The story: Seems like Atticus's life couldn't get much worse: he's routinely bullied by Danny Mills, his father has just left the family, and he's got the worst name in the world. But when Mr. Looney, a 77-year-old substitute teacher, appears in ILA class, things subtly begin to change. Atticus begins to gain the courage he'll need to stand up for Mr. Looney when things get really, really bad.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G: adult themes (bullying, parental separation, unwarranted feelings of guilt) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: Atticus is a likeable dork, and many kids will relate (although when he starts out in his capital-I "Imagination" on page 2, you initially wonder if this is about a fourth grader, rather than an older kid). Nonetheless, as Atticus learns to move out of the shadows and stand up, he makes a notable journey. And the idea that a really senior senior citizen could be part of such a journey was one a lot of MS kids may not have had before. There are no magical endings here, but there are believable ones.
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