Real

Charity is smart as a whip. She’s great at math and has a near-perfect memory. But Charity can’t speak or communicate, and her body is totally non-cooperative. She has loving parents who do their level best to give her as much education as they can, try to find a good school, and are devastated when they discover the school she has been in is a sham where she’s been badly treated. They finally find a wonderful counselor who truly has Charity’s best interest at heart and the tools to help her. This is life-changing for Charity. She learns ways to communicate, and it is like a damn bursting with all she has to say that she has been forced to hold in all these years. But not everyone wants her in her new setting.

Carol Cujec has written a fascinating and important book that should be required reading for middle-grade and beyond. She has brilliantly told the story from Charity’s point of view, drawing readers into Charity’s world and giving a real taste of life for children with severe autism. Readers will root for Charity every step of the way. Don’t miss this wonderful book!