Raising Blaze

April 15, 2002
Ginsberg (author of Waiting, an insider's look at the world of restaurant service) offers an extraordinary view of rearing and educating a child with special needs. Upon entering school, Ginsberg's son, Blaze, was put in a special education class because he didn't fit in smoothly with the behavioral demands of the regular classroom teacher. Required to come up with a specific diagnosis in order to place him in special ed, the school officials chose "speech and language impaired" after Blaze's first day of kindergarten. Resistant to testing, Blaze defied simple categorization and over time collected a variety of contradictory labels, including autistic, "of above-average intelligence," "eccentric," attention deficit hyperactive and "a gifted manipulator." A single parent with a large supportive family, Ginsberg spent much time and energy working with Blaze, having him tested, reading about diagnoses and treatments and helping him through elementary school with teachers ranging from helpful to hostile. She sacrificed her nascent career in publishing to spend more time with Blaze, took a job at his school, temporarily home-schooled him and even ingested a dose of his Ritalin to see how it felt. Ginsberg skillfully describes all the frustration, anger, fear, shame, worry, love and joy she's experienced in addressing her son's unique gifts and difficulties. She also describes a public school system generally more concerned with collective standardized test scores than with recognizing and serving the various innate abilities, talents and needs of its diverse students. This is an unusual and fascinating memoir that refutes many common assumptions about single mothers, special-ed kids, "experts" of all kinds and American public schools. Agent, Amy Rennert. (Aug. 2)Forecast:A 25-city radio campaign, seven-city author tour and a national broadcast and print media campaign will raise this book's visibility. Ginsberg's previous book was a sleeper hit; expect success for this one, too.

Starred review from May 1, 2002
This is the poignant and compelling story of raising a child with an undefinable disability centering on emotional/behavioral issues. A devoted mother and ardent advocate for her son's educational rights, Ginsberg (Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress) lets the words pour onto the page yet manages to keep the story of her son's battles accessible and engaging. The reader can, at times, become incredibly frustrated with both the ineffective mandates of the school and Ginsberg's own stubbornness. Her unwillingness to heed the diagnosis of doctors or the suggestions of educators can appear detrimental to all parties, but the reader comes to understand that as Blaze's mother, it is her job to question authority. In the end, this mother and son's tale not only reveals the beauty and strength in struggle but also acts as a supportive text for parents and guardians of disabled children. Among the qualities we all share as humans "are our differences and thus our sameness," writes Ginsberg, and she hopes people use that tenet to establish a common ground; this book is the foundation for a new understanding. Highly recommended for all libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/02.]

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2002
Ginsberg, who hit it big with Waiting, discusses raising an exceptional child.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.