Ellie TerryCritiques

Very moving story and performance. We often forget to look deeper for the person inside. Diseases such as Tourette's Syndrome can make us uncomfortable. Recommended.

FROM AMAZON : Astronomy-loving Calliope June has Tourette's syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or noises that she doesn't mean to make. When she and her mother move yet again, she tries to hide her TS. But it isn't long before the kids at her new school realize she's different. Only Calliope's neighbor, who is also the popular student body president, sees her as she truly is - an interesting person and a good friend. But is he brave enough to take their friendship public?

As Calliope navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that they might be moving - again - just as she starts to make friends and finally accept her differences.

Ellie Terry's affecting debut will speak to a wide audience about being true to oneself.

Book is a 3.5. It is a Teen book about a girl that changes school frequently and has Tourette’s syndrome. Was an easy read.

A sweet story about Callie who moves to a new school and tries to fit in. She has Tourette's which express itself in her numerous tics and vocalizations which she tries to hide. Her mom moves her frequently as she falls in and out of love, so she is used to being the outcast weird girl, but no one really why. In St. George, UT she meets a boy who takes a chance and gets to know her despite the teasing he gets and Callie finally decides to disclose her illness at her next school.½

Solid debut novel -- the book just flows from page to page, telling the story of Calliope June -- always moving, interested in astronomy and rocks, girl with long blonde hair and secret Tourette's. It alternates short prose from Jinsong, high achieving boy who lives next door in the apartment Callie has just moved into -- Jinsong who finds her fascinating and lovely, but keeps weighing what it will cost him in school popularity to admit this. There's a bit of beginning romance here, just a little. There's a lot of problematic behavior from Callie's mother.

It's a great book, and I appreciate the author's note talking about living with Tourette's.

Calli moves to a new school after her mom breaks up with a new boyfriend, and just as at her past schools she continues to keep her tourettes a secret and they cause her to be left out and made fun of. Other than the neighbor boy who will pay attention to her as long as no one else is around, but no one can know that he likes her.

I enjoyed the format of the story and the sometimes changing POV of the story. Would recommended for middle/high/adult readers.

The book Forget Me Not shows the hardest challenge many kids struggle today with , fitting in .The book really captures students trying to hide who they are in order to fit in. Calliope June loves astronomy and but suffer with a syndrome that has her make funny noises and faces she doesn't mean to make. While enter a new school due the move with her mother she tries too had her special characteristic. The book would connect greatly when trying boost students confidence as well learning to read higher level books.

Calliope is a 12 year old girl living with Tourette Syndrome. She and her mom move a lot and it is tough to make new friends while she is trying to hide her Tourette symptoms. This novel, written in verse, tells of Calli's time in St. George Utah where she meets a new friend, Jinsong, stands up to bullying and finds the strength to be her true self. It is a good story about courage and standing out.

Quick read.Young teens life with Tourettes. Poems from her perspective.

I used to know a girl that might of have TS. I remember seventh the school counselor came to my class to talk to us about people that move or make noise that they’re not able to control and they are called tics. The next day a new girl came to my class. Because the school counselor talks to the class no one made fun of her or a least not that I’m aware of. She was a nice girl and I work with her on some projects. We were friends at one point.

Now reading this it brought me back to seventh grade and maybe I know someone that might had TS. From what I remember the school counselor never directly say TS just, some people have tics. So I was somewhat aware of TS. This book help shine a brighter light on to it.

Cali point of view is written in vise showing how she feels and Jinsong view is written as short chapters. I like the two viewpoints. Poetry can show deep emotion and that really brought out the emotion Cali was feeling. The viewpoint with Jinsong as bystander and him wanting to be popular vs. being a friend to Cali ring true.

Writing with few can have a lot of meaning. When Cali writing about what happen to her as a kid. Its done with only a few that it not drawn out clear. With the words that are use you has to put it together. From what I understand there was an accident when Cali was little. It was never brought up again.

Jinsong wanting to be friends with Cali came up a little too fast. There could have been a little more development. Otherwise it was cute, and ending is bittersweet.

The lesson of the story is speck out for yourself, stand up for others, and learn to understand people.

The book alternates between Calliope Jun and Jinsong. Calliope is on her tenth move. Her mom has a habit of picking up after breaking up. As the family settles in St. George, Utah, Callie meets Jinsong. She has tourettes but doesn't tell anyone, her strategy is to wear wacky outfits to school to hide her ticks. That doesn't work.
I liked Callie finding her voice and her moxie and following her own counsel for copying strategies that actually work. Jinsong also grows from trying to fit in to following his own moral compass, even if it doesn't mesh with the popular crowd. A quick read with strong characters.½

It was Okay

Forget Me Not is written in a variety of poetic styles and focuses on Calli, who moves once again to a new school, has Tourette syndrome, and struggles to hide her tics from others. Jinsong is not only her neighbor, but friend. As mister popular, will Jinsong be bold and stand up for Calli when her tics are revealed? Beautiful story of friendship and conquering obstacles or, at least, confronting those obstacles with confidence.

This book is about a girl named Calli who has Tourette Syndrome. All she wants is to live in one place so she can have friends. It is perfect for the middle grades especially since it is a tough time in there life of trying to figure out their life and are struggling to fit in. The students could relate to her in a way.

What a sweet, moving novel "Forget Me Not" was. Written in free verse, it tells the story of thirteen-year-old Calli who suffers from Tourettes Syndrome. She has just moved to another new school and is struggling to fit in.

Calli's struggles are heart-wrenching. Not only does she have to cope with the spontaneous tics and sounds that she has no control of, but she also has to deal with the verbal abuse and teasing from her peers. My heart bled for Calli all the way through this story. She was such a tenacious young girl who picked herself up and continued on, and fought back despite her loneliness and hurt. It was only after I read the Author's Note that I discovered that the author also suffers from Tourettes, and that Calli's tics and struggles mirrored her own.

Calli's mother and their neighbour, Jingsong, annoyed and frustrated me. Her mother was embarrassed of her daughter's condition and Jingsong, even though he secretly liked Calli, didn't have the strength of character to stand up in front of his friends and stop their harassment. Thankfully, he did grow throughout he novel but it took him too long to do the right thing by Calli.

Beautifully and simply written, "Forget Me Not" is a touching read about self-acceptance and forgiveness, and perfect for younger readers who have ever struggled to fit in. Highly recommended.

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommend: Yes
Level: Middle School

Forget me Not by Ellie Terry is about one girl who struggles with Tourettes. Her mother is a serial dater and she is always moving. All she wants is to make a friend who doesn't' think she is weird. This book is about self discovery and learning how to your true self. There is a great message about accepting your self and standing up for beliefs. Told in free verse this is a great middle school and tween novel that explores friendship, bullying, and self discovery.

A novel written in verse, FORGET ME NOT is a story about a girl, Calliope June, who longs to live in a town for enough time to make a friend. Making friends is not easy for Calliope since she has Tourette syndrome. Hiding her ticks is challenging, especially when kids start to notice and comment how strange she is. When a new friendship for Calliope starts to blossom, will she have to move again?

FORGET ME KNOT is an important book to have in every classroom and school library. Themes of acceptance, overcoming challenges, and doing the right thing are threaded throughout this book. Author, Ellie Terry, who is diagnosed with Tourette syndrome paints a realistic picture of life for a child with TS. The characters pull at your heart and will linger with you long after you finish the book. Beautifully written.

This book was provided to me by the library, because the library is awesome.

As Calliope navigates school, she must also face her mother's new relationship and the fact that they might be moving--again--just as she starts to make friends and finally accept her differences.
Ellie Terry's affecting debut will speak to a wide audience about being true to oneself.

Forget Me Not is an excellent debut novel by Ellie Terry. The fact that Ms. Terry has Tourette’s Syndrome makes this fictional account even more moving. Our main character, Calli, makes my heart hurt. On top of having to deal with her tics and how her peers respond to them, she also has a mother who doesn’t really try to understand her. When we meet the Snow family, they are making their tenth move, and Calli is only in 7th grade. My family moved a lot, so I can sympathize with her “nowhere to belong” feelings. Additionally, she’s been told by her neurologist and her mother not to share the fact that she has Tourette’s, because they say people will get the wrong idea. Between her condition, not being able to talk about her condition, coping with bullies, and having a mother who is oblivious, this child has so much bottled up inside of her, that I’m surprised she held on to it as long as she did. I would recommend this book to anyone with a 4th grade or higher reading level, and especially to anyone who may know or work with a child with Tourette’s. I learned things from this book that will affect how I see this neurological condition and those who live with it.