Real

De: Carol Cujec, Peyton Goddard

Narrado por: Rachel Jacobs

Inspired by a true story, Real speaks to all those who’ve ever felt they didn’t belong and reminds listeners that all people are worthy of being included.

My name is Charity. I am 13 years old. Actually, 13 years plus 87 days. I love sour gummies and pepperoni pizza. That last part no one knows because I have not spoken a sentence since I was born. Each dawning day, I live in terror of my unpredictable body that no one understands.

Charity may have mad math skills and a near-perfect memory, but with a mouth that can’t speak and a body that jumps, rocks, and howls unpredictably, most people incorrectly assume she cannot learn. Charity’s brain works differently from most people’s because of her autism, but she’s still funny, determined, and kind. So why do people treat her like a disease or ignore her like she’s invisible?

When Charity’s parents enroll her in a public junior high school, she faces her greatest fears. Will kids make fun of her? Will her behavior get her kicked out? Will her million thoughts stay locked in her head forever? With the support of teachers and newfound friends, Charity will have to fight to be treated like a real student.

©2020 Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard Irrevocable Special Needs Trust (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Idk what to call dis comment

That must have been so hard! Really sorry about all dat, but theres a fifteen word minimum so ima type some more ok that should do it.

More understanding for Autism

As a college-graduate & teacher, this book was amazing about how someone with autism can be overlooked. As an aunt to an autistic nephew, this knowledge is such a blessing to comprehend the gifts available within someone who’s trapped inside their disabilities. Every educator should study this book.

Wow! Great Book on the value of everyone!

After having spent 30 years in the business offices of the public school districts in the state of Texas, I can attest to the love and support of the majority of teachers working with our special needs students! Their encouragement, belief in all children being worthy of an education, and their efforts to support all students, no matter their needs, has been an inspiration to me to do all I can do for ALL students! I see this book as a tribute to them and the students who need their voice heard..thanks to the authors for bringing it to life.

Real

“Real”-The story is a mind blower.
Our next-door neighbors son is high-level autistic child first noted at the age of one or two by my husband and I.
His parents declined to recognize or accept or deal with the diagnosis,
Until public school identified it his first year in pre-kindergarten.
He was then sent to a regular public school but a school that had teachers that knew how to deal with this type of behavior and intelligence.
Just like charity in the story this child bloomed into the young man that he is today- scheduled to graduate from high school this year and I re- lived his life through listening to what Charity experienced in this story.
I believe that everyone should read this story, thus, becoming aware of the proper way to accept children who live with this confining diagnosis, thus , becoming more adept at communicating with them.
Thank you audible for presenting this enlightening program.

A Must-read for parents and teachers

This is a must-read for any parent or teacher who has any contact at all with non-neurotypical children: “complete acceptance from the first minute” of each one’s differences should be our goal, and this book illustrates why and provides examples and many (too many) non-examples, ranging from cringey to heart-breaking. It may even help with my own anxiety (Breathe in joy. Breathe out fear).I loved the voices that some reviewers had issues with (esp. the 13-year-old narrator) but I did speed it up to 1.5x. Highly recommend.

my heart.

this story struck a nerve in so many ways. it opened my eyes and my heart. it made me think about people with disabilities and what they have to over come

Head changer

I loved it. This book really opens your mind to someone having autism and their daily struggles. Very good read, it will open your world wider.

Very moving, gave me a new point of view

If you want a book that will make you laugh, cry, sympathize with the characters, and help you learn some new animal facts, then Real is the book for you! The characters are very funny, and the way the author describes things really makes you feel for the character. I got the hardcover copy and finished in 2 days. I’m so glad I picked it off my shelf. As for the audiobook, I preferred the physical copy. The narrator was slow and robotic, and I had to raise the speed to be able to fully understand what she says. Even then, I couldn’t get past the first 3 chapters and longed for the actual book. If I hadn’t already read the book, I wouldn’t have been able to finish this amazing read. Definitely not the voice I pictured for Charity.

As an aspiring author, I wish I could write like this. I moved with Charity, and felt like I was in the book, experiencing events and feeling all the emotions. An addicting read, I was sad when it was over. This book needs to be in every single classroom above 3rd grade.

Great story

This is such a great story! It does an amazing job of showing the experience of nonspeaking autistics. I am so glad this book exists. I read this with my child right around the time that they had an experience that made them feel alien for their communication difficulties. It’s a great book for either feeling seen if you’re part of the community or teaching about this experience if you’re not.

Amazing book

This book was written so well that I found myself feeling agitated like the main character as she struggled to be understood. I feel like I have a new appreciation of so of the challenges faced by children with different abilities than what is considered “mainstream”. Thank you for writing this.