Nonfiction: Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability

Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability, Shane Burcaw. Roaring Brook Press, Nov 2017. 40 pages, $18.99, 9781626727717.

    Shane Burcaw was born with Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a disease that makes the body smaller and weaker the older a person gets. Through Not So Different, he hopes to educate children about his disability, challenges, and adaptations. Despite his disability, Burcaw has so many accomplishments. He is an author, speaker, and co-founder of the nonprofit organization, Laughing at My Nightmare, Inc (LAMN). LAMN promotes positivity and provides equipment grants to people living with muscular dystrophy. His author notes, found at the end of the book, provide additional information about SMA, types of SMA, his life and hobbies, and the nonprofit he organized. 

    In Not So Different, Burcaw answers questions children may have about SMA and his life. Asking questions is perfectly alright because children can learn about people who live with a disability, to accept differences, and to treat others with kindness and respect. The depth of the coverage is appropriate for the subject and the audience. 
    His format and writing style keeps the book organized and approachable. Burcaw uses typography to organize his text. He uses speech bubbles with large text for the questions, smaller black font for his answers, and a comic-like font to grab children’s attention. Burcaw follows an organized, consistent, and easy-to-follow Question and Answer format. The questions sound like things children would ask. Questions include, “What’s wrong with you?; Why is your head so much bigger than the rest of your body?; But how do you do things; What do they help you with?; How do you eat?; Can you climb stairs?; Can you drive?; How do you play with friends?; Do people ever make fun of you?” Burcaw responds in a way that is easy for children to understand. For example, he compares the motorized wheelchair to a bike or a video game controller. When he uses big words like “progressive,” he defines it within a sentence. Burcaw also uses humor, honesty, positive thinking, and a conversational tone to engage readers and help make a challenging topic accessible. One humorous scene depicts Burcaw lifting his brother to the top of the basketball hoop. This ruined the motor on his wheelchair. The accompanying photographs are humorous and support the text. There are photos of Shane as a child and as an adult doing a variety of activities. The people are posed but expressive. The exaggerated facial expressions and body language showcase Burcaw's playful personality.

    Elementary students can use Not So Different to learn about SMA, develop empathy for people with disabilities, and be inspired by Burcaw’s positive attitude.