Book Review: Book Dad Reviews I Am Not Weird

I Am Not Weird! by Haley Metzger and RayeLynn Banks

Reviewed by: Chris Singer

Cross posted from: bookdads.com

About the Authors:

Haley lives in Marietta, Georgia with her parents and sister and brother. She recently completed first grade, and is a first-time published author.

RayeLynn is Haley’s grandmother and writing guide. She is also the director of an inclusionary preschool in Atlanta.

About the Book:

Haley, a first grader, never thought of herself as different because she has cerebral palsy. When a new classmate told her she was weird because she wore braces and walked funny, Haley was upset. She did not know what to do or what to say as a response. With help from her parents and grandmother, Haley decided to write a book explaining that she was not weird – cerebral palsy is not weird. In the book, Haley tells what cerebral palsy means and tells all that she can do anything, just like everyone else. Haley brought her book to school and it was read to the class to help the children understand. Haley is proud of herself and hopes her book will help others to understand cerebral palsy.

My Take on the Book:

This is a great idea for a book to help educate children about what it’s like to live with any disability, not just cerebral palsy. This book has terrific photos which show Haley participating in lots of physical activities, and indeed shows that Haley can do anything anyone else can do. I give Haley and her parents a lot of credit for taking a really uncomfortable and disturbing bullying situation at school and turning it into such a positive experience! I love the message of determination and self-empowerment throughout the book and even though I’ve never met Haley, I can tell she must be an extremely positive and inspiring girl.

I would highly recommend this book for parents, family members and teachers who might need a resource to help education children about cerebral palsy.

Recently, Haley went through a very difficult medical procedure called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR). Cerebral Palsy causes Haley to have a lot of spasticity (stiffness) in her trunk and leg muscles. Spasticity interferes with her range of motion and speed of movement. It can inhibit muscle growth and can cause muscle contractures and permanent orthopedic deformities. This neurosurgical procedure can reduce spasticity permanently and improve motor activities for Haley!

Haley went through the procedure in May and is still doing physical therapy, but all in all, it seems the procedure was a big success. You can contact Haley and wish her well here. Word on the street is that Haley is also working on her second book! This one will be about her operation and her recovery. I hope I get to review that one as well.

How to Get a Copy of the Book:

Purchase a copy by visiting Haley’s Dad’s website, My Spelling Sucks.