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I really enjoyed this book and found it fairly easy to booktalk to my 7th graders who study India in Social Studies.

I am going to have to read it! My sixth graders study India in social studies (7th is state history here) and it sounds like a valuable resource. Maybe for First Day School, too! Thank you so much for posting this!

This sounds really good. I've noticed once you start to look its easier to find diverse YA lit.

I actually did like this one a lot, but I came to it haveing heard that Emma Jean was Asperger-ish, something I find interesting to read about. And I remember liking the relationship between her and her parents.<br /><br />The sequel came out not to long ago, and I meant to get it for this weekend, but I haven&#39;t run out of books yet so it&#39;s a very moot point!

I really enjoyed this and liked Emma Jean alot. One book that many people loved but I couldn&#39;t not finish was A Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime (I think I got that right) I just couldn&#39;t connect with the main character.

Thanks for chiming in with your take on it Charlotte and Doret. I guess, being someone who leans toward the Asberger-ish myself, I felt like Emma Jean was a little too self-aware about her own difference. It&#39;s taken me to the age of 50 to realize that I don&#39;t always get where other people are. I just never registered that I was missing whole channels of communication that everyone else

I really like both books, although I agree that Emma-Jean is not a very realistic character. Colleen keeps the books grounded for me (and while I more envy Emma-Jean&#39;s LIFE, with the bird and the math and the cooking et al.), I identify with Colleen more and think she&#39;s an extremely well-drawn character. Her anxieties, her willingness to please, her tiny bursts of confidence... they all

I love Emma Jean, and I just got the sequel yesterday. I&#39;ll let you know what I think. <br /><br />Right now, I&#39;m waiting to get my hands on the sequel to The Hunger Games. Franki snagged it yesterday as an ARC, and I&#39;m waiting to pick it up.<br /><br />Have fun reading today!

Hi. I&#39;m just dropping in from seeing your FB status and although PaperTigers is not participating in the challenge, I&#39;m keen to see what books people are reading. I like your comment: &#39;placidly whirling in my own eddies.&#39;

Oh man, I don&#39;t think I have any brain left to come up with a meaningful comment! Just wanted to cheer you on. Perhaps I can come back later, with brain restored.

ooops, forgot to subscribe to follow-up comments.

I love Emma Jean. I had read about her possibly being slightly aspergerish, but I am not sure if that was intended by the author. I personally think you don&#39;t have to have asperger to look at life in a more cut-and-dried, detached way. <br /><br />Andi: you bring up an interesting point, that if Emma Jean were asperger, then, she does appear too self aware. <br /><br />What do you think of

I haven&#39;t read it yet. I don&#39;t think I&#39;m going to read ANY book anytime soon. Keep up the good work!

What a cool prize! I didn&#39;t read for a cause, mainly because I don&#39;t have the money to donate and don&#39;t know anyone who does, either. I am cheering on everyone who is, though! <br /><br />Thanks for coming by and cheering me on! Now I have found a new book blog! :)

You have certainly chosen some very intense books for your challenge and I am going to have to go out and look for them all. I&#39;mmlooking forward to seing what you will have read today...<br /><br />Good luck, getting to the end.

I&#39;m back!<br /><br />Your description does make the character sound like she might have Aspergers -- and how interesting for someone to write an Aspie-like character as tender hearted! That is very unusual and would really do my heart good to see. My son has high functioning autism and though he has major problems with empathy and point of view, he is very loving, as are all the other Aspies

trying to comment, too sleepy to be relevant. Good luck with your fund-raising.

I liked the first one a lot, but the second book felt more than a little flat to me. If you didn&#39;t like the first one, don&#39;t bother with the sequel.

I really like this book and can&#39;t wait to read the new sequel.<br /><br />I agree that if she has full-on Asperger&#39;s, she&#39;s too self-aware. But there are so many kids who have tendencies toward it, maybe not at any diagnosable level (and Emma Jean doesn&#39;t have an obsession). I think that&#39;s Emma-Jean, just some tendencies or similarities. And that&#39;s what makes her growth

I am really enjoying this conversation! Thanks for all the comments on how you found the book. I wanted to respond to something Dreadful Penny said about Colleen: &quot;I identify with Colleen more and think she&#39;s an extremely well-drawn character. Her anxieties, her willingness to please, her tiny bursts of confidence... they all scream 6th grade girl to me.&quot;<br /><br />That&#39;s funny

I could just about die laughing, because I&#39;ve been thinking about this self-awareness thing all day--I&#39;m often amazed at how self-aware and able to express himself my autistic son is--and just this minute, when I tried to change the subject he told me &quot;I&#39;m still perseverating on this money bin idea.&quot;

Good luck with the challenge and that is a great charity/cause you are supporting. It is great to see a community come together to help someone who is in need.<br /><br />I&#39;m starting the challenge in a little while. It is my first one and I am looking forward to it.

Best of luck with the challenge ... and what a great idea for a prize. Your photography stops me dead in my tracks every time I see it!

Good luck. I will support you along the way.

Good Luck with the challenge. I&#39;ll keep checking in go be prepared to donate.

I&#39;m honored that you&#39;ve chosen my novel to start your 48-hour challenge, and I thank you for your efforts to help Bridget.<br /><br />For those who&#39;d like to learn more about Chile at that time, I&#39;ve posted a Teacher&#39;s Guide on my web site, web.mac.com/lynml; it contains an annotated list of other books, films, and Internet sites. I&#39;m now reading Heraldo Munoz&#39;s

Lyn, Thanks so much for coming and commenting. I am glad you gave us that link. I was feeling kinda bad that I hadn&#39;t spend more time on this post and given more links, cause your website is so good. There is so much more that could be said and I hope lots more people read your book!! Great teacher&#39;s guide.

I have finished my time on the Challenge and am cruising sites more now than I allowed myself during the Challenge. This is my first book challenge of any kind and I am so glad I participated...I have read great books, learned so much, and met new friends through their sites and their blogs. I will be sharing your site with two on the RIF staff who help oversee our multicultural initiative, and

Happy reading!