Sean Adelman

This book has potential but it really needs editing. There's problems with writing style, pacing of the story, spelling and grammar mistakes, they even say wrong names a couple of times.

It was hard to get through in the beginning and it did pick up in the middle of the book but the flow of the story was not good. I found myself putting down the book several times. There was a danger element to the story but I never felt like the characters were in any real danger, I felt that nothing bad was going to happen to them.

The author picked the wrong things to be over detailed about and other things to speed on through with little details. I felt that at the end it went to fast with bringing the bad guys down and that the author could of expanded or provided more scenes. It felt kind of glossed over.

In the end I went with two because of the issues it had. If this get edited, it's easily a 3 to 3 1/2 star book, maybe a 4 with the right editor.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

This is a middle-school level book and I am an adult. I still enjoyed seeing the world through Sam's perspective.

Sam is an ordinary girl with one small difference, she has Down Syndrome. It doesn't really slow her down, as she goes to regular school, performs in the school show, plays on the school's basketball team and is just a regular kid.

If you have confidence and belief that you can do something, you can. Which is part of the premise of this book. And Sam proves it.

She and her brother, John, work together to solve two mysteries: who is stealing money from the donation jars at the farmers' market and who kidnapped her friend Michael.

While solving these mysteries, she still has to rehearse for the upcoming school show, practice for the next basketball game, and keep up with her school work. And she does it all!

This could be read alone or aloud to someone. Either way, it is a good read with good characters, action, descriptives and flow. A Goodread!

… (meer)

Sam is a 9th grader who also has down syndrome. She tries to fit in and be like everyone else but knows that sometimes she is just too different. Sometimes others treat her poorly and she expresses her feelings in her journal, either through her writing or drawing. When her family travels to an old military base for Memorial Day Weekend, she realizes that other people feel differently as well.

Sam's cousins are also joining them over the weekend. Her cousin Madison is dealing with her feelings of anger and frustration over her dad, Sam's uncle, who was injured in Afghanistan. He wasn't able to join them on this weekend trip like they had planned because he is still in the VA hospital receiving therapy. Madison's anger is causing her to act out and make poor choices. Sam sees her making these choices and resorts to her journal to figure out how to help Madison.

This is an easy read and perfect for those in the middle to upper elementary. Even though the main character is a freshman, the themes are relatable to a younger audience. Readers will problem solve with Sam and learn about kindness, empathy, and handling our emotions.

Since the book is set during Memorial Day weekend, it focuses on our Veteran's and their great sacrifices for our country. The family visits an old military base and learns from a WWII vet about his service in Japan.

There is a lot you could discuss with your child while reading this novel including children with down syndrome, handling anger, having empathy for others, and how to honor our Veterans.… (meer)

Sam is in ninth grade and has Down Syndrome. Writing and drawing in her journal helps her think and make sense of what looks messy at the beginning.

In this third book in the series Sam's family is having a short vacation during the Memorial Day long weekend in a rented house near a retired military base. There they gather with other relatives, including Madison, Sam's teenage cousin whose father was injured while serving in Afghanistan and is still being treated in a hospital. It's a difficult time for Madison and she is not coping really well. It's really hard to get along with her. At some point Sam sees Madison doing something really bad, and she struggles about the best way of handle the situation to make things right without hurting anybody's feelings.

Sam is a sweet girl, and the story is focused in her strength and skills, and not in her differences. I think the approach is fantastic. Any kid of her age can relate with her.

I suggest you take a minute to stop by at Sam's top secret journal and Raise expectations facebook pages.

I received this copy from the author via Bostick Communications in exchange for an honest review.

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!… (meer)