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

Does My Head Look Big in This?

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? New York: Orchard Books, 2007.

Does My Head Look Big in This? is the story of Amal, a Palestinian-Australian girl, who decides to wear the hijab (traditional head scarf) to school. As family, friends, and schoolmates react to this decision, Amal develops new understandings of her identity as a Muslim young woman.

Abdel-Fattah spends a fair amount of time at the beginning of the story establishing that Amal is a "normal" Australian. (She watches "Friends" on tv, worries about her weight, etc.). Although I found this to be a little heavy handed, overall I think Abdel-Farrah does a good job of illustrating the ways in which negotiating multiple cultural expectations can be tricky. The setting of the story, Australia at the time of the post 9-11 terrorist attacks in Bali, provides opportunities to explore the ways in which Muslims face prejudice and discrimination in day to day life.

I found a number of interesting reviews of the book, including one from the Muslim Village Forum which includes information about the author and comments from "insider" readers. VSW