Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

My Teaching Exceptional Students class required me to read a children's book that dealt with disabilities. I had the sweet serendipity to stumble upon Tracie Vaughn Zimmer's novel, Reaching for Sun. Josie Wyatt was born with cerebral palsy, but she doesn't let the challenges of her condition dominate her. The wild richness of her grandmother's garden mirrors Josie's own spirit even as developers carve the Wyatt family farm down to a few untamed acres. Josie must contend with a stubborn mother who never listens to her and always thinks she knows what is best even as her life spins in new directions with the arrival of Jordan, a boy who sees Josie as a whole. I'd say that on a scale of 1 to 10, this book of free-verse poems is a 10+.