Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
I love cacti! I've definitely had a fascination with them ever since I lived in Arizona. I've seen all sorts of cacti.. Saguaros are especially amazing in their growth. Did you know that it is illegal to remove a Saguaro cactus--even if it's on your own property?! It is possible to have it removed in certain circumstances but you have to go through the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Sometimes this creates ridiculous scenarios. I've seen many houses where giant Saguaro cacti are propped up by boards to prevent them from falling over. I even saw a house once where a cactus had fallen over across the sidewalk that led to their front door. So they simply cut a path threw it and left the cactus lying there.
Aven Green is the star of Dusti Bowling's Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus. She was born without any arms. She loves to tell people crazy stories about how she lost them but she is used to being without them. Her parents have taught her how to be independent and do things on her own. One day, her parents suddenly take a job running a western theme park in Arizona. Aven moves with them across country knowing that she is going to have to answer a million questions about her arms and make all new friends. Aven ends up bonding with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated from everyone else because he has Tourette's. Together they start unraveling some of the secrets and mystery surrounding the theme park's history and those that live and work there.
I think that Aven as a narrator was super fun. She was always upbeat and positive about life and giving hilarious stories all about how she came to have no arms. All of the other characters as well help us learn about Aven and other kids who have disabilities--what it is like to be different. There are many kids out there who feel alone, who feel like they stand out in a bad way. And I think that this book provides an opportunity for readers to see how they can tackle those feelings and maybe embrace the things that make them different and find a way to overcome their challenges.
One of the many ways that I become familiar with a lot of the books that I read is on Twitter. I believe this is how I heard about Dusti Bowling's book. And I've been aware of it for a while...so when I saw that it was available for purchase on Scholastic Book Order, I used some of the points I had accumulated to order it for our classroom library. I was so excited to finally have such an interesting read--the title definitely pulled me in from the very first time I saw the cover.
Just reading about Dusti's current life in a place called Carefree, Arizona with "her husband, three daughters, one bobcat, a pack of coyotes, a couple of chuckwallas, several rattlesnakes, and a few herds of javelina" is enough to make me want to take a trip down to Arizona.
I think that this book would be a good fit for those looking for good realistic fiction, a mystery, middle grade, books about people with disabilities, and books about Arizona!
It sounds like there is also now a sequel to the book called Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus which tackles the issues surrounding Aven starting high school. I don't know how long it will take me to get my hands on a copy of that one, but I can't wait!
You can purchase a copy of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus here. As well as a copy of Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus here. Get your hands on the first book in the series!
I think that Aven as a narrator was super fun. She was always upbeat and positive about life and giving hilarious stories all about how she came to have no arms. All of the other characters as well help us learn about Aven and other kids who have disabilities--what it is like to be different. There are many kids out there who feel alone, who feel like they stand out in a bad way. And I think that this book provides an opportunity for readers to see how they can tackle those feelings and maybe embrace the things that make them different and find a way to overcome their challenges.
One of the many ways that I become familiar with a lot of the books that I read is on Twitter. I believe this is how I heard about Dusti Bowling's book. And I've been aware of it for a while...so when I saw that it was available for purchase on Scholastic Book Order, I used some of the points I had accumulated to order it for our classroom library. I was so excited to finally have such an interesting read--the title definitely pulled me in from the very first time I saw the cover.
Just reading about Dusti's current life in a place called Carefree, Arizona with "her husband, three daughters, one bobcat, a pack of coyotes, a couple of chuckwallas, several rattlesnakes, and a few herds of javelina" is enough to make me want to take a trip down to Arizona.
I think that this book would be a good fit for those looking for good realistic fiction, a mystery, middle grade, books about people with disabilities, and books about Arizona!It sounds like there is also now a sequel to the book called Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus which tackles the issues surrounding Aven starting high school. I don't know how long it will take me to get my hands on a copy of that one, but I can't wait!
You can purchase a copy of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus here. As well as a copy of Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus here. Get your hands on the first book in the series!
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