“Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus” by Dusti Bowling
Middle school is hard. Middle school when you have some differences can be even harder! Aven and her parents recently moved from another state to run Stagecoach Pass, a rundown Western theme park. Although Aven was well-liked at her old school, she struggles with being the ‘new kid’ and having people very curious about her…you see, Aven was born without arms.
“Insignificant Events” explores how Aven deals with all the ‘new,’ makes new friends (with a boy with Tourette’s Syndrome and a boy who struggles with his weight), learns more about herself….and there’s also a mystery that she is trying to solve with her friends. This is a quick, entertaining book that talks about differences, sameness, and how to survive middle school regardless of who you are. I strongly recommend it for ALL kiddos (and families), but especially for kiddos who feel that they are ‘different.’