Super Jake & The King of Chaos
I was super grateful to receive a copy of Super Jake & The King of Chaos by Naomi Milliner thanks to a Twitter Giveaway. (I love receiving free books in the mail!)
Milliner's debut novel is all about eleven-year-old Ethan who has a special needs brother, two-year-old Jake. Their family's life frequently revolves around hospital visits and Jake struggling to simply learn how to eat and move. In order to experience some form of escape, Ethan retreats to the world of magic tricks. He is a talented magician for his age and loves to perform and bring people joy with his card tricks and birthday party acts. He enters a junior magic competition that he is dying to win so that he can meet his hero, Magnus the Magnificent. All the while, Ethan is faced with how he can do what he loves while also being there to support his family and take care of Jake.
Something that I didn't know until I was about half way through the book is that this is based on Milliner's experiences with her own son Jake who was born with cerebellar hypoplasia. He defied all odds and lived past his first year and left a lasting impression on their family during the short time he was with them. You can read more about it here on her blog.
This is a great portrayal of a family dealing with a child with disabilities. They talk a lot about the help and support that Jake needs and the things that the disabled community frequently has to deal with in struggling to be accommodated. But primarily the story is of Ethan, a brother whose life has changed in many ways (both good and bad) because of his brother's birth. He misses the way things were with his parents before Jake was born but realizes that he doesn't want his family to be without Jake and his adorable smiles.
This is a really fun book that even teaches you a few magic tricks. It is also a really touching book. There were a couple times when I got a little emotional reading it. I felt a great deal of empathy for those families who are faced with these challenges every single day. I also really loved Ethan's voice as the narrator. He is a very thoughtful, funny character with all the sass of an eleven-year-old.
I highly recommend this book for children and adults (It's marketed as Middle Grade). Those with disabled siblings will feel seen but will also enjoy the fun that Ethan's magic will bring to the book. I hope you'll check it out. You can purchase your own copy here!
Milliner's debut novel is all about eleven-year-old Ethan who has a special needs brother, two-year-old Jake. Their family's life frequently revolves around hospital visits and Jake struggling to simply learn how to eat and move. In order to experience some form of escape, Ethan retreats to the world of magic tricks. He is a talented magician for his age and loves to perform and bring people joy with his card tricks and birthday party acts. He enters a junior magic competition that he is dying to win so that he can meet his hero, Magnus the Magnificent. All the while, Ethan is faced with how he can do what he loves while also being there to support his family and take care of Jake.Something that I didn't know until I was about half way through the book is that this is based on Milliner's experiences with her own son Jake who was born with cerebellar hypoplasia. He defied all odds and lived past his first year and left a lasting impression on their family during the short time he was with them. You can read more about it here on her blog.
This is a great portrayal of a family dealing with a child with disabilities. They talk a lot about the help and support that Jake needs and the things that the disabled community frequently has to deal with in struggling to be accommodated. But primarily the story is of Ethan, a brother whose life has changed in many ways (both good and bad) because of his brother's birth. He misses the way things were with his parents before Jake was born but realizes that he doesn't want his family to be without Jake and his adorable smiles.
This is a really fun book that even teaches you a few magic tricks. It is also a really touching book. There were a couple times when I got a little emotional reading it. I felt a great deal of empathy for those families who are faced with these challenges every single day. I also really loved Ethan's voice as the narrator. He is a very thoughtful, funny character with all the sass of an eleven-year-old.
I highly recommend this book for children and adults (It's marketed as Middle Grade). Those with disabled siblings will feel seen but will also enjoy the fun that Ethan's magic will bring to the book. I hope you'll check it out. You can purchase your own copy here!
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