Bound To Stay Bound

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 Superstar
 Author: Davis, Mandy

 Publisher:  Harper (2017)

 Classification: Fiction
 Physical Description: 320 p.,  20 cm

 BTSB No: 263083 ISBN: 9780062377777
 Ages: 8-12 Grades: 3-7

 Subjects:
 Autism -- Fiction
 Interpersonal relations -- Fiction
 Middle schools -- Fiction

Price: $6.50

Summary:
Space-obsessed Lester Musselbaum experiences the challenges of his first days of public middle school, making friends and enemies, accidentally learning of his autism-spectrum diagnosis, and finding his "thing."

Accelerated Reader Information:
   Interest Level: MG
   Reading Level: 3.80
   Points: 9.0   Quiz: 189558
Reading Counts Information:
   Interest Level: 3-5
   Reading Level: 3.30
   Points: 14.0   Quiz: 71234

Reviews:
   Kirkus Reviews (+) (04/01/17)
   School Library Journal (05/01/17)
   Booklist (06/01/17)
 The Hornbook (00/07/17)

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 05/01/2017 Gr 4–6—Lester loves two things: science and homeschooled life with his devoted mother. So it's a shock when Mom announces that Lester will be attending fifth grade in public school because she is going back to work full-time. The pair have been especially close since the tragic, mission-related death of Lester's astronaut father five years earlier; unresolved grief still haunts the family. Lester's behaviors make his transition to public school a challenge (he later discovers he has autism), but caring staff and a kindhearted classmate, Abby, offer support. Then the annual science fair gives Lester both a way to fit in and an opportunity he's been longing for: a chance to study space and flying, taboo subjects at home. Emphasizing characterization over action, the first-person narrative helps readers understand the social difficulties experienced by a child on the autism spectrum. In Lester and his mother, debut author Davis creates genuine, emotionally engaging characters who, over the course of the novel, grow and move toward heartfelt triumphs. While Lester's mother is aware of his behavioral issues, it is not clear whether she sought services for him before he received a diagnosis and IEP from his new school. This may lead to comparisons with Lynda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree, but Ally's and Lester's home lives are quite different. The book also overlooks Davis's larger story of a family recovering from devastating loss. VERDICT Give to sensitive readers who enjoy rooting for the underdog and to fans of realistic stories with scientific themes.—Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2017 When his mother takes a job, Lester’s homeschooling days are over, and the adjustment to his new school is rough. Not only is the cafeteria noise unbearably loud, but his reaction to it lands him in the principal’s office on his first day as a fifth-grader. Quickly he becomes the target of a bully. And after making one good friend in his class, he experiences a painful rejection. When Lester learns that he’s on the autism spectrum, it takes some work to understand what that means and how the diagnosis will help the school adapt to his needs. Written in first person from Lester’s point of view, the narrative has a refreshing directness of expression. His compelling backstory and aspects of his individuality are gradually revealed. By the time the word autism appears, readers are accustomed to seeing the world from Lester’s point of view, a fine vantage point for getting to know anyone’s good points, foibles, and dreams. Davis creates a memorable character within a promising first novel. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

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