Camps for the handicapped

The Acorn People

5 stars (Thought Provoking) - In reviewing the reviews written for this book I was appaled at some of the reviews that I read. I seems that this world is trapped in a "Hollywood mentality" in which every book should read like a movie, fast and shallow. This book is much deeper. Although it is short, and obviously cuts out some of the trying times they must have gone through at camp, the author chooses to write it as an uplifting message. Anyone who is bored by this book is missing the deeper message. Children/people with handycaps are human also, and they have to suffer much more than any of us could possibly imagine. This is a story about special children allowed to be normal children, like they were meant to. 1 stars ( The Acorn People Book Report) - 1. The Acorn People takes place in Camp Wiggin, with all the usual camp settings like a pool, mountain, art room, etc. etc. The main character is Ron, a youthful camp counselor hoping to make an extra buck by volunteering. He manifests a selfish, arrogant personality at first, but later you see his more passionate, caring side when he really bonds with the kids. The first boy is a victim of polio, Benny, who is about 12 and African American. Suffering from muscle sclerosis, Thomas Stewart, a young teen, weighs only 35 pounds. The most loquacious client is Spider; he lost both his arms and legs in a gruesome car accident, but adapts and uses his mouth for everything. Not having a bladder takes its toll on social skills, especially in the case of Arid Aaron. His lack of bladder forces him to carry around a bag for his malodorous bodily fluids, hence the name. The most able bodied of the group is Martin, a blind boy. The point they are trying to get across in this book is that disabled persons can do anything non-handicap persons can do; we are all equal. A young camp counselor goes to a camp for disabled kids, thinking it will be a great summer even though he knew they were disabled. He is disgusted by the ...
Laurel Leaf :: Juvenile Fiction & Social Situations & General :: History :: Children- Young Adult (Gr 7-9) :: Children's 12-Up - Sociology :: Camps for the handicapped :: Cam :: The Acorn People