I really enjoyed the rep in this one and the message behind the book. It may seem like a story centers on such a specific disability experience but, like all good stories, it speaks to the human experience at large, and in this case, principles in the reality of being disabled and how to cope. I loved the challenge to have a positive attitude, to be creative, and "keep [the] mind flexible" despite extraordinary circumstances. I particularly felt compelled by Mom's quote "sometimes the bravest people are the ones who just say no." I have been humbled and challenged by the reality of having to say no when my body won't keep up. It's so hard, but so important--and there shouldn't be any shame in it.

I had so many favorite quotes but a few of them are:

"My body is inflexible, but I keep my mind flexible"

"You have no control over the thing you're most afraid of...so, if you accept that and stay in the present, you'll spend less time being afraid."

"You're trying to control something you never had control of in the first place...accept it, and let the fear go."

"It wasn't that I was braver than other kids. I just hadn't been given much choice--it was either find a way to be happy or stay miserable."

I thought at times the book was a little too didactic, especially in how Mindy keeps talking about her poverty. I love that the book addresses issues of disparity not just with disability but race and socioeconomic status, but I wondered if someone like Mindy would really keep bringing this up of her own volition, and if there was a more organic, compelling way to integrate these themes. Would've loved to see these disparities organically intersect, like poverty and disability or race and disability.

All that said, I flew through this book and highly recommend it for disabled and able-bodied readers alike.

Dancing in the Storm
by Amie Darnell Specht; Shannon Hitchcock
Pub DateFeb 06 2024
PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group
Rocky Pond Books
Children's Fiction| Children's Nonfiction| Middle Grade


The Penguin Young Readers Group has provided me with a copy of Dancing in the Storm for review
Rocky Pond Books and Netgalley:



The book Dancing in the Storm is one I wish I had had in middle school!


The life Kate leads in Baton Rouge is full of friends, family, gymnastics, and Girl Scouts. Suddenly, at the age of twelve, she develops a mysterious shoulder pain that won't go away. Kate has one of the world's rarest genetic disorders, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. In FOP, the body forms bone in places where it shouldn't, and there is no cure. Kate. It will take Kate some time to adjust to this difficult new reality, but she will have a pen pal named Amie who has been living with FOP for years who can help.


Based on Amie Specht's own experiences with FOP, she and Shannon Hitchcock have written an uplifting story of overcoming adversity with courage and joy.


I give Dancing in the Storm five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

The emotions in this book! Following Kate's journey through her diagnosis, the way it impacts her love of gymnastics, the way it impacts her friendships, her life... Both realistic and hopeful, without being lost to inspiration mess. Excellent disability representation, and I was incredibly pleased to see the co-author credit rather than using anonymous beta readers or ghost writers.

It was unclear why letters were missing from some of the words in this book. It was honestly distracting. However, it is always inspirational to read about someone overcoming their disabilities and I enjoyed learning about a condition I have never heard of before reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

As someone who lives with multiple disabilities and health conditions, this book was amazing for me to read. When I was a young child growing up in the 2000s, there wasn't a ton of books about children who were different. I am glad that peoples attitudes have (slightly) changed and there are books being produced today about children who are not neurotypical. This is a very important lesson that children need to learn. Some children will have certain health conditions or disabilities that will make them different from the average child, but that doesn't mean that the child is less than a neurotypical child. This book should be read to children by parents, teachers and librarians all across the world. This is one of the most important books a 21st century child can be exposed to and I highly recommend it. While I wish there was more books like this when I was growing up, I am still glad to see books like this being published today. They belong in this world. Just like I do.
–

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This is the story of Kate, a young gymnast and girl scout who finds out she has a rare condition called FOP. She has to be very careful because trauma can cause flare ups in which bones grow in abnormal places. This means no more gymnastics and limits other activities as well. Kate finds a way to cope with help from her family, friends and an adult she meets online that has the same condition. Great middle grade book showing the good and bad things Kate goes through as she learns about her condition and teaches others about dealing with people with disabilities. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was enticed by the comparisons to Out of My Mind, and while I don't think this will make the classics list like that one, this was a good read that I immediately gave my tween daughter (who happens to be a gymnast). I enjoyed the author note at the end and through reading, I learned a lot about a rare genetic disease that I'd never heard of.

I think this book is well-intentioned. Not only is it informing the reader about a rare disorder, it also digs into reality for a disabled kid. It looks at how a diagnosis changes everything. Kate's friendships and relationships with her family are changed. She has to learn to advocate for herself. All good things to look at and discuss. The problem is it's a bit stiff and unnatural. Kate doesn't read like a real kid. She's a bit too perfect, too well balanced. She doesn't have flaws, doesn't make mistakes. It walks us through her journey but there's no real conflict.

Kate loves her friends, family, gymnastic and girl guides. But when a mysterious growth develops on her shoulder, and she is diagnosed with FOP, a rare disease, she is forced to adjust and cope with a new reality.

I think this is a wonderful book for pre-teens to learn about and empathise both with people with FOP, as well as other rare diseases and disabilities. It doesn’t shy away from the realities and real impacts of the disease, but provides insightful narration into adjusting to and coping with this condition. The story did a great job or exploring the challenges of someone with a rare disease, such as isolation from peers, navigating diagnosis, finding allies and others with lived experience, the impact on family and friends, finding new abilities and interests, and the coping with flare ups and deterioration.

The book also explored the concept of privilege and disadvantage in different forms, and sheds light on the state of disability rights. It was really interesting to read the authors note at the end to see how this book came to be, and the real life experiences that inspired it.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was a very inspiring middle grade novel. A girl with a rare genetic disorder finds her strength when she focuses on her abilities, rather than her disability.

I really enjoyed this book. I did feel that it ended somewhat abruptly, but overall, this was a really beautiful book. It was emotional but also funny and educational. I didn’t realize this book was somewhat based on the co-author’s life with FOP until the author’s note, but I loved that it was such a personal story to her and I think you could really see that in the story. I think this would be a great book for middle grade readers to learn not just about FOP and rare diseases, but disabilities in general and how they affect people living with them.

A wonderful story about a young girl who must learn to live with a rare disease- FOP.
This story teaches young people that you can overcome your struggles and challenges.
I also enjoyed the friendship she developed with another girl who struggles with the same disease.

I did not know much about this disease so I want to thank the author for educating people about this illness .

I just reviewed Dancing in the Storm by Amie Darnell Specht; Shannon Hitchcock. #DancingintheStorm #NetGalley

This book was really good! I really enjoyed learning about the medical condition that the main character suffers from, it was really interesting, and I loved seeing how she learned to cope with the condition. It was so fun to see her relationship with her online mentor grow!

This is an interesting and thought-provoking middle grade novel about Kate, who is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, FOP. This is a disorder that is not well-known as it is so rare, so I appreciated learning more about it through Kate's story. I think this book is a great read for middle schoolers to help them better understand the challenges associated with disabilities of all kinds, and help them develop empathy and compassion for others unlike themselves. The book is also hopeful and inspiring as Kate learns to live day-by-day and use coping mechanisms to deal with both the physical and mental challenges she faces. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

My review:

Dancing in the Storm
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.57/10 overall

Characters - 6
The characters is this book didn't particularly stand out to me. While they were certainly likeable, I didn't feel very engrossed in their lives. They felt rather reactionary, rather than actionary, which would be fine, but with the story's message of taking action and ownership over what you can do, instead of dwelling on the things you cannot, it didn't sit well with me when the characters didn't always embody that mindset.

Atmosphere - 7
The atmosphere was decent, but I would have liked a bit more description. I couldn't always focus on what was happening because I didn't know WHY it was happening. Some of the events were surprises though, so it made sense that the reader and the characters might not know why the events were occurring.

Writing - 7
I enjoyed the writing style of this book. The short chapters definitely helped keep me invested in the story and provided plenty of opportunities for breaks.

Plot - 6
The plot was interesting but very fast-paced. Things seemed to happen faster than need be and some plot-points weren't as explored as I would have liked.

Intrigue - 7
I was intrigued from the description of this book. I'd never heard of FOP before, so I thought this book could help me learn more about it through a fun and engaging story. I certainly learned more about FOP from this book and I'm glad that I gained that knowledge. The book was intriguing for most of the time, but there were some points that I wish could have been explored more in depth.

Logic - 7
The book was reasonably logical. Most of the characters' actions made sense and I could follow the events that were happening.

Enjoyment - 6
Overall, the book felt like it was trying to do too much. There were a few too many moving parts that never were wrapped up or thoroughly explained. That said, I could tell that the authors had a personal connection to the topic and I'm glad I got to learn about FOP. :)

My review was posted on 1/23/24. Here's the link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6154437738

*You will tear up and also cheer while reading this one!*
Twelve-year-old Kate feels very lucky! She’s doing well in school, she’s got a supportive, loving family, and she’s enjoying being a Girl Scout and a gymnast. Kate attributes her recent shoulder pain to working out, and doesn’t take it too seriously, until she is forced to…
A diagnosis of a rare disease that causes bone to form in places in the body where it shouldn’t threatens to turn Kate’s whole world upside down. How will she be able to adjust to this “new normal”, when everything and everyone seems to be changing around her?
The co-author has been living with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, or FOP, from childhood. Fellow novelist Shannon Hitchcock drew upon many of Amie Specht’s own experiences for this book.
Wonderful book for middle-graders, or for anyone who needs a dose of inspiration.

Thank you to the the publisher and Edelweiss for an e-ARC of this middle grade novel.

I really enjoyed this story. It is a great one for students who have had a major obstacle prevent them from doing something they love. It's a great reminder for us all to be a little kinder and a little more understanding.

Kate Lovejoy seems to have it all: a loving family, a talent for gymnastics, and the means to live a comfortable life. But one day, her shoulder begins to hurt after a particularly grueling gymnastics practice, and the pain does not go away. Instead, a lump appears on Kate’s shoulder, causing excruciating pain and preventing her from moving her arm to its fullest extent. The diagnosis that finds her is the rare genetic disorder of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, or FOP, and it is up to Kate to decide whether her new identity will define her, or if she will find a way to rise above it.

This middle grade story incorporates many of the familiar experiences found in middle school: friends, frenemies, crushes, challenging coursework, and extracurricular activities. It also manages to address differences in income, family dynamics, and race in constructive and approachable ways. Though the focus is on a white family that is financially sound, Kate’s peers come from a variety of diverse backgrounds, and Kate often inadvertently makes mistakes she must learn from. This growth mindset ultimately helps Kate come to terms with her own diagnosis while finding space to forgive others who begin treating her differently.

The subject matter in this book is weighty for young readers, especially because a diagnosis of FOP is one that does not often have a positive outcome for patients. However, youth are not immune from the challenges that life can bring, and this book does a good job of capturing the feelings Kate and her companions have about a terrible disease that is hard to understand. Each chapter is short and the book moves quickly, especially as readers are curious to discover exactly what happens to Kate and how she will manage her unprecedented situation. Written from the author’s own experience, this book is one that authentically introduces readers to FOP while providing opportunities for further learning. This is an engaging addition to library collections for middle grade readers.