The Alphabet War: Living with Dyslexia

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The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia
By: Diane Burton Robb
Illustrator: Gail Piazza

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Copyright: 2004

Genre: Nonfiction, Special Needs, Coping Book

Grade Level: Kindergarten - 2nd

Brief Synopsis: Adam starts school, and although he loves stories, he can't seem to get the words to make sense. Over the next few years, he slowly despairs of ever learning to read. Instead, he imagines that he is being held captive by an evil king who torments him with vowels. His parents hire tutors to help, but it isn't until a specialist comes in at the beginning of third grade and diagnoses him as dyslexic that things start to look up. For Adam, it has become a much bigger problem than just learning how to read-he must also find the self-confidence that years of failure have robbed from him. His new teacher helps him see that reading will always be hard for him, but that it is possible. The pastel illustrations adequately convey Adam's emotions. Although the text often tells rather than shows the boy's plight, the subject matter is handled with respect for his feelings at every stage of the process, and does not oversimplify or sugarcoat the difficulties of dyslexia.-

About the Author:

Diane Burton Robb- she is a published author of children's books. Published credits of Diane Burton Robb include The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia.  There was not much to find on this author.
Gail Piazza- she is a home economics consultant with a Master's degree in Food and Nutrition. For over thirty years, she has developed and tested recipes and styled food for movies, television commercials, print ads and packaging for an extensive list of high-profile clients, such as All-Clad, Emerilware, Krups, Farberware and Lenox Corporation.

Themes: - Learning about dyslexia
- The frustration students feel when they do not understand something
- Struggling in school leading to violence towards others
- Teacher's need to take notice of student's behaviors to help in finding learning disabilities.

Pre-Reading Activities:
- Have students read a passage in which the words were not all spelt correctly and many of them should have the words being jumbled.  This will create for the class what it feels like to suffer from dyslexia.  They will answer questions like, how did you feel while reading this passage? and what helped you get through the reading?
- Talk to students about using pictures in the book to help them enhance their understanding of what is occurring.  his book is full of fantastic pictures they display the characters emotions and the students she be prepared to be looking for these hints in the words as well and the pictures.

Post Reading Activities:
- Write a letter to Adam suggesting ways to help him read with dyslexia.  How can the student help Adam to  not give up on school and reading?
- Students will fill out a story map of the events that happen in this story.  What does Adam do to get from the beginning to the ending?  What were the steps leading to the turning point?  They will fill this out alone and then hand in for clarification.

Reflection: I really was captured by the title of the book because it is very clever.  Sometimes students can feel defeated and overwhelmed with reading especially if they have a disorder like dyslexia.  It is important that students don't use the disability as an excuse to give up, and this book helps to encourage students suffering from dyslexia not to give up.  The illustrations are amazing at capturing Adam's emotions, from sad to overjoyed, throughout his journey.  This book would be good for both students wanting to learn about dyslexia and students suffering from dyslexia.

Links:
Book info.

Gail Piazza Bio