Foley Russel and That Poor Girl
Fancy a book report? Probably not. Neither does Foley Russel. Foley has never had anything but bad book experiences, and the one his teacher sets for him is not looking any better.
When Miss D assigns her class the task of reading a book and interviewing a character from that book, Foley is hoping for someone interesting: a circus midget, a millionaire, or, coolest of all, a Formula One driver. He is not anticipating a girl in a wheelchair, and he’s certainly not expecting to like her, much less become friends with her. After all, she’s not even normal, is she?
The Story Behind This Book
I walked past the door to a public toilet the other day. On it, the sign which would usually read ‘disabled’ had been defaced. Letters had been scratched off the sign until it read ‘is able’. I thought that very clever. Lily would do something like that and if she couldn’t reach the sign on her own, Foley would have helped her. These are the kinds of kids I love to meet and it’s this kind of vandalism I wish would become more normal! There are moments in life when we become aware of the forces shaping us and our attitudes. During those moments we decide where we stand (or sit), what we value and who we are. Foley Russel and That Poor Girl is about those moments. I do hope you’ll enjoy the experience.
