3 out of 4 stars
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Aliens have come to Earth from another dimension in order to escape (and possibly defeat) an enemy they face in their dimension. Having the ability to transmit and read thoughts, these aliens think they are more advanced than their Earth counterparts. However, they will have to find a way to work together to defeat this adversary threatening their very race.
Geoff is a normal fourteen year old boy. At least, that's what he would like to be. Unfortunately, Geoff has ADHD. He doesn't like the way the medicine makes him feel; thus, he refuses to take it. The public schools, then, are forced to put him into Special Ed. Obviously, this does not make Geoff happy. But, there is a compromise to be had. Geoff's mother, an attorney, has begun working with some foreigners that want to have a boarding school on an estate zoned only for single family residences. She devises a plan that will let the foreigners have their school at the cost of letting high functioning Special Ed kids like Geoff come for a day school. It's a win-win situation. Or is it?
No Child Left Behind is in the science fiction and young adult category. It is geared towards high school age and above. The title is apropos as it discusses Special Education students and the No Child Left Behind mandated standardized testing. You might wonder how that fits in with aliens from another dimension, but the author blends the two into a very functional and enjoyable story. In this way, she is able to teach lessons about "special children" in a way that would appeal to all intelligence levels as well as teenagers and adults.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is very hard for a "normal" person to understand. The author does a brilliant job, though, at letting the reader into the mind of someone who is afflicted with this condition. Ms. Casser uses the first person voice to help us to see how many directions Geoff's mind takes at one time. Rather than overwhelm the reader, this really helps to sympathize with the main character in his plight.
Geoff's character was not the only unique persona. There is a boy named Kevin who is also in Special Education. He doesn't like to be touched. If someone does mistakenly touch him, they quickly end up on the floor from one of his punches. (Great reflexes!) We, also, get to learn about the aliens firsthand. The author alternates between Geoff's point of view and one of the alien's - a Lord Kemp. They way they view our world is interesting and sometimes very poignant.
As far as the plot goes, it was interesting enough to keep my mind engaged. There were new terms and technology to learn as the aliens have evolved a bit differently from "natives." This leads to some fun scenes as the aliens also have no idea what to do with some of our modern conveniences such as electricity or the internet.
I also enjoyed the fact that the aliens saw the children who were usually in Special Education a bit differently than most people do. While some of the techniques used on these children are impossible without telepathy, I think there were some great takeaways as well. Meditation techniques and animal therapy are used which I think are beneficial in real life. It also helped to break down stereotypes seen with Special Education children.
Some of the vocabulary used was a bit challenging even for me as an adult. Words such as insouciance and asphyxiated are fairly common language in the book. However, this is the author's plan as the book is meant for those in the 9th grade and above. It's a great way to get children to broaden their vocabulary while providing an entertaining story. Very clever on the part of the author, if you ask me.
There were only a few minor issues that I had with the book. First, Geoff did tend to get on my nerves a little bit. Oh, it wasn't his ADHD or limited focus that bothered me. It was the fact that Geoff tends to be a bit dramatic especially as regarding the alien's telepathic abilities. This caused a bit of eye-rolling on my part, but it did not keep me from continuing in my reading of the book.
Secondly, while there is an alien race and some new technology in this book, the science fiction aspect of the book is more secondary. I'd say the real story is about Geoff and his coming to terms with his "disability." How he learns to handle himself and cope in the real world is the true story. However, those die-hard science fiction fans might find this somewhat disappointing.
Overall, I rate No Child Left Behind a 3 out of 4 stars. The minor issues mentioned above kept me from rating this book any higher but did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I would recommend this to all those - teenagers and older - who enjoy a book focused on overcoming disabilities with a bit of science fiction thrown in.
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No Child Left Behind
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