People like to read books that are about characters who remind them of themselves. A thirteen year old girl might read a book about a thirteen year old girl, an aging businessman might read about an aging businessman. And it makes sense. After all, chances are that a thirteen year old girl wouldn't be very interested in a book about a businessman. We like to read books where we can understand the characters.
But, sometimes we will pick up a book where the author has taken the daring leap from safe grounds, that the intended reader will understand, to wild new places, where the reader will be able to see a life quite like theirs-but from a new and different point of view.
The two books that I wanted to talk about that show these qualities are:
Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erksine, is a beautiful book about ten year old Caitlin, a girl with Aspergers Syndrome. It is a wonderful story in which Caitlin and her father try to recover after the death of her brother Devon.
Because she has Aspergers, Caitlin's point of view is based on facts and what she can see going on around her. It is hard for her to understand emotions. This is helpful and unhelpful to her while she tells the story. On one hand, It is unhelpful because she can't understand other peoples emotions. This is hard for the reader, knowing the pain someone is feeling that Caitlin can't understand. But, this also makes the story better, allowing readers to see things through Caitlin's eyes, and discover other characters emotions by using facts, just like she does.
This book will help readers understand people with Aspergers more, and at the same time give them an amazing story that will capture their heart. This book will definitely show you a different point of view!
The other book that I wanted to talk about was A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. This book is about Mia, a thirteen year old girl with Synesthesia. Synesthesia is when you see words, tastes, numbers, letters (not always every single one of those )and other things as colors or pictures. Mia realizes that she is not like the other kids in her class when she's in 2nd grade.
She keeps it a secret until she's forced to tell her parents. After seeing a doctor, she finds out that "her colors" have a name, and that there are other people like her. Life for Mia is going well, until a tragedy shatters her life, and her Synesthesia disappears, just when she was beginning to love "her colors" even more. Will they ever come back?
This is a magical book that will make you think. Once again, the different point of view both teaches the reader and allows them to see life in a new way.
I think that books that show different points of view to the reader are amazing, and I encourage readers to be adventurous and try out some more. If you find any new different points of view" books, then you should definitely post about them! I hope you find the time to read these books (and others) soon!
