Summary
Fourteen-year-old Shawn suffers from cerebral palsy and can't control his muscles. But his mother and two siblings don't know that he has an amazing ability: he has a perfect memory and can remember every single detail of his life, as well as predict the future. But this gift becomes horrifying when Shawn realizes that his father, who left years ago, may be trying to kill him. A 2001 Michael L. Printz Honor Book for Excellence in Literature for Young Adults.
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"[The author's] characterization is fascinating, portraying Shawn as a believably philosophical young man....[This is a] compelling novel." -- Kate McDowell
-- Bulletin of the Center for Children\'s Books
"Shawn will stay with readers, not for what he does, but for what he is and has made of himself."
-- Kirkus
Bibliographic Details
Publisher: Harpercollins
Published date: 2000
Edition: 1th edition
Size: 5.25 x 7.75 inches
Weight: 0.55 pounds
Ages: 7 to 9
Pages: 114
Synopses
Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him.
Publisher's Notes
Shawn McDaniel is an enigma and a miracle--except no one knows it, least of all his father. His life is not what it may seem to anyone looking at him. Not even those who love him best have any idea what he is truly like. In this extraordinary and powerful first novel, the reader learns to look beyond the obvious and finds a character whose spirit is rich beyond imagining and whose story is unforgettable. My life is like one of those "good news-bad news" jokes. Like, "I've got some good news and some bad news--which do you want first?" I could go on about my good news for hours, but you probably want to hear the punch line, my bad news, right? Well, there isn't that much, really, but what's here is pretty wild. First off, my parents got divorced ten years ago because of me. My being born changed everything for all of us, in every way. My dad didn't divorce my mom, or my sister, Cindy, or my brother, Paul--he divorced me. He couldn't handle my condition, so he had to leave. My condition? Well, that brings us to the guts of my bad news.
Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL), Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Top 10 Youth First Novels 2000(Booklist), 2001 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA), 2001 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers (ALA), and 2001 Michael L. Printz Honor Book
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