Buchman, Dana. A special education; one family's journey through the maze of learning disabilities.

BUCHMAN, Dana. A special education; one family's journey through the maze of learning disabilities. Perseus, Lifelong. 196p. bibliog, c2006. 0-7382-1089-6. $13.95. SA

At 35, Buchman was a successful businesswoman, happily married to a successful attorney and pregnant with her first child. Her daughter Charlotte was a beautiful baby, but a mystery to the inexperienced Buchman, who was unprepared for the crying, the feedings, and the constant attention. Her daughter began missing developmental milestones. She didn't crawl on time; in fact, after ten months she still wasn't crawling. When Charlotte was two, she was joined by a sister, Annie Rose, who crawled on schedule. Now Buchman had someone to compare Charlotte with, and her first daughter's learning differences became clear. Unlike Annie Rose, Charlotte didn't speak in complete sentences, had trouble counting, couldn't tell how many marbles were right in front of her on the table, and couldn't learn to dance. A Montessori school was no help. Eventually Charlotte was diagnosed with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and a host of other challenges. She needed speech therapy, help with reading and math, and aid in directions and physical orientation as well as motor skills. Charlotte is now in college, but her road there was a challenging one, and Buchman's detailing of the trip is harrowing and brave. She is brutally honest about her own weaknesses. Her book is a must for anyone attempting to understand learning disabilities. Janet Julian, English Teacher (retired), Grafton, MA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.