amangoshaped

A Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass ISBN: 0-316-52388-7 c2003 218 pages

Good sections to read aloud: -pp. 2-3, where Mia is explaining when she first realized that she was the only one who noticed that numbers also have colors

Summary: Mia was really young when she first discovered that sounds, words, and letters had colors of her own. She assumed everyone had the ability to see/hear the same as she did...until school started up. Then she discovered it was a “gift” that only she had. She tried telling her parents about it, and they just dismissed it until she enters middle school and is having difficulty with her homework because of all of the different colors she sees. They take her to a doctor who recommends her to someone who explains that she has a condition called “synesthesia.” It isn’t life threatening, she won’t die from it, etc.... It’s a condition that very few people have that allows them to see colors after seeing or hearing things. Mia discovers that she isn’t a freak (like she’s been called by classmates for years) and that there are others out there with whom she can communicate with. A lot of other issues are woven into this teen issue book (Grandpa has recently passed away; she has an older, annoying sister and a younger, annoying brother; mom is always busy; dad is a bit different; she is starting to like boys, etc...).

YA Fiction--teen issues; synesthesia; friends; cats; dying

©Jennifer Lang - WDMS - 2005