1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clear and engaging, my son enjoyed it, April 7, 2007
Stumbled across this in a used book store and thought it had potential. I read it two chapters at a time as a bedtime story to my younger son, who is almost 9, and he just ate it up. I am not sure whether the main character, Gary, is meant to be mildly autistic or just a bit "slow," but the story presents his point of view in a very believable and sympathetic manner. The grownups may seem a bit stereotyped to the adult reader, but they are believable stereotypes... the divorced parents, the quirky teacher. Gary's mixed feelings about special ed seem very real and well presented.
I thought this to be an excellent book on many counts. It seems well written, engaging, and deals in an important subject matter.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Weird (and not in a good way), October 21, 2008
A strangely written book about learning disabilities and education. At times, it's really hard to understand where the author is going with this book and what points she is trying to make. It seems like she took outdated teaching methods & attitudes and tried to place them in this book. Mostly, "Special" ways of learning and "Special" ways of teaching are emphasized.
Spaceman is based at least in part on a real special education teacher named Mrs. Stone whose fictional character in the story is Mrs. Block. Cutler makes a little joke with this toward the end.
"Well, that's just dandy Mrs. Stone," said Gary's father.
"Block", she corrected him, "Mrs. Block."
In the beginning, we are introduced to Gary, who gets the name "Spaceman" because he spaces out, sometimes twirling his hands (as depicted on the book's front cover) when he wants to escape a situation. Toward the end he of the story Gary's behavior of escapism is compared to a balloon floating further and further away from confrontation then back when things calm down.
After a series of incidents and tests at his regular school, he is informed he will be enrolled in a special education class full-time.
"Starting tomorrow, a minibus will pick you up at your house and take you home after school, too. But today you can walk. Just follow the path on up the hill to the next building. When you get there give this folder to the teacher. Her name is Mrs. Block , and she's expecting you."
Gary didn't even know there was a building over that hill. He had never heard of this special education class. How scary would that be? Couldn't someone have walked over with him? When he arrives children are outside playing, apparently unsupervised.
One of Gary's new classmates is Jesse who is wearing no shoes. Jesse must turn in his shoes each day to the teacher so he can't run away. Jesse tries to introduce Gary to Mrs. Block but she doesn't make it very easy. Listed here are just two examples of attempts to approach the teacher taking up 3 whole pages in the book:
"Excuse me, Mrs. Block," Jesse said politely.
"You're excused," said the teacher. She put her glasses back on and started to work again...
Jesse took a deep breath and tried again.
"Mrs. Block. Here's a new kid."
"Kid?" Mrs. Block answered, not even looking up this time. "A baby goat? No, thank you. Not today. I put up with a lot in this class, but not with barnyard creatures."
Gary's first assignment is to study a sleeping baby for an hour and report to Mrs. Block. Gary, after several other descriptors, declares that the baby is "babyish" and Mrs. Block is thrilled.
One of Gary's new classmates has a physical disability which readers are given incorrect information about. "'Marshall is telling you that he has disease called Cerebral Palsy,' Mrs. Block told Gary." (Cerebral Palsy is not a disease).
Besides Marshall and Jessie, another student is Amanda whose main assignment seems to be walking around outside, trying to train a real puppy named Shasta. Gary thinks Shasta has a learning disability too, because the puppy project isn't making much progress. Gary suggests using hotdogs to bribe Shasta and Mrs. Block thinks that might work for kids too. "As usual, Gary wasn't sure whether Mrs. Block was joking or not."
Here's one more glimpse into Mrs. Block's classroom, which I think really takes the cake:
"This is just like an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse. We have a bunch of kids, no two alike, and only one teacher to run the whole show. We're like pioneers in the olden days. Everybody in this class does everything. All we need to be like a real old-timey school is a wood burning stove and switch."
"A switch?"
"A long willow branch or something like that. Something for the teacher to smack the pupils with. Like in the good old days." Mrs. Block thought for a moment. "Actually, I think sometimes they used to hit the kids with a ruler. I've got a ruler around here somewhere."
I think there's just a bit too much "specialness" to this children's book and quite frankly, I'm surprised it's still in print.
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