her next book.
My rating is 5 stars on this one — it’s worth a read and a listing on my short list of “great kids’ books that adults like, too!”
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Related Site: American Synesthesia Association
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