Book Review: The Acorn People by Ron Jones
The Acorn People Reflection Essay
Growing up I’ve had the opportunity to see the lifestyle of children with special needs, but reading The Acorn People really opened to my eyes to the severity of some of the challenges these children face. Not only that, but this book showed me how strong these children truly are. Reading about Ron Jones and his journey with his campers at Camp Wiggin warmed my heart and I’ll probably never think of these children as I did before.
Reading this book showed me the perspective that people without disabilities have about people who do, and it broadened my outlook on the word “disability”. Originally I would link the word “disabled” to only children with a mental handicap, but Ron Jones showed me that to be disabled can be so much more than that with his characters. Benny B has no legs due to Polio. Martin is blind. Aaron has no bladder! Before this book I didn’t even know that someone could survive without a bladder! Jones’ character Thomas Stewart taught me so much about muscular dystrophy, its symptoms and the disease itself.
The most important thing this book showed me that even though these children have disabilities they don’t let that stop them from being like any other child. These kids have so much motivation to do the camp activities even though it would be difficult for them due to their handicap. Even though Spider had no arms or legs, he is an incredible swimmer. Jones’ Acorn People showed him that they are capable of accomplishing much more than anyone, including himself, thought they ever could.
Majority of my life I have been around people and children with physical and mental disabilities and truly, they aren’t the ones with the disability, we are. I know what you’re thinking, yes they do have a physical or mental handicap, but they have the biggest hearts. All of their lives they’ve had the odds placed against them, and they spend each day defying them. They know first hand that life isn’t a promised
Growing up I’ve had the opportunity to see the lifestyle of children with special needs, but reading The Acorn People really opened to my eyes to the severity of some of the challenges these children face. Not only that, but this book showed me how strong these children truly are. Reading about Ron Jones and his journey with his campers at Camp Wiggin warmed my heart and I’ll probably never think of these children as I did before.
Reading this book showed me the perspective that people without disabilities have about people who do, and it broadened my outlook on the word “disability”. Originally I would link the word “disabled” to only children with a mental handicap, but Ron Jones showed me that to be disabled can be so much more than that with his characters. Benny B has no legs due to Polio. Martin is blind. Aaron has no bladder! Before this book I didn’t even know that someone could survive without a bladder! Jones’ character Thomas Stewart taught me so much about muscular dystrophy, its symptoms and the disease itself.
The most important thing this book showed me that even though these children have disabilities they don’t let that stop them from being like any other child. These kids have so much motivation to do the camp activities even though it would be difficult for them due to their handicap. Even though Spider had no arms or legs, he is an incredible swimmer. Jones’ Acorn People showed him that they are capable of accomplishing much more than anyone, including himself, thought they ever could.
Majority of my life I have been around people and children with physical and mental disabilities and truly, they aren’t the ones with the disability, we are. I know what you’re thinking, yes they do have a physical or mental handicap, but they have the biggest hearts. All of their lives they’ve had the odds placed against them, and they spend each day defying them. They know first hand that life isn’t a promised