Illustrated by Susan Covert. 40 pages. Verbal Images Press, 1996.
When kids have ADHD, they and others around them can see them as clumsy and annoying, and they may forget to do homework or to turn it in. Because of experiences like these, Ben feels bad about himself. His father takes him to Dr. Lawson, who explains that he has "Attention Deficit Disorder," which he describes as a chemical imbalance affecting his control of his behaviors and thoughts, adding "my thoughts run ahead of me." Ben's father explains that he has eagle eyes, noticing everything. "But eagles know when to stop looking around and zoom in on their prey. Me, I just keep noticing more things and miss my catch." Dad helps Ben to make up a song that helps him get ready for school in the morning, and Mom gives him relaxing bedtime music. Ben also learns to read people's facial expressions and use them to change his behavior. And Ben's eagle eyes are a help when his father is injured while hiking - Ben is the only one who knows the way to the ranger station, where he can get help. This helps Ben to appreciate himself. A parent resource guide gives ideas about parenting children who have ADHD. With Ben, children can learn to cope with the challenges of ADHD and feel good about themselves.
Ages: 5-9
Cultural Context: multicultural
No comments:
Post a Comment