Ellen B. Senisi

This book starts off with a girl using a rude word to refer to another girl in the special needs class. The other teachers and the principal decide she needs to spend some time in the special needs class. The young girl gets to learn about different exceptionalities and how kids with special needs are just kids. The book did a great job of giving an overview of the ins and outs of many common types of exceptionalities. I didn't like the outdated lexicon used. There was no person-first show more language and the portrayals were somewhat sterotyped. I wouldn't want this in my classroom unless it went through a rewrite. show less

Wow, I love this book! This story is so raw and the pictures taken makes me feel like I was right there with them. I work with children with autism at a rehab clinic and the things the children do in the classroom, are very similar to the routine the kids do in the clinic. When the teacher tells Cindy that Richard may or may not be able to say some words by the time he grows up, Cindy replies with, "that's sad." The teacher tells her, "But does he seem sad to you?" was spot on. So many show more special need kids are happy most of the time. It is the people and kids who make the kids with special needs feel low from bullying. This book needs to be in every library. A lot of students do not know about children with special needs. The teacher and helpers in this book did an amazing job with the kids. I got very emotional when Cindy told Ashley she was in the retard class. A LOT of people use that word so carelessly and it bugs me. But it is because they do not know or have not been close to someone who has a special disability. This book can open the eyes of the readers into the world of someone who has a special disability. The teacher also does a great job in explaining things to Cindy where she can understand. show less

Cindy told Ashley, “"Hey! Don't touch me! You've got bugs. You're in the retard class!" Cindy got sent to the principle office, where she got in trouble. She has to spend 30 minutes every day for two weeks in the special needs class. This is where Cindy grew as a character. She got to learn all about kids with disabilities. She got to see with her own two eyes what it is like every day for them, and the challenges they face every day. Cindy grew to love the students and realize that there show more is nothing wrong with being in a special needs class. At the end of the book, Cindy stood up for Ashley when she was being made fun of. I really enjoyed this book! It teaches kids that just because a student is in a special needs class doesn’t mean their stupid or unimportant. This book teaches others that it is okay to be different. You should stand up to rude people that are making fun of others. show less

I absolutely loved this book ! I loved it even more knowing that it was written about a true incident that happened in an upstate New York school. This book is told in an omniscient point of view so the audience can view multiple point of views in the book. This book starts off talking about a girl, cindy, who calls ashley, a girl in a special ed class, a retard. Cindy gets sent to the principle's office and is told to spend 30 minutes in a special ed class every day for two weeks. At first show more Cindy dreads the idea of going into the special ed class because she doesn't know anything about kids with disabilities. Ashley also feels afraid and sad when she realizes that the girl who called her a retard will be spending time in her class. Ashley begins to spend time with the children and learns about the children in the class and their disabilities. it is repeatedly stated in the book that the kids in the special ed class are just the same as kids in other classes but they just need extra help to learn. Cindy ended up being comfortable around the kids and volunteers to help in the class every day as she was doing before as punishment. She later notices a girl from her class picking on ashley and stands up for her. then they become friends. I feel like this is an amazing book to read to kids because often times when children don't understand things they are afraid of them.I feel like this book eliminates this fear because it makes students aware that the children with disabilities are like other kids but they just need more help to learn. show less