We’re all different in one way or another. Often times, being different only means appearance or intelligence wise. But what if all letters and words had a color and texture? Mia Winchell, 13 years old, lives with synesthesia in a book titled A Mango-Shaped Space. Synesthesia is the crossing of two or more senses, and there are many different versions of it. She faces various struggles as she takes on the confusing life of a young girl living with synesthesia, all while juggling school work, friend drama, and other typical teenage debacles. Once she faces a traumatic experience and her colors disappear for a while, she acknowledges some important things about dealing with loss. A Mango-Shaped Space is an inspiring and unique choice that the
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In turn, this teaches readers that self-acceptance and self-love is very important to live a happy life. In one Publisher’s Weekly review, it states that “sometimes it's hard for her being reminded that she is different,” (“A Mango-Shaped Space.”). Once again, this shows that for her to first accept her colors, she has to realize that she is different from everyone else. A review of A Mango-Shaped Space, written by a real-life synesthete and researcher, says that “although their perceptions of the world are somewhat different than others’, difference is okay. These people need to meet someone like Mia,” (Day, Sean.) Another significant element to the story is when Mia learns to think before she acts, because she does things that she regrets, and then learns afterwards that she shouldn’t do that. This is setting a great example for little children reading this to learn from her actions. Regarding the overall quality of the book, it has a 4.7 rating on Amazon (Amazon.com) and a 4.22 rating on Goodreads (“A Mango-Shaped Space.” Goodreads), and seeing that these are both sites that are looked to when finding reviews, we know that this book is of high quality and educational value for children of every …show more content…
It tells kids of all disabilities and conditions that they are not alone and that it’s not something to be ashamed of. One amazing example of this in the book is when Mia realizes that there are other people with synesthesia in the world (Mass 103). A Mango-Shaped Space also won the Schneider Family Book Award, an award that “honor[s] an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences,” (“Schneider Family Book Award.”). A young synesthete named David made some comments on how this book opened his eyes, and how he will spread awareness. He states that, “I’m showing it to some friends and trying to get synesthesia more known throughout my school,” (“A Mango-Shaped Space: Overview.”) This shows that the book has an authentic, enriching portrayal of what it’s like living with synesthesia as an
In turn, this teaches readers that self-acceptance and self-love is very important to live a happy life. In one Publisher’s Weekly review, it states that “sometimes it's hard for her being reminded that she is different,” (“A Mango-Shaped Space.”). Once again, this shows that for her to first accept her colors, she has to realize that she is different from everyone else. A review of A Mango-Shaped Space, written by a real-life synesthete and researcher, says that “although their perceptions of the world are somewhat different than others’, difference is okay. These people need to meet someone like Mia,” (Day, Sean.) Another significant element to the story is when Mia learns to think before she acts, because she does things that she regrets, and then learns afterwards that she shouldn’t do that. This is setting a great example for little children reading this to learn from her actions. Regarding the overall quality of the book, it has a 4.7 rating on Amazon (Amazon.com) and a 4.22 rating on Goodreads (“A Mango-Shaped Space.” Goodreads), and seeing that these are both sites that are looked to when finding reviews, we know that this book is of high quality and educational value for children of every …show more content…
It tells kids of all disabilities and conditions that they are not alone and that it’s not something to be ashamed of. One amazing example of this in the book is when Mia realizes that there are other people with synesthesia in the world (Mass 103). A Mango-Shaped Space also won the Schneider Family Book Award, an award that “honor[s] an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences,” (“Schneider Family Book Award.”). A young synesthete named David made some comments on how this book opened his eyes, and how he will spread awareness. He states that, “I’m showing it to some friends and trying to get synesthesia more known throughout my school,” (“A Mango-Shaped Space: Overview.”) This shows that the book has an authentic, enriching portrayal of what it’s like living with synesthesia as an