Disabilities Books

This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed Matthew's honesty and his transformation is truly inspiring. Well worth the read!

i am thrilled by the universality of this memoir and how it speaks to all of us, regardless of our physical status. with lyrical grace, humor and honesty, matthew confronts the messages of western culture and medicine regarding the relationships we have with our bodies. he reminds us to trust our own perceptions in a world where these are so frequently dismissed. for anyone who has known trauma, illness or over-work, this book will speak to you. -lauren elise daniels, prose editor

Matt Sanford is my hero!!! He has tremendous courage and wisdom despite being dealt some really tough blows in his young life. Somehow, he has managed through a lot of hard work to use what he's learned and share it through words that speak volumes to me about what's really important in life. I read a ton of books; this one is in my top 5 book ever. It made me cringe, wince, laugh, remember, cry, hurt, and most of all cherish my life in a deeper way than I ever knew possible.

Even if you think that you don't want to read anything that would make you "hurt or wince", this is one of those books that also reminds us to appreciate our connection both to our inner selves and others.

Thank you Matt. . . you're too awesome for words!

This memoir was a very fast read for me. I got very interested in the many directions that the authors life went. It awakened something in me as well. I will look up the authors website..to learn even more. This memoir was also very touching.

I have read this book now three times over. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It is one of those books that makes you stop and take a look at your life and make changes. The book is extremely well written. The way Matt tells his tragic story and adds his insight makes you admire him greatly. The way he worries about his family in the midst of his own tragedy makes you fall in love with him. The way the story turns out and the way he lives his life presently makes you want to meet him and tell him how much his story has touched you.

I enjoyed reading A Dog Named Christmas. If you're an animal lover you'll enjoy it too. It's a great book to read in a weekend. It would be a good YA book too. It's a good choice for a book report due in school. I look forward to reading future books by Greg Kincaid.

This is a quick read for a busy holiday -- very well written (as if based on experience with dogs and the deep commitment involved with obtaining/owning one). The characters are nicely developed and it is easy to "take sides" with the boy who wants to help find homes for dogs for Christmas. I gave this book to several people for Christmas and hope to share my copy with many other readers in the coming year.

This book is perfect for the holiday season. Light a fire, put on some Christmas background music and enjoy this book about a stray dog that touches the hearts of a family and rural community.

The charatcers in the story are all very real, from the narrator to the son Todd, all the way to the minor characters. The plot, although very heart warming, is not cheesy at any point, and it has several laughs and one or two moments of watery eyes.

As others have said, it's easy to read, suitable for all audiences (I will have my 10 year old read it next year for school when Christmas comes around) and it has many great messages.

This is a sweet story and teaches the value of "rescuing" animals. The young man in this story, although mentally challenged, had more to teach us that most educated people I have met. His humility, faith, and kindness are a lesson for us all. I highly recommend this as a family book to be read out loud.
Joan LeBlanc

Sweet easy feel-good book. Bought it for a friend who owns a black lab, but had to read it first. Glad I did.

I couldn't put this book down! I wish someone would have given this book to me when my son was born. This book needs to be given out in hospitals to the families of new babies born with Down Syndrome. It was so touching. I cried and laughed. Most importantly I felt connected to the writer of each story in some way. This book also echoed over and over the fact that we need medical professionals and hospital staff that have been properly educated on how to give less than desireable news to new parents in an intelligent and compassionate manner.

I also have a child with Down syndrome, and this is one of my favorite books of all time. I have purchased copies of it for several of my family members and even my neighbor!

Gifts helps to show people that life with a child who has DS isn't awful like many medical professionals make it seems like. My son is the best thing that happened to me and I wouldn't change one thing about him!

'Gifts' is the book I will give to my doctor, my OBGYN, my daughters' pediatrician with the money we save by eating more simply this Advent. Our middle daughter has Down Syndrome and the 63 chapters by mothers of children with Down Syndrome continually resonated with my experiences.
Last year my father gave me the gift of giving someone else a goat in a poor country through Heifer International. It struck me that "Gifts" is a perfect gift to the person who 'has everything'. One could give one copy to a parent and 4 copies to ones OBGYN - making it a generous amount to the parent and a gift multiplied.

This is a warm and touching read. It was a pleasure hearing the stories of parents of children with Down's. As a Speech Pathologist and Teacher of the Speech/Language Impaired, I would highly recommend this to both my collegues and clients.

"Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition, happening once in every 730 births. Down syndrome occurs among people of all races and all economic levels and affects more than 350,000 American families." The sixty-three women who share their stories of raising a child with Down syndrome in "Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives" breathe life into that statistic.

Kathryn Lynard Soper's son Thomas was born premature and with Down syndrome. In inviting women to share their stories in "Gifts" she wanted to "create the book I wished I could have read during the long dark winter following Thomas's birth." These stories are stories of hope and love and of children who change the lives of the families they entered. There is pain, too: the pain of difficult medical procedures, lost hopes, and adjusting to a life different from the one envisioned. However, none of these women would change their lives. They love their children and have learned much from them. As Sopor states, all of these mothers have "come to understand that life - including life with an extra chromosome - is a gift. A good gift."

"Gifts" is incredibly pro-life. Many of these women were given the option to terminate their pregnancy. For some, there was no question that they were going to carry their child through to birth. Others struggled long and hard with the decision. All chose life. As mother Catherine Finn states, "I want the world to understand that every child, whether they have a disability or not, deserves equal opportunities to grow and develop. I want to emphasize that children with Down syndrome are more similar than different when compared with other children."

"Gifts" is an amazing book with parenting lessons even for those whose children don't have disabilities. The stories will open your eyes and touch your heart. It is an invaluable resource for those facing a diagnosis of Down syndrome in their own child.

This was the first book i bought and read when my son was diagnosed with TS. I related, cried, laughed and lived every moment of the book.
GREAT!

Tourette Syndrome is a clinical condition and in the traditional school system can really be a problem socially and academically for students. I agree with another poster who stated that a teacher can make or break the spirit of a student. More often its the later as many educators find themselves overwhelmed by the stresses of large classrooms, etc. Luckily this is a real life example of someone who used his condition to the positive impact of himself and others. Another good film on the difference a teacher can make is Freedom Writers starring Hillary Swank.

This book is the best! So good, I bought 2 copies to share with people close to me so they can finally understand what my child is going through. Brad is awesome! When I wrote to him to shower him with Kudos, he wrote back to me. I love his determination and I pray my son will have the same!.

As an accomplished pianist, teacher and adjudicator I spend most of my time with individuals of all ages. Teaching and adjudicating are perhaps the most challenging of all! Like Brad Cohen, I have Tourette Syndrome and growing up as a "baby boomer", a time when extremely little was known about Tourettes, teasing, being bullied and considered a virtual headache to my teacher's made my life a living hell. All I had to turn to was my God given gift of music!
Brad Cohen grew up with the same horrific challenges that Tourettes brings with it. A teacher is someone every student should be able to turn to for support, a shoulder to lean on, a friend, when you feel your own are not there for you. Growing up in this day and age is a daunting task. Brad Cohen knows this all too well, and shows his understanding of it through his actions as a teacher. He knows what it is like to not have teachers there when he needed them most in his life. He turned having TS, a debilitating disorder into a tool of support and understanding for those lives he touches everyday. New disorders are being discovered at an alarming rate. The future teachers and classrooms are not yet equipped to handle what lies ahead for them. My niece is a teacher and she can hardly cope with the demands of her position as they stand. Teachers will need the support of people like Brad Cohen travelling to various school boards as I do as a Music Therapist to educate new teachers on how to integrate students with disorders and other issues into the classroom. Teachers' Colleges will have to provide the means to offer clinical studies in what lies ahead such as Tourette Syndrome, ADD, ADHD, learning disorders , behavioral problems and so much more. Educating our teachers as Brad Cohen has educated his students and fellow teachers is paramount if the future of our world's children will have a chance to survive what lies ahead of them. Teacher Assistant's will need to become a necessity in every classroom, and trained in specific areas. One teacher per class will no longer be enough, if those students who require extra attention are going to be successfully integrated into the classroom of the public school system.
Brad Cohen has touched the lives of so many students in his life as a teacher! They say that if you can touch the life of one person, you have done your job. Brad Cohen has surpassed this objective time and time again!
I can only hope, that more people like Brad Cohen will give of their talent's as I try to do as a music therapist, to educate and help prepare the schools, teachers' and students' of tomorrow!
I once received a letter from a student I adjudicated in a competition, and it said; "not often enough in life, do we take the time to say "Thank You", thank you sir for your knowledge and encouragement, it means so much!"
Now it is time for me to say "THANK YOU" to Brad Cohen, a teacher who has touched many lives."
To everyone in the profession of teaching, this is a book that will positively "re-charge" your love of being an educator!

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus.(MT) A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (hon.)

This book is great for so many reasons. Anyone can read this and walk away with something. If you have Tourettes (or any disability), it is such a positive, supportive, encouraging story. I wish I had boxes of this book to pass to every teacher, doctor, friend, grandparent, parent and child. Tourettes is something almost everyone in the world will encounter in some way. Disability dicrimination, is unfortunately also something everyone will encounter in some way. This book provides a unique, well written perspective of life with an uncontrollable, misunderstood disorder. I reccomend it to you.

I recently purchased and read this book as I continue to avidly research autism and it's treatment. I came across this book and purchased it based on it's reviews, and there is clearly a reason that this book has very high reviews. Dr. Koegel has written one of the best books that I have read covering this topic. The book itself is very well written and documented, and it gives hands-on treatment approaches to problematic behavior. Most books talk about the various areas of difficulties that a child w/ autism has, but for anyone that spends anytime around a child w/ it, we don't need a book to tell us what defines problematic behavior because we could write one ourselves. What someone needs is this book that discusses why the behaviors occur and how to replace the inappropriate behavior w/ something the child can learn from and consequently, yield appropriate behavior. After all, if we don't have a cure yet, we should at the very least, have a way to beat it and overcome it!

Thus, my appreciation really does go out to Dr. Koegel and her research/exprerience w/ dealing w/ children w/ autism. My only regret is that she works out of UCLA and is far away because she would be an incredible asset to a child w/ autism in Texas. She does however have available for purchase through her website, a set of various training manuals that cover areas of problematic behavior that give a more in-depth approach to how to teach and work w/ a child so that they can learn how to eliminate the behavior and replace it w/ an appropriate one. That is, after all, the point -- help the child learn by teaching them how to effectively deal w/ their autism so that they can overcome it! This book is the answer, I thank Dr. Koegel for sharing and allowing us to have hope in, at times, a very difficult world.

So full of hope and realism. If you are going through a tough time coping with the diagnosis, this book will get you back on track and focused on how to best help your child from an ABA/educational perspective. You won't find all the controversial treatments in here, but straight forward therapist and parent perspectives on how to help your child. I immediately started using techniques discussed in the book and was impressed by how quickly my daughter responded. At 3.5 she still has a way to go, but I have such an improved outlook for her future thanks to this book.

My son was diagnosed with ASD at 2. I read many books and this was my favorite. It was clear, easy to read and most of all it gives you techniques on how to help your child overcome. It gave me hope when I was facing his diagnosis.

Although I have not purchased this book, I have read a copy that I borrowed from a library.

While the author of this book doesn't guarantee that autistic kids will improve suddenly as soon as their cargivers start giving them the help they need, she talks about how much they can progress eventually if their caregivers give them all the help they need. I really like books that tell us about how much autistic people can progress eventually if they are given every chance to progress as much as they can, and that also give examples of those who have made great progress already, as a result of being given every chance to progress as much as they can. In fact, I really like all books that offer solutions to major problems and/or better alternatives to the status quo!

There are books on autism that I recommend that parents and heathcare professionals read. This is one book that I recommend that they don't just read but buy and keep it for future references.

There is such a wealth of info on autism here. If you can only afford to buy one book on autism. Let this be the one.

The authors take a highly optimistic view of treating autism. However, they make no bones about the fact that the treatment process is long, tedious and can even be painful. The first chapter deals with diagnosis and dealing with the initial shock.

From the second chapter onwards, the authors get down to earth with managing the autistic child. They go down to every detail on how to encourage communication. Start from the very simple and basic. Turn sounds into words. Reward, reinforce ...

Next, it's down to breaking the self-stimulating or injury cycle. Introduce replacement behaviour. The authors go into the dos and don'ts for breaking repetitive actions. Why punishment doesn't work for them. There is also a very practical FAQ section that deals with the common concerns and problems faced by parents and care providers.

The following chapters deal with imparting social skills, providing education and family support. There is so much useful info that it's impossible to finish, let alone digest in one reading. Buy this book and keep referring to it as you manage autistic children and see them grow up.

These books have transformed my youngest brother (a 6th grader) into a "reading-machine." Very few books interested him before Hank Zipzer. Now, he calls every so often to tell me he's finished one, and lets me know what happened and what he thinks of it. A big thank-you to Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver for not overlooking young boys as an important literary audience.

The characters are relateable, the subject matter real and humorous. I would reccommend this to anyone with kids in thier lives ages 9-12. These books will win over even your most reluctant reader.

This product was in great condition and I received it very very quickly! Thanks so much!

We found a couple of these books at our local library and my son who didn't just love to read can't put these down. He reads and laughs and reads and laughs. He is required to read for 1 hour a day, but with these books he goes past the hour and then is back into it again just before bed. We already ordered several more on Amazon and he has chosen them over all other books to read. We had tried many different types of books before trying these and he just didn't enjoy reading. I'm going to be sad when he has read all of them, we will have to go in search of another good read for him.

I discovered Hank Zipzer while watching Henry Winkler doing an interview. He mentioned that one of the reasons he had written the books was because he wanted to explain what life was like for a student who learned in a different way from everyone else. It worked. The book is funny, touching, and true. Hank is a "real" boy. I am currently reading it aloud to my grandson, who is 9, who has some learning disabilities of his own. The story and the characters provide great opportunites for talking about "coping" with problems.

I read the first six books in this series back in 2004 and was completely blown away by them. Having a dual form of dyslexia, reading these books was like a flashback to childhood and my own early school struggles. Henry Winkler in an interview talks about his own struggles with dyslexia. The books tout Hank as the world's best underachiever. These books capture the essence of struggling with a learning disability. Almost all my report cards up to high school say "does not live up to potential" or "marks do not reflect ability". It was always hard, being considered dumb, or having to leave class for special education. That is what happens in this book.

Hank must write a report on his summer vacation, yet he lacks the skills to do this in the required way, so he comes up with the creative solution of building a model of Niagara Falls and showing his class his vacation. Yet like so many other good intentions this too goes awry, and Hank once again ends up in trouble at school and at home.

These books are great for anyone who struggles with a learning disability to know that they are not alone. It is also good for parents of such a person so they can understand better. Or for educators who in this day and age are dealing with more and more students with diagnosed learning disabilities. Or just an awesome book to read with some younger people in your life.

writes great books for parents with ADHD children. She understands what parents live with everyday and she offers practical solutions to everyday problems. She does not give you a lot of technical/medical jargon. She writes so that parents can understand what they read. She interviews teens with ADHD and gets their input in her books. I recommend her books to parents all the time.

This is a must-have book for parents with teenagers with ADD. I also bought for me and for my son's team of teachers, "Teaching Teenagers With ADD" by the same author. Both are excellent books!!!!

This is another excellent book by Chris Ziegler Dendy. The author presents practical information that will help parents in their day to day struggle to deal with the changing world of an adolescent with ADHD. She clearly has dealt with some of these stiuations herself, so she brings humorous and compassionate anecdotes to illustrate the factual material. I would highly recommend this and her other books on the practical aspects of dealing with adolescents with ADHD

THIS BOOK IS WOUNDERFUL! A MUST FOR PARENTS RAISING TEENS WITH ADHD AND ADD. TEACHERS OF TEENS SHOULD READ THIS ALSO, SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE TOUGH JOB OF RAISING AND TEACHING THESE WOUNDERFUL KIDS. THIS BOOK IS A MUST TO READ!

This book was so helpful to me! My 13-year-old son was just diagnosed with ADD and it was a God send. It has so many great suggestions, stories and advice. I stayed up all night reading it! It was like an autobiogrpahy of my son for the past few years. He was especially relieved to figure out what was wrong and read the other kid's experiences.
It was also helpful for me on how to advise my son's teachers of special care that he needs. The appendix for teachers in the back is an excellent tool to give to teachers so they can develop a good basic understanding of the condition.
The book doesn't have much on the medication Adderal which was what our doctor recommended. The information on accompanying sleep disturbances was excellent - our doctor didn't even know about it.

Several reviewers here have remarked that Kate Seredy's A Tree for Peter was out of print. It has now been reissued, with restored plates for Seredy's superb illustrations. The book was neither a Caldecott winner nor Honor Book, and was not a Newbery winner nor Honor Book. Seredy did win the Newbery Medal in the 1930s for her reworking of Hungarian myth in The White Stag, and her novel The Singing Tree was a Newbery Honor book in 1940. As to A Tree for Peter itself: I remember encountering the book in elementary school, likely in the fifth grade, but whether I came upon myself, was introduced to it by my sympathetic teacher or even more sympathetic public librarian, I cannot recall. What I can recall vivdly is being overwhelmed by the pathos of the tale and knowing intuitively that this was an allegory. Reading it again in adulthood, it seems almost -- almost! -- to teeter into sentimentality, but such is Kate Seredy's absolute conviction that the book avoids it, and becomes a manifestation of Christian teaching. One may remark, too, that the book is very short -- as, it seems, books about true goodness almost always are. Welcome back, Peter.A Tree for Peter

My family loves this book. Kids know they're inheriting a pretty messed up world, but this book engenders optimism. It's about a kid who changes his community and helps others conquer poverty. It's a beautiful story.

This book tells a great Christmas story. Its message is one of hope and is particularly powerful for someone for whom life isn't going so well. It's an example of how faith and believing in the goodness of God through times of deprivation can lead to wonderful outcomes when continued. I haven't re-read it recently, so I don't recall how much of this message is stated outright and how much is through symbolism (some definitely is symbolism), but that's what I recall about the message. It's a story for children through adults who want to be inspired at Christmastime. I hope we find time to re-read it as a family this Christmas!

Background: My wife remembers this book from Christmas visits as a child with an elderly couple (their "Adopted Grandparents"). Years later, the elderly woman, Rosamond, wanted to give a copy of this book to our family and other relatives. She found it was out of print, but with the local book store obtained permission to make photocopies which she gave that Christmas. It's about 6 years later now, Rosamond has passed away, and the photocopy we received from her wasn't very good quality. We were able to replace it with a nice bound book for a price that was quite reasonable (not sure it will still be on sale when you're reading this :-) A Tree for Peter.

I read a library copy of this book as a child back in the early 60's, and it touched me deeply. For years I tried to find a copy to purchase, but it was out of print and the internet hadn't happened yet. Then several years ago along came ebay, and I finally was able to get an older copy. I have shared it with my own children, and I still can't get through the book without crying. I'm thrilled that they have re-printed it!

School-age children will love reading about Peter, a desperately poor child who lives with his widowed mother in a run-down house on the town dump. A mysterious visitor teaches Peter to view life positively and take small steps to improve the area around his home. The other slum-dwellers take hope and the small changes lead to a renewed spirit of community. The author, Kate Seredy, was a master illustrator, whose line drawings make the book come alive. This is one of my favorite books from my very favorite children's author.

This is an experience to be read slowly and absorbed. It is so freeing....one of the best books I've ever read, and I've given so many copies for presents. It has enabled me to find a special joy in life. I hated for the book to come to an end!

This book has many wonderful and comforting life lessons. I looked forward to each letter and they touched my heart. I love Dan Gottleib. He is such a kind, gentle soul. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I haven't finished this book yet, but I got it because it's written by same author of "Learning from the Heart: Lessons on Living, Loving, and Listening". I just got lucky to find "Learning from the Heart" and I would recommend anyone feel hopeless in their life. We all have different way of registering things, but this one won't waist your time or money. I hope you too get lucky and feel rejuvenated.

Upon the birth of his first grandson, Sam, Daniel Gottlieb, a psychologist, decides to write Sam letters sharing words of wisdom. Given that Gottlieb has had quadriplegia for many years, he is uncertain as to whether he will live to see Sam grow up, and so his letters are a way of forging a special bond with his grandson. When Sam is less that two years of age, however, Gottlieb's letters take on a new meaning: Sam is diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (an Autism spectrum disorder), and suddenly, Gottlieb is left wondering whether Sam will ever be able to read his letters at all. He continues writing the letters, however, as he and Sam now share a unique bond, that of being different.

Gottlieb organizes his book around different categories, as he speaks to Sam about himself, his parents, his world, and his future. The letters are relatively short (2-3 pages each) and not necessarily profound; rather, they are simple and touching, with words spoken from the heart of "Pop" to his grandson. This is a book that is both personal and genuine, and I would definitely recommend it.

These inspiring letters about love, loss and the gifts of life are as jewels in the mud. They shine brightly with a humble, honest and profound wisdom that nurtures light within and beyond darkness. A compelling read you will want to share with friends and family.

This powerful work is at once inspiring, frustrating and captivating. Kozol draws the reader into a world called Mott Haven that is filled with substance, love, service and hope. He poignantly describes the lives of children while blasting the manner in which we have chosen to deal with our most needy sectors of society. Kozol's gifted and powerful storytelling reminds us of several truths:

1. Segregation is potentially a bigger problem today than ever. White flight, private schools, school choice, home-schooling, virtual schools and lack of equitable access to technology are widening the gap.
2. Inequities in education must be addressed with the underlying belief that every child has the potential to achieve his/her dreams. Society must be responsible and held accountable for creating conditions ensuring that this occurs.
3. Teachers and students must all be able to work and learn in optimum conditions that safeguard and ensure dignity.
4. Although children appear to be resilient, we must protect their innocence, ensure they have the chance to dream and be inspired by their eternal optimism and hope. The real heroes of today are those who spend time with our children, listening to and nurturing their dreams.
5. We spend too much on our prison system and must figure out a way to divert that funding to education and healthcare so we can be proactive rather than reactive.

Kozol manages to convey the realities of inner city education by illuminating the complexities behind the daily challenges facing teachers and parents. His manner of connecting the problems to the institutions and practices that society has created to deal with those who do not "fit the system" provides a wake-up call to all of us who are working to make a difference in the lives of children. Kozol shows us that the system we have created is nurturing itself instead of helping people to break out of the vicious cycle characterized by lack of quality education, health care, meaningful work opportunities and dignity. We can no longer ignore the problems in the inner cities of America, not just because it makes economic sense but because it makes human sense to individually develop our most precious resources - our children. Community leaders, parents, educators, and corporate leaders should put this compelling book on the top of their "must read" list.

In Ordinary Resurrections, Jonathan Kozol deviates from his usual "gloves off" attack of the issues facing minority children. Instead of building the case against the inequitable system with facts and figures, as he has in previous work, he has chosen the subtle but effective approach of a storyteller. He paints a very descriptive portrait of the victims of continued segregation and racism that may inspire those in positions of influence to make more compassionate decisions regarding the lives of the children they serve.

Things that scream out to me from Kozol's book(s):

1) Incarceration vs. Education (do the math!)
The incarceration industry is thriving on blind public support. If taxpayers knew they were paying on the average ten to twenty times more to incarcerate supposed perpetrators of victimless crimes than it would cost to educate them, I'd bet they might even overlook their racist fears. The corporate/federal mentality that chooses to decide early on what these children will bring to the economy seems to prefer them as a product in this system versus potential contributors to something greater.

2) Resilience (despite our conditional "help")
In their innocent naiveté the children neglected by the system remain courageous, hopeful, and resilient. This resilience may diminish as they weather the inequities of the system that oppresses them, but it is often the attribute that enables them to succeed regardless of our preaching and teaching. Just imagine what heights they might reach if they continued to be nurtured as they are by the caring individuals in their lives now.

3) Compassion (essential)
As a beneficiary of white male privilege his reflections from the other side of the gap are poignant and insightful lessons for those of us too far removed from the reality that exists in many of our cities. Even after this racial inequity is acknowledged it is difficult for most of us to express empathy in ways that ring genuine. Kozol does! He is trusted and welcomed by the culture and community he strives to serve. His stories reflect a model for learning and practicing compassion which, in my opinion, may be the single most important factor in saving ourselves from extinction. Kozol repeatedly demonstrates the importance
of compassion in his work. Listen to him!

4) Racism, segregation, inequality (market view politics)
Racism is institutionalized in the United States despite the hope segregation was ending that the civil rights movements of the sixties inspired. "Kids notice that no politicians talk about this. They hear the politicians saying, "We're gonna have tougher standards in your separate-but-not-equal schools. We're gonna raise the bar of academic discipline in your separate-but-not-equal schools." But nobody says we're going to make them less separate and more equal. Nobody says that." - Kozol interview in Education World

5) Toxic environments (no one to litigate)
AIDS, asthma, drugs, violence, toxic pollution, poverty, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, apartheid economics, and neglect are common elements in the environment Kozol's children try to survive in. Basic needs must be satisfied before we can expect children to be receptive to that which we would have them learn. Kozol is issuing a wake-up call to the complacent masses that are either unaware or in denial that this situation is serious and threatens all of us socially, emotionally, and economically.

In my opinion, implications for educators that may be gleaned from Kozol's book include:
* The extreme importance of compassion in all aspects of dealing with children.
* Recognition that before we talk about diversity we need to spend a lot more
time in the conversation about racism.
* Locking people up is not rehabilitation and in the long run is socially,
emotionally, spiritually, and economically disastrous. Break the cycle of incarceration!

The Bronx has a long history. I'm always bumping into middle-aged and elderly professionals from the Bronx. Their mothers scrubbed floors; they went to City University. They now live in million-dollar condos in Manhattan. The ghetto is a conveyor belt for those who make up their minds to sacrifice their youth for future gain. Today's Bronx looks very much as Kozol describes. The very young are cute and inspiring, I suppose, but there must be a reason he leaves out the teens and their older brothers and sisters. The modern ghetto doesn't put a premium on discipline and learning. Kozol feeds into the victimology, seeing the community suffering from the failures of others to "do" right by them. Teachers know, however, that much would be improved if parents would simply make their children go to bed on time. Crime would be halved if kids were told to come in by 9. Early immigrants left the Bronx for the affluent suburbs, having devoted themselves to their children's education. Today it is rare indeed to meet a parent who has even one book in the house. Funding won't make up for this basic poverty of values.

Ordinary Resurrections is one of the most important books I've ever read and one of the most poignantly beautiful. It is an absolute must read for everyone who cares about children, the wide disparity in economic opportunity in the U.S., and who dares to hope for our future. Kozol movingly brings to life in his first-hand descriptive account the lives and conditions in their own words of children and their families who have been deliberately neglected, ignored, hidden away. This true story of their hope, strength, resilience, and beauty testifies to the dominance of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable abuse by government at every level and all systems that have failed them.

Jonathan Kozal has taken away the protective myth that America's school children are all treated equally, with dignity and given unvarying opportunities. In his latest book, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS, Kozal's readers get a glimpse into a reality that replaces equal value with present day segregation to children of the poor. Although many in power would like to ignore the disgrace of how our underprivileged students are educationally treated in areas such as Mott Haven, New York, Kozal's first hand account of such inequality calls for a recognition and reformation of America's priorities. Told in the children's words, this book contributes awareness to the desperate need for compassion to and knowledge of the struggles of many American youth. The facts are both shocking and compelling, and will challenge the values one holds to necessitate action on our children's behalf. As Kozal states, the reality is that "...there are few areas in which the value we attribute to a child's life may be so clearly measured as in the decisions that we make about the money we believe it's worth investing in the education of one person's child as opposed to that of someone else's child." Once read, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS destroys the bliss of ignorance. One is faced with the decision to powerfully act or despairingly ignore.