"Top cat Arnie teases Philip because he is confined to a wheelchair. Yet when Arnie falls down the school steps and breaks a leg, twists a wrist, and sprains a tail, he begins to see life from a different perspective. With few books about mainstreaming available, this entertaining story should be welcome."--Booklist. Full color.
Clearly the author made an effort towards inclusion but she failed miserably. Arnie and the New Kid is really the story of how the school bully was able to save a classmate with a physical disability from a life of shunning by befriending him. This is far from the message that we should be imparting in our children. We need to show children that people with disabilities are valuable, contributing citizens. I'd recommend Verna Allette Willkins' books Are We There Yet and Boots for a Bridesmaid as wonderful examples of this fact.
