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lacywolfe's review against another edition
4.0
Free-verse poetry makes up this short novel. Reminds me of Heartbeat by Sharon Creech. Touching. Sad, but uplifting. A girl with cerebral palsy, her grandmother and too busy mother, and a new friend.
abigailbat's review against another edition
3.0
Everyone at school thinks Josie is a freak and a retard because of her cerebral palsy. Having to go to special ed and therapy classes during the day doesn't help either. Josie feels all alone at school until a new boy shows up. Jordan isn't repulsed by Josie's disability and the two form a fast friendship. Though Josie's life doesn't immediately become perfect, she learns what it means to have and to be a friend.
mon_ique's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't think that I would like a book in poetry, but I did!! Anybody can write a book, but it takes special, talented, people to write that book in poetry form. It was a cute, short read.
teenytinylibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Josie needs a lot of things - she needs friends, she needs to have a summer off, and she needs to not have cerebral palsy. Luckily, the appearance of Jordan, a new kid to the block, she gets the first thing - a friend. Jordan and Josie's relationship grows throughout the summer along with Josie's self-esteem and confidence.
I read this for an ALA class - Children with Disabilities in the Library - and found it just delightful. The story is told in free verse poems with evocative imagery. She describes part of her disability this way: "But my thumb will always be pasted to my palm, and my left wrist and shoulder connected by an invisible rubber band." Zimmer offers some insight into what it's like to live with cerebral palsy. This would be a great read for a fourth or fifth grade class.
I read this for an ALA class - Children with Disabilities in the Library - and found it just delightful. The story is told in free verse poems with evocative imagery. She describes part of her disability this way: "But my thumb will always be pasted to my palm, and my left wrist and shoulder connected by an invisible rubber band." Zimmer offers some insight into what it's like to live with cerebral palsy. This would be a great read for a fourth or fifth grade class.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet, quiet book written in verse, about a 7th grader, Josie, who happens to have cerebral palsy. She has some speech difficulty, and her arm and leg are affected, but she can communicate just fine with others. She lives on her family's farm (which has been sold off in parcels for subdivisions, so it is no longer a farm), with her single mom and her grandmother. The whole family loves to garden and grow things; her mother is studying for her nursery management degree, and the book is full of flower and vegetable metaphors. The story takes place over a year, as Josie meets a new boy, Jordan, who becomes her friend, seeing past her disability to revel in their shared love of science and plants. Josie ditches her summertime therapy sessions to spend as much time as possible with her friend, before he leaves for science camp, but of course she gets in trouble with her mom for lying, and suffers jealousy over his time spent with other girls. Her changing relationship with her grandmother is also a key part of the book. The poetry is beautiful, with lots of nature imagery, showing how their whole house blooms when the family is together. Good book about friendship, and for showing how to treat people who are different, by respecting what's on the inside for it may surprise you.
librarybrods's review against another edition
3.0
blooming poetry-
josie's lack of "perfection"
finds a friend; a voice.
[heartfelt and sincere - but i still wanted it to be better, _sigh_]
josie's lack of "perfection"
finds a friend; a voice.
[heartfelt and sincere - but i still wanted it to be better, _sigh_]
krisis86's review
2.0
Hey surprise - this book is written as a poem. If I had known that, I wouldn't have picked it up. "Poetic" books bug me.
But as they go, this one wasn't so bad. It made for a quick read, that's for sure. Despite the brevity of the book, I felt pretty connected to the character. I didn't think the author could pull that off at all when I started reading.
If you're looking for a quick read, but not a cheap one, go for this book. If you want something in depth with lots of detail, move along.
But as they go, this one wasn't so bad. It made for a quick read, that's for sure. Despite the brevity of the book, I felt pretty connected to the character. I didn't think the author could pull that off at all when I started reading.
If you're looking for a quick read, but not a cheap one, go for this book. If you want something in depth with lots of detail, move along.
thebookvault's review
5.0
I read two pages this evening, and stopped to call the SPED teacher in my hall. I was touched and moved to tears by this book.
It is a lovely book.
It is a lovely book.
howifeelaboutbooks's review
4.0
This is a novel in verse, something I’m usually not a fan of, but I loved it here. Josie is a young teenager who has cerebral palsy, and no friends because of that. When Jordan moves into the neighborhood, he not only becomes Josie’s friend, but possibly more. Josie’s life fills with helping her grandmother garden, doing science experiments with Jordan, and volunteering at an old folks’ home. The seasons change and so does Josie - bonus if you get a hardcopy with a flip book flower in the lower right corner! I loved that this book didn’t focus on the fact that Josie has CP; it obviously affects her life, but isn’t the main point of the book.
bibliokris's review
4.0
written in free verse, Zimmer creates a clear portrait of a tween girl with cerebral palsy. Josie is smart and caring, and she doesn't spend her time feeling sorry for herself--but she does feel the stings of other kids' insults. When Jordan moves to the neighborhood she finds herself finally with a real friend. Zimmer knows her subject well and creates a likeable, believable protagonist. A very strong book.