Maybe Just Ask Me!

PreS-Gr 1–It’s Mazie’s first day of school at a new school, and she’s naturally eager to make new friends. Disappointed when her peers don’t ask about her eye patch and bald head, covered by a pretty scarf, Mazie’s classmates project their own made-up explanations for her differences. Often overheard in hushed conversations or loud whispers, readers are privy to Mazie’s inner thoughts as she navigates social tensions and fears, drawing on the bravery and hopefulness she gained from her recent battle with cancer. Mazeika offers personal insight into being a child who survives cancer and lives with a visible physical disability in a classroom full of unfamiliar and uncurious peers. Her digital illustrations emphasize the main character and her social situations with strong, bold colors for the protagonist and her classmates. This fictional story of a young white girl struggling to connect with her classmates in a multiracial suburban American classroom offers significant social-emotional learning opportunities for younger readers. Back matter includes the author’s personal connection to the story, followed by a list of things children (and caretakers) can do to be supportive of “People Like Me.” If the list seems directed at adult readers, the final two lines emphasize a crucial message that might not have been obvious in the storytelling: “We all have things that make us different. What kinds of things do you wish other people just asked about you?” This is a perfect question for children to process and then pose in a classroom, library, or other setting.