Thursday, June 18, 2009
Running for My LifeAuthor: Ann Gonzalez
Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: mental illness of a parent/guardian
Year of Publication: 2009
Publisher & Location: WestSide books
ISBN#:978-1-934813-00-3
Target Age Level: High School
# of Pages: 210
Quality of Illustrations: The cover illustration is done by Michael Morgenstern and it is a catching title page.
Brief Summary:
Running for My Life is the powerful story of Andrea McKane, a fourteen-year-old who struggles to cope with her mother's schizophrenia. She must face the heartbreaking fact that her mother, with whom she once laughed and played, has vanished into her disease, possibly forever. The book accurately portrays the difficulties a teen faces when dealing with the illness, the abuse and absence of a psychotic parent. Running for My Life shows the effects of mental illness on a family, and a teenager's attempts to manage the changes that have shaken her life. With courage, strength, and the loving support of her friends, her father, and her therapist, Andrea finds salvation through running. Running for My Life represents a breakthrough effort in portraying the challenges children deal with when they have to protect themselves from a guardian.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This book addresses an older audience. I would want to read it with a student and not just give it to them and wish them good luck.
Activity: Highlight this students support system. Focus a lot on the characters by doing a character diagram or a character book report. How is the main character stronger for having gone through this experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment