Joan Fassler

“Howie Helps Himself” by Joan Fassler was published in 1975, and is outdated with its depiction of children with disabilities. The main character, Howie, has cerebral palsy and is portrayed with stereotypical attributes such as helplessness and little emotional range. The text does not promote ableism. Instead of facing personal challenges, the problems Howie encounters stem from societal prejudice. The text goes so far as to state, “He rides in a special bus and goes to a special show more class.” While this book was written with the best intentions, times have changed and I would no longer recommend it to be used in the classroom. show less

Howie can't really do anything for himself. He can't really write his name, drink his milk himself, or build with his building blocks. He seems to be an impatient person and when he wants something, he wants it now. He likes playing ball with his sister and grandmother. Howie learns a lot at school and does exercises every day to strengthen his muscles. More than anything else, he wanted to move around himself without any help. He didn't give up and when one day his dad came to get him from show more school, he finally turned his wheel around and wheeled all the way to where his dad was standing. I like how to author didn't make Howie a victim to his disability and made him determined to get what he wants. I can't imagine how difficult that must of been and I'm in awe at his strength. show less

Howie has cerebral palsy and desperately wants to learn how to move his wheelchair himself. After many tries and a lot of practice, he is finally able to do it on his own and wheels himself to his father for a big hug. This story is simple yet it still gives a lot of details about the life of a child with cerebral palsy and does a good job of explaining it. I think this would be a great book to read in a classroom. I enjoyed how when Howie is happy the illustrations have color and when he is show more sad it is black and white. That is a great, easy visual cue for children. show less

"Howie Helps Himself" is not only a book of discovery, it is a book of accomplishment too. The book starts out listing everything Howie cannot do, and how others help him throughout his day. It then goes on to describe some of the emotions Howie feels throughout the day such as frustration, amusement, and discouragement, as well as different situations at school, which can be very relatable to children of all abilities and ages. His main goal in the book is to push his wheelchair all by show more himself. He recognizes that this will take hard work and practice which is universal in accomplishing something hard. At the end of the book, he triumphantly wheels himself to his father and they both celebrate as they drive home. I thought the tone of the book started out in a negative way with listing everything he cannot do and it was almost more informative of his condition than promoting inclusion. Considering its publication date is 1974, I can tell the themes in the book need updating. show less