HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Amanda’s Fall: A Story for Children About Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Author: Kelly Bouldin Darmofal
Illustrator: Bijan Samaddar
Publisher: Loving Healing Press, 2019
ISBN-13: 978-1615994519 Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1615994513 Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-1615994502 Paperback
ISBN-10: 1615994505 Paperback
Related website(s): http://www.ImLostInMyMind.com (author), http://www.LHPress.com (publisher)
Language level: 1
(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)
Recommended reading level: Ages 5 – 8
Rating: ***** 5 stars
(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
Disclosure: Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion. Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library. No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.
For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com
Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com
Darmofal , Kelly Bouldin. Amanda’s Fall: A Story for Children About Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (Published in 2019 by Loving Healing Press, 5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105). Do you know what Traumtic Brain Injury or TBI is? Autumn has started, and seven year old Amanda is in first grade at school. At recess one Friday, she is playing with her friends and hits her head on a rock while rolling down a hill. She sees her friends talking but can’t hear any sound. The teacher’s face looks blurry, and Amanda’s speech is slurry, so she is taken to the hospital. What’s wrong with her? Will she be all right? Is there anything that her parents can do to help her? TBI, commonly called a concussion, is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head which disrupts the normal function of the brain.
Did you know that each year 564,000 children are seen in hospital emergency rooms for brain injury, and TBI is the most common cause of death and disability for children in the United States? Author Kelly Bouldin Darmofal, who suffered a severe closed head injury from a car accident in 1992, has written two other books on the same subject, Lost In My Mind: Recovering From TBI (2014) and 101 Tips for Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury: Practical Advice for TBI Survivors, Caregivers and Teachers (2015). With a Masters Degree in Special Education from Salem College, she teaches and advocates for children with special needs.
In Amanda’s Fall, Kelly calls attention to an event that is all too common in schools today. In 2013, falls were the leading cause of TBI, accounting for 47% of all TBI-related incidents. Following the rhyming text which is accompanied by charming illustrations, there are several pages of additional information and resources for parents, teachers, and caregivers. The book would be especially useful for youngsters who have experienced TBI, but would also be helpful to children who know someone, such as a friend or relative with brain injury, and additionally would be an excellent reminder for all kids to take precautions that may help prevent concussions.
homeschoolbookreviewblog 