Lizard by Dennis Covington

Covington, Dennis. Lizard. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books, 1991.

Lizard is a book about a boy who was born with a physical deformity of his face. He lives with a woman who decides he needs to go to the Leesville Louisiana State School for Retarded Boys even though he is not mentally disabled. He runs away with a traveling play and in the process learns about himself and what it means to have compassion for people and have people care about him.
This book started a little slow. The boy is relatable, however his home life is very complex and it is hard to understand the relationship he has with the woman he lives with. Once he goes to the State School, there is some great characters introduced but there is not much development of these characters. When Lizard escapes he is able to learn how to use his deformity to his advantage as well as learn that he must accept this deformity and understand it is part of his identity. I really like the the text is not rigid but flows and is just how I would imagine the characters to talk like.
This book is a good piece of diverse literature because it helps the reader become more aware of the troubles someone with a physical deformity would encounter during everyday life. The reason I would be hesitant to read it in a class is because there are some sexual references that are what a normal teenage boy learning about himself may encounter. This book creates a lot of complex relationships that are very believable and make it a real page turner.

Review of "My Buddy"

Osofsky, Audrey. My Buddy. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1992.

My Buddy is the story of a little boy and his service dog, Buddy. The boy has muscular dystrophy and Buddy is his “arms and legs”. With Buddy around, the main character can do things without his parents constantly around helping him. Whether he is at school or home, he can do things on his own, with Buddy by his side always.

This book gives yet another perspective for children with disabilities. It is important for students who may need or already have a Service Dog to understand that it is a good thing, not to be embarrassed about, and that they are not alone. On the other hand, students without disabilities need to understand that a Service Dog is a working animal like guide dogs for people that are blind. When they understand their purpose, students will be more likely to leave them be and resist petting. This story is accurate and authentic, as it was based on the experiences of Scott LeRoy and his buddy, Rex. Scott and Rex were the first pair helped by Canine Companions for Independence in Minnesota. While Osofsky is not an insider, she worked closely with Scott, who is an insider, when writing this book. Aside from being a realistic representation of a disablilty, this story is generally well written and enjoyable to read.

For more information on Scott LeRoy (the inspiration for My Buddy) and the Canine Companions for Independence check out this link: http://www.ccimn.org/scott_leroy.htm