Burcaw, S. (2014). Laughing
at my nightmare. New York, NY. Roaring Book Press. 978-1-62672-007-7;
hardback; $17.99
(also available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook)
Laughing at my
nightmare is a hilarious memoir written by Shane Burcaw about his life
growing up with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and his quest to make sure
everyone he encounters knows that he’s not mentally handicapped – just
physically handicapped. He chronicles his life from childhood through his early
20s when he started his successful blog, Laughing at my nightmare, and
non-profit of the same name. Shane wholeheartedly believes that laughter can be
the best medicine and hopes that you laugh with him, at him, near him – because
as long as you are laughing, you can get through anything.
Instead of writing about his disease as a struggle, Shane
writes about struggles that all teenagers go through but with an added obstacle
of having zero control over his body. Due to the language and some of the
subject matter, this book would be most enjoyable for high schoolers looking to
read a nonfiction book about someone who understands just how awkward being
different from everyone else can be. This is also a great book to read if you
want to learn more about SMA and growing up with a disability, however, because of some of the comments made about mental disabilities, proceed with caution if that is a sensitive subject area for you.
Shane’s blog can
be found at laughingatmynightmare.tumblr.com and his foundation at
www.laughingatmynightmare.com.
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