Emiline, Knight in Training

Another book about Dyslexia.

Emiline is a knight in training, where she has problems reading, they move and are hard to read and understand. But she is a knight and there is more to her life and duties than just reading. She helps "tame" ogres and saves dragons eggs and helps her friends when they are in trouble. She does take the time to practice reading and because she is dedicated and asks for help, she's able to know when something bad is going to happen, she's also able to help her friends and teacher.

This is a very short book, something good for those who struggle reading wouldn't find hard or intimidating, that might give an extra bust in wanting to read and that it takes dedication to get things done. But that facing the challenge can be worth it and can help others.

It is a very cheesy book though, where anyone who isn't having these difficulties wouldn't like it as much as others. (But then again, I have a hard time reading very young books. I don't care for "dangerously cheesy" books.)

A True Book: Dyslexia

More research into Dyslexia and I go for the children's information section of the library. It's a good place to get basic information about many things where it can be simple to understand and a good jumping off point to then dive deeper with adult non-fiction reads.

This book was just that. A good, simple read full of information that would be helpful for anyone who is starting out in their quest for knowledge.

This one is very good at building the reader (aimed toward children who probably have dyslexia themselves) up and letting them know that they can still do great things--like learning to read well--because they think differently than others. And that it's okay to do so.

The Alphabet War

I've recently rediscovered (self diagnosed) that I have dyslexia and was trying to do research about it--thinking also that my son might have it too and wanting to help him as much as I can not struggle through elementary school like I did.

The Alphabet War is about a little boy who has dyslexia and some of the struggles he had while discovering that he had dyslexia. The common ideas of "I'm stupid" "I can't do this" and then becoming a bad kid because he'd "fake it 'til he made it" or start daydreaming instead of reading the confusing, jumbled up letters.

This one is a good story for those whose kids might have it and some of the beginning steps on how to address the coming situations of tutors, special help, or diagnosing dyslexia. A way to help those kids not feel as worried about their abnormal situation. It is a book that is probably best read to the children. It's not the most fun or exciting read, but it's a good one for information.

I remember doing it. It's not easy. Adam, in the story, was able to be diagnosed and got tutors to help him out, which is the case for many people. Others, like myself, self-diagnosed themselves years later (for me it was at the end of my college career). Giving kids the tools they need early to help them is very important and so then they can use them as they get older too. So then we don't have to struggle on our own, feeling alone, and feeling stupid and dumb as we walk blindly on.