This story is an incredible inside account of the daily issues that arise for a child that deals with an invisible brain injury. Winokur, describes her brother’s disability with tween-humor and addresses her struggles in knowing she is mentally and physically healthy while her brother has special needs beyond her ability to fix. Morasha and her brother Iyal are non-biological siblings who were adopted by a loving couple and traveled from Russia to their new family’s home in Georgia. Young Morasha shows her commitment to her brother’s disability by sharing her inner-most thoughts in an effort to raise awareness in her peers so they too can understand the importance of not drinking while pregnant. As the “typical” sister, Winokur wrestles with the angst of whether or not it is better to remain translucent in her existence, or whether she should embrace the visibility that having a service dog in the family creates. There are so many lessons embedded in this 11 year old Morasha’s story: embracing diversity, empathy, self-acceptance, siblings, growing up, being an agent of change, and the importance of prevention.
© 2009
Audience: Adolescents/Teens, Children