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LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down by R. Janet Walraven (Book Review)

What does a teacher do with a teenage student who can’t seem to read, write, speak, or want to mix in with others? What does a parent do when their child is continually bullied throughout elementary school without teachers or administrators seeming to care? Where is a safe place for students with challenges that no one seems to understand?

This is a true story. When Liam came to my classroom, I knew something was off. What was I supposed to do with this student who was extremely withdrawn? I didn’t know, but I knew I had to find out ̶ a challenge that I could not ignore. This book isn’t only about bullying, though there was plenty of that. It’s about a boy who needed help to allow his potential to surface. If you are a teacher, a parent, or anyone who has witnessed, or have themselves experienced this, you need this book. LIAM will give you hope.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

There was a time when anyone who didn’t catch on at the same pace as others were labeled “retarded.” R. Janet Walraven notes thanks to former President Obama passing Rosa’s Law, “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” were replaced with “intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability.” Unfortunately, this change in federal law did not replace the use of these terms in state law. The author also states in chapter eight, “In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law guaranteeing that every child with a disability would get Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This is supposed to be included in the Individualized Education Programs, IEP’s, that special education teachers write. From there, they have options of working with the child onsite, sending them away for therapy, …or waiting for litigation.” R. Janet Walraven states that many teachers look the other way at a child’s apparent struggles because they lack support in costs and help from the administration. LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down is a prime example of when the administrator fails a teacher, fails to support the students and makes doing a teacher’s job harder than necessary. 

Thirteen-year-old Liam has made a move from public to private school. His parents made a choice, not out of a need for better education. No, they are transferring him because they feel he’s unsafe in public school. Ms. J, the 8th-grade teacher at the private school, has a full class, but the principal, Mr. Chadwick, doesn’t care. That’s a recurring theme with him. He doesn’t care about the students’ safety, best interests, or helping the faculty. He abuses his power on several occasions. 

Ms. J. could’ve been like Liam’s other teachers and accepted Liam as “mentally retarded” and let him float by. Liam’s parents, even Liam, accepted the label. Since Ms. J didn’t have proper special education training, the parents and Liam wouldn’t have faulted her. However, Ms. J was different from the other teachers. She thought Liam was mislabeled. She saw his intelligence, his potential. Ms. J stood up to the principal. She put her foot down when the bullies chants shredded Liam’s confidence. She sought outside help for Liam and even drove him to his sessions at Hope Clinic. 

Hope Clinic properly diagnosed Liam, and he was not “retarded.” Liam has visual perception dysfunction. The book explains it in length, but (basically) Liam’s brain wasn’t computing what his eyes saw. He needed special glasses and exercises to retrain the brain. Thanks to Ms. J and her cousins, Liam never missed an appointment. Liam could afford specialized care thanks to his parents selling their home and moving into a trailer. I was angry to see the colossal sacrifice his parents had to make but also touched by their display of love. 

LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down was FULL of emotions. I wanted to cry when the boys tore him down with their chants. I wanted to cry again at his graduation. My heart nearly burst when Willow asked Liam to join her in Jump Rope for Heart and the school newspaper. I cheered Liam when he repeatedly showed the world they were wrong about him. 

I’ve worked in mainstream and special education classrooms. I’ve seen how people treat students that need extra help. Basically, I’ve run into my share of Mr. Chadwick’s. However, I also had the great pleasure of working with teachers who resemble Ms. J. They go the extra mile and then a thousand more. 

Ms. J didn’t know to teach Liam (at first), but she didn’t give up on him. Students like Liam are highly intelligent. They only need to discover a way to show it. It could be reading glasses. It could be having questions read to them. I know teachers are overwhelmed, overworked, and underpaid, but this story is a prime example of what can happen when teachers, administrators, and parents work together. 

I encourage educators and parents of children with intellectual disabilities to read this book. It’s inspirational. It’s heart-warming. It’s worthy of five stars! 

Be sure and look at the bonus material at the back of the book. Meet “Liam” and his best friend “Willow.” See where they are now. View writing samples from Liam. Also, check out appendix C: Characteristics of Dyslexia.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

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Meet the Author

 

R. Janet Walraven, Silver Award Winner (Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards) has written historical romance, a teacher-mentor book, children’s book, & historical fiction. She lives in New Mexico with her companion, Mal, her best critic & support. She loves to read, write, garden and travel.

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Through Calvin Arthur’s 4th Grade Eyes by R.A. Stone (Book Review)

Back in 1976, fourth grader, Calvin Arthur and his classmates are learning jealousy, humiliation, teasing, anger, and more from each other. These topics were not taught in public schools by the teachers so students were left to figure them out on their own. Calvin’s school year is full of emotional trials, internal challenges, social defeats and victories among his classmates. Chapters such as First Day Pressure, Humiliation Strikes Again, Integrity Versus Cheating, and Last Pick will describe what kids are going through as they learn the hard way. Additional chapters will make you laugh, be sad, and leave you relating to what Calvin and his classmates experience.

This book is the first in a series. In Calvin Arthur’s 5th Grade Shoes will be coming soon.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

It’s 1976, and Calvin Arthur is starting his fourth year at Washington Elementary in Kingston, Delaware. He, like most children, has first-day jitters. He wants to be accepted while avoiding all school drama.

After the students have found their place cards, Mr. Jones (homeroom teacher) starts class with a speech full of wise words: “We are not alike on the outside, but we are a lot alike on the inside. You cannot walk in everyone’s shoes, but you should understand each other. We don’t have to be best friends, but we do need to respect one another.” 

Mr. Jones’s advice was directed toward children, but its advice that adults should follow as well.

As the school year progressed, chapters reminded me of the Afterschool Specials I watched as a child. There’d be situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers, and at the end of the episodes, the viewer learned a life lesson. When Calvin decided to skim-read to move his story reading ranking from the middle of the pack to the top 3 readers, his classmates called him out for cheating. Calvin mentally acknowledged they were right. He realized that “integrity is better than cheating.”

Another afterschool special scene involved a heated and humiliating encounter between Calvin and Mr. Sampson, the math teacher. Yes, Calvin talked in class, but the teacher didn’t ask why. Instead, he hit Calvin with an eraser. Suppose the teacher had asked him why he might’ve learned that Calvin was having trouble understanding the new math concept. Calvin failed his math quiz because a teacher was a stickler for no talking in class. Calvin also messed up; he should’ve raised his hand and told the teacher he was having difficulty with the math lesson. As a parent or teacher, ask your listener(s) if this behavior by the teacher is acceptable and how they would have handled the situation. In my opinion, the teacher was out of line.

Readers will follow Calvin as he navigates through the bad and good times of fourth-grade life. We’ll follow the class as they meet a (roughly) 1000-pound giraffe who spat on a misbehaving student. We join the students on their field trips and sit side-by-side as Calvin takes the dreaded standardized test. While most scenes are relevant to the day’s school system, two stood out to me as not: teachers smoking in the lounge and paddling (disciplinary action.) But, as you recall in my opening line, this story takes place in 1976 when times were much different. 

This story is perfect for those children going into or leaving the fourth! 

Check it out and the others books in the Calvin Arthur series, too! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 

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Meet the Author

R. A. Stone has been teaching at various Elementary and Middle public schools in the USA for thirty two years, Writing and story telling has been a passion ever since he was a young student. Calvin Arthur has evolved from all of his countless student interactions and teaching experiences.   Reedsy Author Link

 

 

 

 

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