Book Review: Riding The Bus With My Sister

Gillin, Beth. ‘Riding the Bus with my Sister/How I Learned How to Slow Down and Enjoy the Ride by Rachel Simon. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 02 October 2002.

This review of Riding the Bus with my Sister from the Philadelphia Inquirer is a fairly flattering review of the novel. It is clear that the author enjoyed reading the novel, and makes a point to bring up poignant moments and surprises that the novel had to offer. Another salient feature of this article is the summarization, which hits upon many of the key points of the novel. The article addresses the author’s internal struggle with Beth, their encounters with both kind and unkind people on the bus system outside of Philadelphia, the contrasts between Rachel and Beth in their personal lives and personalities, as well as Rachel and Beth’s traumatic history, which resulted in their separation for many years. This review provides a fairly short yet cohesive summary of the novel, and even addresses one of the issues that is also something grappled with in the novel itself.

The issue of politically correct and people first language has been long debated in the arena of special needs, and this article touches on that with the quote “Is it really a politically correct affectation, Simon wonders, to call Beth "a person with mental retardation," instead of "mentally retarded"? After all, she notes, people with cancer aren't called "cancered." That would reduce them to a disease.” The article ponders the question but does not attempt to answer it in such a short span, merely addressing the issue as one that is presented in the book. Briefly, the article also mentions Rachel’s struggle with nature vs. nurture as Rachel wonders how much of Beth’s personality is her really her personality, and how much of it is her syndrome. These issues require special attention by an informed reader throughout the novel, and once brought to attention by the article, can be made a focus when reading.

Riding The Bus With My Sister

Simon, Rachel. Riding the Bus with my Sister. New York: Plume, 2002.

Riding the Bus with my Sister, written by Rachel Simon, is a compelling autobiography of Rachel and her sister Beth and the year they spent together riding buses around Philadelphia. While on these buses, Rachel learns about her sister and her daily struggles, such as encountering people who yell “Get a job!” and bus drivers who won’t stop for her. The bus system is also filled with wise bus drivers that impart their wisdom, generosity, and kindness upon the two sisters, who both benefit from this treatment in different ways. This book also details Rachel’s internal struggles with how to deal with Beth, dotting the book with memories from her childhood which explain her resentment and pent-up aggression towards her sister. This year long journey enables Rachel to cope with the traumatic events of her past and find a newfound love and respect for her sister as well as herself.

This book follows the journey of Rachel’s self-discovery, from ignorance and bitterness to a desire to learn and understand, to ultimately love and acceptance after forty years. Beth is a complex character and is depicted with compassion and realness, yet the language used in the book is troubling at times. The term mental retardation is used frequently, despite the author’s discovery halfway through the book of the proper terminology and people first language. Rachel questions people first language, as she believes that using that format defines the person by their illness, rather than the other way around. Despite this fact, the overwhelming attitudes of acceptance, love, and willingness to learn are prevalent throughout the book and promote the reader’s own journey to discover their own feelings.

As a piece of diverse literature, this autobiography, written by an insider, clearly portrays the struggles that families endure when living with someone with Down Syndrome. Compassionate and straightforward, the book combats serious issues that are common across these families without giving an ultimate answer. This is a journey of self-discovery for the author which results in a positive, loving relationship with her sister. It is a piece of quality diverse literature that could be used in many ways, least of all to demonstrate internal struggle and ultimately successful relationships.

Book Review: We'll Paint the Octopus Red

Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. We'll Paint the Octopus Red. MD; Woodbine House, 1998.

We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen tells the story of a young girl, named Emma, who is anxious for her new baby sibling to arrive. Since Emma was unsure of what to expect when the baby came, her father and her listed off a bunch of things they could do together, like feed the calves and paint with rubber octopuses. Once the baby was born though, Emma’s father told her that her new brother Isaac had Down syndrome. Emma was then worried that she wouldn’t be able to do all the things she had planned. Her dad reassured her by saying that it would just take time and patience and Isaac would eventually be able to do everything.

This book definitely portrayed Down syndrome in a positive light. Once Emma found out that her brother was born with Downs, it seemed natural that she didn’t understand what Isaac would and wouldn’t be able to do. The father was used as an informational character where he explained that “as long as we were patient with Isaac, and helped him when he needed it, there probably wasn’t anything he couldn’t do” (Stuve-Bodeen 20). This phrase sums up the concerns that many families probably have once they hear they have a child with special needs, making the book beneficial for siblings and parents of children with Down syndrome to read.

Another nice attribute to this book is that there are “Questions and Answers about Down Syndrome” located in the back. The questions were ones once asked by actual children with a brother or sister with Down syndrome. This section could be extremely helpful because it answers the questions in a way in which children would be able to understand them. For example, when asked What is Down syndrome? the answer didn’t say anything about the chromosomal differences but described how a person with Downs looks and acts. This way, book is designed for any age of audience and should be used by families and schools with children with Down syndrome.

Book review of "123 for You and Me"

"123 for You and Me" by Meg Girnis is another book depicting a diverse group in literature. This book is a counting book that concentrates on children with Down Syndrome as they are photographed with a different number of objects on each page. I would consider Meg Girnis an insider to this topic because she has sister in law (that passed away in 1985) that had Downs Syndrome, and two children (one that has Down Syndrome and one that doesn't)as well. Both of her children are even pictured in this book on the "Seven Ducklings" page! What is great about the book is that while most of the children pictured do, in fact, have Down Syndrome, there are also many other children in the book that don't have Downs Syndrome. There are children of just about every ethnicity and culture as well. I really like how this book shows children of all diverse backgrounds featured in it with different objects. All the children appear to be having a great time as they are shown with fuzzy ducklings or presents or big hairy dogs. Like my other two books, this book also shows realistic photographs of the children which makes it easier for them to relate to the characters if compared to books with drawings or cartoons of children with the disability. Meg Girnis has also written another book as a conjunction with this book called, "ABC for You and Me". This book depicts children primarily with Down Syndrome with different letters of the alphabet. I really like the idea of depicting children with disabilities as characters in books like counting or letter books. Until I've researched this book, I've never seen a child with a disability portrayed in a resource book like this. I think it's great to depict children of all backgrounds in these types of resource books and I feel that it shows other children that children with disabilities can be relatable to them as well.



Girnis, Meg. 123 for You and Me. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 2000.

Book Review: Thumbs Up, Rico!

Testa, Maria. Illustrated by Diane Paterson. Thumbs Up, Rico!. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1994.

Thumbs Up, Rico! is a children’s picture book for middle to upper elementary. The book contains 3 short stories with illustrations about a young boy named Rico. Through related stories, Rico tells about his relationships with friends and family, sports and hobbies he participates in, and experiences at school.

This would be a great book to use in the classroom as a base for helping students understand that disability does not prevent you from participating in the community. In the first story, Rico does mention that he has Down Syndrome, but goes on to talk about his participation in a basketball team for special needs kids. He also describes a growing friendship with another child, Caesar, who was, at first, not open to Rico’s warm and inviting attitude. Rico’s disability is mentioned, but is not the main purpose or conflict of the story. I felt that this gave a very realistic view of Rico’s life. The style was accommodating to those who do know a little about Down Syndrome and also to those who might have some questions.

I also really liked this book because it was told directly from the eyes of a character who goes through the experience of growing up with Down Syndrome. I have found that many books focusing around characters with disabilities are told from the eyes of a brother, sister, or friend. They are not often told in the first person, which might give greater insight into the thoughts and feelings of someone who experiences life with Down’s.