I Can't Stop!

Niner, Holly. I Can't Stop! Morton Grove, Illinios: Albert Whitman and Company, 2005.

I Can't Stop, is a story about a boy named Nathan who discovers he has Tourette Syndrome. He starts to experience "tics" and doesn't know what is wrong with him. The children in his class get frustrated with Nathan because they think that it is weird or that he is doing it on purpose. Nathan starts to get angry because he can't control the tics. Nathan's best friend Josh get frustrated with him and blame him for doing it on purpose. Nathan's parents eventually take him to see a doctor and they learn that he has tourette's syndrome. Nathan learns strategies to help him deal with his tics. Nathan has to get the courage to tell his best friend, and his parents help him tell his whole class.

Niner spends a lot of time at the beginning of the story explaining different behavioral characteristics that Nathan has as a result of tourettes. This allows the reader to really understand what Tourette's syndrome is. The book does not really talk about the emotional effect Tourette's syndrome has on Nathan. The author does not explain how Nathan feels when his parents and friends accuse him of lying. The conclusion of the story is very effective because it talks about the importance of informing people about disabilities. If children and adults are informed they may be more accepting, understanding, and less likely to judge.