Views from Our Shoes: Growing Up With a Brother or Sister With Special Needs

by Donald J. Meyer (editor), Cary Pillo (Illustrator)

In Views From Our Shoes , 45 siblings share their experiences as the brother or sister of someone with a disability. The children whose essays are featured here range from four to eighteen and are the siblings of youngsters with a variety of special needs, including autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, ADD, hydrocephalus, visual and hearing impairments, Down and Tourette syndromes. Their personal tales introduce young siblings to others like them, perhaps for the first time, and allow them to compare experiences. A glossary of disabilities provides easy-to-understand definitions of many of the conditions mentioned. Also by Don Meyer :
Thicker than Essays by Adult Siblings of People with Disabilities
The Sibling Slam What It's Really Like To Have A Brother Or Sister With Special Needs

Genres: Nonfiction, Disability, Middle Grade, Childrens, Autistic Spectrum Disorder

113 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for school and thoroughly enjoyed it. Being a sibling of a child with special needs myself, it was cool to hear the outlooks of other siblings ranging in age from 4-18. I feel like I will use this in my teaching practices in the future. Definitely recommend to others!

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. The stories in it are all from siblings who have a brother or sister with some kind of exceptionality. It provides insight into the lives of these people so others can understand, and it is important for a child to understand that just because some people are different it is ok.

[Grace Crust · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! All the stories and little letters were so sweet! I would absolutely recommend this book for parents with children who have special needs, siblings, and special education teachers. Its a great look into how siblings especially are affected but also the unexpected joys that can come with having a sibling with special needs. It was also neat to read letters from both a younger and older sibling and see the differences in thinking and experiences there! Great book!

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is the creator of sibshops which most of mine have had the opportunity to participate in. But really, he is just the editor. The author is siblings of kids with various disabilities. Small vignettes easy to pick up and put down. We'll see if I can convince any of my own to flip a few pages.

[Melissa Sliwerski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this but I am definitely not the target demographic for this one..

- Outdated offensive language used here and there
- It states it “helps” younger sibs learn about living as a sibling of someone with special needs, but some of these little stories were so sad and it’s clear their parents didn’t do their jobs 🥲

[Diana C · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this is from the perspective of actual kids with siblings with disabilities, though I wish there was an updated one done that reflects changing vocabulary and more current sensibilities.

[Gello]

Eh...

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of entries written by siblings of children with disabilities gives students easily relatable stories, and a nice introduction to a variety of special needs that children are faced with. Stories range from feelings of love and acceptance, to frustration, and an unfair sense of responsibility for their sibling and their parents’ expectations. The appendix contains a series of contact information and websites for organizations supporting children with special needs. In addition to these resources, there is also a brief explanation of the different disabilities mentioned in the book, so that children can learn more about the background, symptoms, and impact of each condition. It is nice that the stories vary, with some children having mild disabilities, and attending mainstream schools, while others attend special schools, and some children even live in residential facilities. One strength of the book is that it covers a wide variety of disabilities, and ages, starting with the story of one four year old, and providing experiences for impacted siblings up through age 18. One downside is that while it is important to share both uplifting, positive stories, as well as stories of frustration, it almost seems to reinforce negative and demeaning language when one child, ten year old Justin Faulkingham, comments that he’s happy his brother doesn’t go to his school, because then “…everybody would know how much of a dope he is.” If it weren't for this, I would have given the book four stars.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was kinda cute and heart warming, very little as far as insight, which kinda goes against the title. I found this on list of books for people working families affected by deafness, but it didn't have a single letter from a sibling of someone who is deaf. I would possibly recommend it to a parent to was really having a hard time grasping the impact that having a child with special needs has on their other children, but most parents I know already feel pretty guilty about this.

[Recognizepromise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Views from Our Shoes is a great book for siblings of special-needs children. It has short entries (about 1.5 pages) from kids ages 4-18 who have siblings with various disorders, such as autism, angelman syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc. At the end of the book is a list of resources and a glossary.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Edited by Donald Meyer, this collection of kids' reflections give us glimpses of their honest frustrations, anger, questions, and affirmations that come with living with a sibling who struggles with some type of special need. It also includes a resource list and a glossary so that it's perfect reading for young kids.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but a little superficial. For a sibling really looking for some insight into how others deal with disablity in their family, it lacked detail. Essays from the older authors were more introspective.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, I remember this one...it was given to me when my parents broke the news about my younger brother's ASD. I would recommend it for children aged 8-11.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the language that was used yet the book was published in 1997 so maybe that's the reason for it.