Sara's Secret (First Person) [Library Binding]

Suzanne Wanous (Author), Shelly O. Haas (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1995 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: First Person

At first Sara doesn't want anyone at her new school to know about her younger brother Justin who has cerebral palsy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5?Sara tells how she overcomes her misgivings and introduces Justin, her younger brother who has cerebral palsy, to her classmates. The conflict between her love for her sibling and her fear of rejection is aptly portrayed. However, all of the adults are oblivious to her feelings and offer no support or guidance, which makes her final decision to come forward with her "secret" unrealistic. The book is written in a didactic manner and lacks the plot details and characterization necessary to make it a good story. Readers are told everything and are not given any opportunities to imagine or discover details. Haas's full-and half-page illustrations are weak, as well. Done in watercolors with heavy use of red and orange, they do not provide any clues to the missing plot elements and fail to show Sara's features consistently. Similarly, the pictures of Justin do not accurately depict his cerebral palsy. While this title could be used to initiate a discussion on disabilities, it's not a first choice.?Dawn Ibey, Vancouver Public Library, BC
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-4. Sara's secret is her brother Justin, who was born with cerebral palsy and is mentally retarded. Experience has taught her that kids who know about her brother are sometimes cruel, and she's determined not to let Justin become a joke or to be teased about him in her new school. But keeping her secret isn't easy: she loves Justin, even though he drools and can't talk or walk, and she knows he loves her back in his own way. It takes a teacher's decision to begin a classroom discussion of disabilities to make her face up to her feelings. The agenda is obvious here, but Wanous skillfully manages to get beyond mere message to the heart of Sara's guilt and embarrassment. Sara and Justin are more than stiff cardboard characters, and their humanity poignantly validates the feelings of children who have disabled siblings. Haas' fluid, striking watercolors convey Sara's emotions with an intensity that is well matched to the text: though not usually full page, they're still large enough and bright enough to be used with small-group discussions. Longer than most picture books, this is perfect for reading aloud. Stephanie Zvirin

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 40 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (July 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876148569
• ISBN-13: 978-0876148563
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,642,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sara's Secret, November 29, 1999

By 

Rhonda Fuller (Fresno, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sara's Secret (First Person) (Library Binding)

This book was a wonderful book for our family. My oldest son,Sean, has Asperger's syndrome and mild cerebral palsy. My middle daughter, Brittany, has always been very embarrased about Sean. Our youngest daughter Shannon, brought the book home from school and asked Britt to read it to her. All of us were in tears by the end of the book. The author brought all th emotion Sara felt for having a brother who was different and also showed a lot of love in dealing with him. The story was beautifully illustrated. It was very moving and touched our family deeply. Britt is now more open with her feelings about Sean.