Book #17 Back to Front And Upside Down!

This story is presumably about a child with dyslexia (and comes up when “dyslexia” is searched in the library database). The “resolution” of the problem is greatly oversimplified (ask for help, practice a lot, and everything will be fine). But the main message is to ask for help when you need it, and that is clearly conveyed. Taken on a more simple level, the story is about a child having a little trouble forming his letters and getting the necessary help from his teacher. There is not necessarily a disability here. The illustrations are delightful and the book attractive. Children will easily engage in the story.

	Related Information	Comments
Title	Back to Front And Upside Down!
Author	Claire Alexander	http://www.clairealexander.com/
Illustrator	Claire Alexander
Publisher	Eerdmans Books for Young Readers	www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders
Year of Pub:	2012
ISBN:     (ISBN-13)	978-0-8028-5414-8
Age range	4-8
Type of Disability	Dyslexia	Or possibly no disability at all.
Fiction or Nonfiction	Fiction
Category:  B  A) books that provide factual information about a disability  B) books that provide information about a disability in a story format in which the character with a disability is integral to the plot  C) books that provide stories that have a character with a disability who may or may not be integral to the storyline and who has been added to the story to achieve diversity and reflect reality  D) books that include a main character with a disability but whose focus is not necessarily the disability
Annotation:  When classroom teacher Miss Catnip suggests the class make birthday cards for the principal, all of the students (sweetly and simply illustrated barn animals) get down to coloring and writing Happy Birthday. Stan didn’t realize he would have to write and becomes discouraged and frustrated when he cannot make the letters come out right. Fearing he will be laughed at or teased, he confides in friend Jack on the playground. Jack is supportive and encourages Stan to ask his teacher for help. Another student also needs help and is encouraged to ask for it when she sees that Stan has taken the initiative. After much practice, Stan gets the result he wanted and is happy and proud of the birthday card he has made for his principal.
Link to publisher:	www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders
Links to professional reviews:	School Library Journal:  http://www.amazon.com/Back-Front-Upside-Claire-Alexander/dp/0802854141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371211298&sr=1-1&keywords=Back+to+Front+and+Upside+Down; Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/claire-alexander/back-front-and-upside-down/
Awards:	Schneider Family Book Award from the American Libraries Association 2013   http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-award  Note: The Schneider Family Book Award is donated by Dr. Katherine Schneider and honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Three annual awards are presented for the best Teen, Middle School and Children’s Book.

Standards for Quality Portrayal of Characters with a disability		Comments
1. Promotes empathy not pity	Yes
2. Promotes acceptance, not ridicule	Yes	There is no teasing or bullying in this story, although the main character voices his fear of being laughed at.
3. Emphasizes success rather than, or in addition to failure	Yes
4. Promotes positive images of persons with disabilities or illness	Yes	Stan is certainly one of the gang.
5. Assists children in gaining accurate understanding of the disability or illness	No, but this story is intended for very young children.	Understanding dyslexia is probably not the main goal. It is not clear whether there is a disability at all.
6. Demonstrates respect for persons with disabilities or illness	Yes
7. Promotes attitude of “one of us” not “one of them.”	Yes
8. Uses people-first language	Yes
9. Describes the disability or person with disabilities or illness as realistic (not subhuman or superhuman)	Yes	Characters are barn animals including a pig, rabbit, goose, sheep, cat, and dog.
10. Depicts people with disabilities as more similar to than different from other people	Yes
11. Shows peoples’ strengths and abilities along with their disabilities	Yes	Stan’s strengths in coloring and drawing are clear.
12. Represents characters as strong, independent people who others can admire or learn from	Yes
13. Represents people with disabilities from different racial and cultural backgrounds, religions, age groups, and sexual orientations	Maybe	It could be interpreted this way since characters are animals.
14. Shows people with disabilities in integrated settings and activities	Yes
15. Shows people with disabilities in valued occupations and diverse roles.	N.A.
16. Shows people with disabilities in reciprocal relationships	Yes
17. Main character develops and grows emotionally as a result of what happens in the story	Yes	Stan learns that asking for help is a good idea and sees that no one laughs at him. He feels better about himself and his abilities at the end.