The Acorn People Description:

The Acorn People review:
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 deformities and wants to quit. Ron ends up not leaving and helping the clients achieve their dreams; he develops a real sense of appreciation for the different. The situation (leading up to the conflict) is that the general public believes the impaired population cannot do anything or help themselves. This lowers the self esteem of the victims, hindering their potential for success.

Ron, after acquainting himself more with the kids and making the famous acorn necklaces, learns they are not as helpless as many like to believe. The odd group embarks on a journey to climb the mountain near the camp, normally intended for Boy Scout use. Martin, the other camp counselor, and Ron push Aaron, Thomas Stewart, and Spider. Benny can wheel himself around independently (and swiftly). They prevail and earn badges for their efforts and stamina. To really bring the book all together, the group goes to the pool while other girl groups are there and really show off for them. They all flirt and show they are normal human beings, just like the rest of us. On the last day of camp, there is a water play about pirates against the Native Americans performed for the parents. Unfortunately, these very special kids end up dying within 5 years of that very special camp year because of various reasons.

My opinion of this short fiction novel is not very high; it did not appeal to me at all. The book was dumb, unrealistic, and callous. I hold the main character in contempt for his repulsive, thick-skinned thoughts and shameless feelings. He had the indecency to sleep with a middle age woman! If this truly was a real experience, something very crucial was lost in the writing of this book. The author's opinion changed in less than a chapter, it was unrealistic and awful, and the events were humdrum and boring. None of the characters' personalities were developed beyond an elementary level, and details were sparse. Only the bare minimum effort seemed to be put in this book. I truly disliked this book.


3 stars (An alright book) - I think The Acorn People was a good book. It showed a group of kids who put aside their differences and try to normal kids. This book shows you that just because your handicapped, it doesn't mean you are any different than any other kids.