This Kid Can Fly

Aaron Philip is a 14-year-old with cerebral palsy.  This book is the story about what he has accomplished despite having a severe disability.  He chronicles his family's struggles for money and the separation with one parent living in their native Antigua and one in the United States.  The struggles of the caregiver are evident in this book, and Aaron is quick to point out all the sacrifices people have made for him.

The book comes from a blog he started on Tumblr called The Aaronverse where he talks about what it's like to be a kid with CP. Readers will come away with empathy and understanding for Aaron's situation and maybe some empathy for those who are similar situations they may meet in real life.

I was expecting a focus more on Aaron's accomplishments, but the book often feels like a chronology.  For example, he mentions several times how important art is to him, but there are only three of his pieces in the book, and they are at the very end.  It definitely feels like a kid wrote this book (which is a good thing).  This is a good option for kids to try to understand what it's like to live in a world that isn't built for you.  Readers will also find that they have a lot in common with Aaron; he is just a normal kid who happens to have CP.