In my own middle grade years growing up, the world was quite different. Kids with special needs were separated from the rest of us, and anyone in need of mental health counseling was secretly labeled “crazy” and avoided like a mortal disease.
Fortunately, thankfully, things have gotten much better, although we still have work to do. While this is a football story full of touchdowns and tackles, grand victories and crushing defeats, it is also very much a story about mental health and how, with treatment and time, people can—and many times do—get better. To make the interactions and the outcomes with Mr. Crenshaw accurate, I relied on my oldest son, Thane, who is a licensed family therapist with a master’s degree in mental health counseling for adolescents and kids. And, as Mr. Crenshaw does with Danny (and hopefully Bug), my son Thane often helps kids get better and alter the paths of their lives.
It is the job for the rest of us to understand that mental health is a serious problem that can affect any one of us or our family members and to be kind and compassionate toward those who need help. Finally, I want to mention that for accuracy, I worked closely with Connie Bohrer, a wonderful teacher and reading specialist, on the details of Danny’s reading impairment and the process and timing of bringing him up to speed in just eight weeks.
Thank you to Thane and Connie and also my editor, Karen Chaplin, for her careful scrutiny and advice on both these important issues!
And if you need help, or know of someone who does, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).