NO PLACE TO HIDE

A teacher helps a 10th grader with his reading difficulties in Thompson’s YA novella.

Owen Daniels has a secret: He can’t read very well. Thus far he’s been able to hide this fact, but now that he’s a high school sophomore, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, especially when his new English teacher, Ms. Gulliver, starts calling on students to read aloud in class. He realizes that he’s bound to fail in his classes eventually and that he may be mocked by his fellow students. But Ms. Gulliver proves to be an ally when she gives him an easy-to-read book as part of a long-term plan to help his reading skills. With support from his mom and older sister, Owen starts to dedicate himself to that task, and that dedication spreads to other areas of his life and schoolwork, especially in science class. Slowly but surely, Owen starts to feel better about himself, and his fear of failure transforms into a dream of success. Thompson’s book has a clear-cut mission to encourage teens to read by working hard and applying themselves. It does so through simple, uncomplicated language that will appeal to struggling readers: “I remember when the school year started. My grades were terrible. I never thought I could get better. It’s been a lot of hard work. And I’ve read a lot of books.” It’s also a book about challenging expectations and the importance of support for those who are less privileged; Owen’s father is in prison, and his mother struggles to support their family. The protagonist’s reading challenges color much of his life, making the story limited to its very specific purpose, but it’s likely to be helpful to youngsters in similar situations.

An easy-to-read and inspirational story for struggling readers.