Matt the Moody Hermit Crab [Hardcover]

Caroline C. McGee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002 | ISBN-10: 1891347055 | ISBN-13: 978-1891347054 | Edition: 1st

Matt the Moody Hermit Crab is the first novel-length work for children about Bipolar Disorder. It is aimed at ages 8 to 12, but teens and adults will also find the story appealing.

It tells the story of one young crab's journey to cope with Bipolar Disorder. Over the course of one school year he undergoes the onset, diagnosis and treatment of this mental illness. Matt's story is dramatic, entertaining and sometimes humorous. Using the metaphor of a hermit crab withdrawing into his shell, the author paints a vivid image of the depressive phase of the disorder. And she also accurately portrays the manic phase by including several episodes of aggression, paranoia and megalomania.

The chief goal of the book is to reveal to the child who has Bipolar Disorder that his or her experience is not singular. We also trust that other young readers will come away with less fear of and more empathy for their peers who live with this disorder.

The author hopes that this book will engender greater tolerance and understanding of the children who have Bipolar Disorder. And ultimately, she hopes Matt's story will educate parents and teachers about the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder and thereby save lives through early intervention.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Matt, a crab who has bipolar disorder, runs amok with family and at school until he receives professional treatment and becomes better. This is a multicultural, multi-abled, multicolored, multi-creatured tale, and readers are deep into the story before they can sort it all out and get to the point. Matt's siblings, mother, and teachers all use first names, increasing the difficulty of figuring out who's who, and, worse, these aren't people at all, but crustaceans, sea gulls, turtles, and the like. Matt does exhibit many behaviors of manic-depressiveness, and finally his family realizes he needs serious help after he attempts to stab them with a kitchen knife. The doctor (a pelican) is helpful, though the hospital secretary (a turtle) drones on about insurance. The story attempts too much and lacks style.
Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 109 pages
• Publisher: McGee & Woods; 1st edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891347055
• ISBN-13: 978-1891347054
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,851,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tells children with Bipolar they are not alone, May 29, 2003

By 

Justine Kores (Old Mystic, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matt the Moody Hermit Crab (Hardcover)

I loved the book, more important, my son who is Bipolar loved the book. He was very interested in what people's responses to Matt were. The best part about this book is that those responses are realistic. People get frustrated and irritated when stressed out.
My son loved the fact that Matt's Mom was so loving and understanding and the rest of his family wasn't. It was a good reflection of his own situation. Another good thing about this book is that it allows the Bipolar child to see their own over-reactions to situations, without getting angry themselves. I love this book, It's going to help alot of children.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moody Matt Reaches out to Kids with Bipolar Disorder, December 29, 2002

By 

N. Schiman "MSW" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Matt the Moody Hermit Crab (Hardcover)

Caroline McGee has filled a much needed void with her book, "Matt the Moody Hermit Crab". It opens a line of dialogue for children suffering from bipolar disorder, trying to come to grips with, and gain an understanding of what is happening to them. Matt's journey portrays so many of the different emotions, moods and experiences that a bipolar child may go through. Reading this book with your child allows your child to see that he/she is not alone, and to feel comfortable talking about his/her struggles. It also allows you, the parent, to provide words of encouragement and support, it sets the stage for conversations that might not easily happen otherwise.

Equally importantly, Matt's family depicts very accurately the impact that a bipolar family member has on siblings, parents, friends and peers. My own children benefited from seeing that the anger, hurt, fears and frustrations they felt were normal and something that other kids went through when living with a bipolar sibling.

Congratulations to Caroline McGee on a wonderful book!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book to help children learn and understand bipolar, January 31, 2003

By 

"neomamaori" (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matt the Moody Hermit Crab (Hardcover)

Caroline McGee did an absolutely wonderful job capturing the true life essence of a child with this illness, and in doing so, she made it so easy for children to understand what they themselves are going through. My son has been completely intrigued with this book and it has moved me more then I could ever explain. To see what we live with daily, written so simply in black and white for the whole world to finally see and understand is a wonderful support. Great job Caroline and thank you so much for all that you have gone through to write this book.