Synopses & Reviews
With his signature wit, twenty-something author, blogger, and entrepreneur Shane Burcaw is back with an essay collection about living a full life in a body that many people perceive as a tragedy. From anecdotes about first introductions where people patted him on the head instead of shaking his hand, to stories of passersby mistaking his able-bodied girlfriend for a nurse, Shane tackles awkward situations and assumptions with humor and grace.
On the surface, these essays are about day-to-day life as a wheelchair user with a degenerative disease, but they are actually about family, love, and coming of age.
Shane Burcaw is one half of the hillarious YouTube duo, Squirmy and Grubs, which he runs with his girlfriend, now fiancee, Hannah Aylward.
Review
"People with disabilities still don't get the kind of #ownvoices space they merit, and Burcaw's voice makes him just plain good literary company in this approachable, enjoyable, and often edifying title." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, (Starred Review)
Review
"With the same frankness and gallows humor that marked his Laughing at My Nightmare (2014)....An accessible, smart-assed, and unexpectedly tender exploration of life, love, and disability." Kirkus
Review
"Burcaw doesn't shy away from topics that might be considered delicate; instead, he emphasizes the awkwardness, celebrating highs and lows alike. Above all, [he] succeeds in illustrating that 'disability does not equal sadness.'" Publishers Weekly
Review
"With uncompromised self-confidence and contagious humor, his no-holds-barred essays address some of the curious, quirky, and even intimate questions folks have about his condition....This will hold readers mesmerized." Booklist
Review
"Equal parts humorous, tender, and insightful, the pieces give an unfettered look at Burcaw's life and the assumptions others make about living with a disability." School Library Journal
About the Author
Shane Burcaw is a twenty-something young adult with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and a wicked sense of humor. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he runs a blog and nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical equipment to people with muscular dystrophy diseases. He and his girlfriend are the duo behind Squirmy and Grubs, a YouTube channel that offers a behind the scenes look at their interabled relationship.