taking down syndrome to school
by jenna glatzer, illustrated by tom dineen
Taking Down Syndrome to School by Jenna Glatzer and illustrated by Tom Dineen is a book that tells the story of a young boy named Nick. Nick tells the reader that he was born with something called Down Syndrome ("or "DS" for short") (1). Nick shares facts about himself and tells the reader that if they get to know him, they will find out that they probably have many things in common, even though he has DS. Nick is a boy who knows he is different but just wants to be treated like everyone else. Nick attends a public school with an assortment of kids (some who have disabilities and some who do not) and he thinks it is great that all of the different students in his school have the chance to meet and learn from each other. As Nick is explaining about his life with DS, he makes sure to inform his audience that he likes to do things that normal kids do as well and even though he is a little different, they can still be friends and have fun together!
There are many reasons in which I liked this book. To begin, I felt that the character of Nick made a great connection with the reader right away. On the first page, after introducing himself, Nick shares that his favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate, and he asks the reader if that is their favorite too. If this is the case, the reader is drawn into Nick's personality and character and they most likely want to continue reading to find out if they are similar in other ways. The same goes for the readers who did not agree with chocolate ice cream being their favorite flavor, because they most likely want to keep reading to see what they do have in common with Nick. I also liked Taking Down Syndrome To School because of how informative it was. The book and explains that people who have Down Syndrome may take more time to learn and speak clearly, that there is a range from mild-severe DS, and that they may look a little different. I think that because of this, Taking Down Syndrome to School by Jenna Glatzer is a great book to actually take to school to inform a class about a student or peer that has Down Syndrome and to encourage other students to treat them just like anyone else. This book is also a great representation of Down Syndrome in children's literature because while it is informative during the story, after the story, there is a series of informational pages that start with a Down Syndrome Kids' Quiz. There are a total of 11 questions in the quiz and they focus on information that was mentioned in the book. The pages continue to a section titled Ten Tips For Teachers which includes helpful information about what to do when teaching kids with Down Syndrome and how to help other students learn about DS as well. Finally, the informational section ends with a list of resources and contact information to learn more about Down Syndrome.
Glatzer, Jenna. Taking Down Syndrome to School. JayJo Books, 2002. Print.
About the Author
-Award-winning full-time writer who's written 20 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and online publications.
-Her main writing interests are biographies and memoirs, and she often writes about health and parenting. She also loves writing for children, as well as writing humor.
-Jenna Glatzer wrote Taking Down Syndrome to School because her brother, Paul has Down Syndrome. She has strong feelings against the words "retard" and "retarded" and advertises the "My Words Matter" Pledge on her personal website to encourage others to stop the use of the word in the wrong context.
There are many reasons in which I liked this book. To begin, I felt that the character of Nick made a great connection with the reader right away. On the first page, after introducing himself, Nick shares that his favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate, and he asks the reader if that is their favorite too. If this is the case, the reader is drawn into Nick's personality and character and they most likely want to continue reading to find out if they are similar in other ways. The same goes for the readers who did not agree with chocolate ice cream being their favorite flavor, because they most likely want to keep reading to see what they do have in common with Nick. I also liked Taking Down Syndrome To School because of how informative it was. The book and explains that people who have Down Syndrome may take more time to learn and speak clearly, that there is a range from mild-severe DS, and that they may look a little different. I think that because of this, Taking Down Syndrome to School by Jenna Glatzer is a great book to actually take to school to inform a class about a student or peer that has Down Syndrome and to encourage other students to treat them just like anyone else. This book is also a great representation of Down Syndrome in children's literature because while it is informative during the story, after the story, there is a series of informational pages that start with a Down Syndrome Kids' Quiz. There are a total of 11 questions in the quiz and they focus on information that was mentioned in the book. The pages continue to a section titled Ten Tips For Teachers which includes helpful information about what to do when teaching kids with Down Syndrome and how to help other students learn about DS as well. Finally, the informational section ends with a list of resources and contact information to learn more about Down Syndrome.
Glatzer, Jenna. Taking Down Syndrome to School. JayJo Books, 2002. Print.
About the Author
-Award-winning full-time writer who's written 20 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and online publications.
-Her main writing interests are biographies and memoirs, and she often writes about health and parenting. She also loves writing for children, as well as writing humor.
-Jenna Glatzer wrote Taking Down Syndrome to School because her brother, Paul has Down Syndrome. She has strong feelings against the words "retard" and "retarded" and advertises the "My Words Matter" Pledge on her personal website to encourage others to stop the use of the word in the wrong context.