Finding Perfect
The story Finding Perfect centers, in large part, on Molly, a girl with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In order to accurately portray a child with OCD, I consulted experts and numerous resources that I have listed below. Particularly invaluable, were my discussions with 2 OCD specialists and the information found at the OC Foundation website. This website has information for both teens and parents to access.
Experts Consulted
Dr. Kathleen Trainor is a staff psychologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Child Psychiatry Clinic and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. Previously she was a child psychologist in the Mclean Hospital Child Outpatient Clinic and currently has a private practice in Natick, Massachusetts.
Paul Cannistraro, M.D. is Director of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Clinic and Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard University School of Medicine. He is a former research fellow in functional neuroimaging at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he continues to conduct clinical research in OCD and related disorders.
Resources Consulted
Wagner, Aureen Pinto, Ph.D, What to Do When Your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Lighthouse Press Inc., 2002, 2006).
Fitzgibbons, Lee, Ph.D., and Pedrick, Cherry, RN, Helping Your Child with OCD(New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2003).
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, How to Help Your Child with OCD: A Parent’s Guide to OCD(Obsessive Compulsive Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, 2006).
Y-BOC Symptom Checklist, adapted from Goodman, W.K., Price, L.H., Rasmussen, S.A., et al: “The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale.” Arch Gen Psychiatry 46:1006-1011, 1989.
OC Foundation, Inc., Jake’s Story and the Kids Panel (video tape).
OC Foundation, Inc., How to Recognize and Respond to OCD in School-Age Children (videotape).
This story begins when thirteen-year-old Zach, a polished pitcher, sustains serious injuries after his camper explodes. The reader learns the source of the explosion was a defective stove that remained on the market despite its previous record of injury. With the advent of technology, research of consumer products can be conducted while sitting in the comfort of your own room. The sites below provide helpful information on product safety.
Consumer Product Safety Commission – sector of the government charged with making sure the products in our marketplace are safe. The website lists recent product recalls, provides safety information and provides a section for consumer complaints.
Food and Drug Administration – government agency whose job centers on assuring the safety of the food and drugs consumed in the United States
Freedom of Information Act – you can file a FOIA request via this website to ascertain information about a person or product.
World Against Toys Causing Harm – non-profit organization devoted to promoting toy safety
Passage
Passage is a fantasy story that embraces both Greek mythology and code cracking. The sleuths and heroes among you should check out these resources for some interesting insights into the worlds of Greek mythology and code busting.
Codes
Blasutta, Mary Lynn (illustrator), Code Busters, Walter Foster Publishing, Inc., 2002.
Greek Mythology and Astronomy
Buxton, Richard, The Complete World of Greek Mythology, Thames & Hudson Ltd,London (2004).
D’Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar, D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, Delacorte Press (1962).
Rose, HJ, A Handbook of Greek Mythology, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. (1959).
Watching Over Me
In Watching Over Me, thirteen-year-old Amanda must learn how to deal with the death of her mom, her father’s new girlfriend and the innocence of her little brother. The issues surrounding loss are talked about in these sites.
Writing & Publishing
Books and magazines where kids can get their stories published:
For writers:
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Vermont College – MFA in Writing for Children
