Just Maria

by Jay Hardwig

Overview

Just Maria is the story of Maria Romero, a blind sixth-grader who is trying her hardest to be normal. Not amazing. Not inspiring. Not helpless. Not weird. Just normal. Normal is hard enough with her white cane, glass eyes, and bumpy books, but Maria's task is complicated by her neighbor and classmate JJ Munson, an asthmatic overweight oddball known in the halls of Marble City Middle as a double-dork paste-eater. When JJ draws Maria into his latest hare-brained scheme—a series of public challenges to prove their worth as gumshoes for his Twinnoggin Detective Agency—she fears she's lost her last chance to go unnoticed. When a young girl goes missing on the streets of Marble City, Maria's new-found confidence is tested in ways she never anticipated. Use your cane and your brain, and figure it out . . . Aimed at middle-grade readers, Just Maria explores difference and disability without resorting to the saccharine and engages universal themes about the price of popularity and the meaning of independence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646031078
Publisher:	Regal House Publishing
Publication date:	01/07/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	140
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jay Hardwig is a certified teacher for the visually impaired who has worked with children with blindness and low vision for more than twenty years. He currently works for the nonprofit IFB Solutions, where he directs summer camps and school-year opportunities for children with vision loss. When not taking blind kids ziplining, he reads, writes, and plays barrelhouse piano with his friends and family in Asheville, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

"At the heart of Jay Hardwig’s Just Maria is the wickedly funny Maria Romero, a blind, 12-year-old heroine who is both exceptional . . . and normal. While physically challenged to navigate crowded school halls and busy streets, she must also find her way through the usual emotional labyrinth of popularity, friendships, and independence. Visually impaired readers will, for once, see themselves at the center of a story. Sighted readers will be treated to a vivid portrayal of how a blind kid sees the world. Most importantly, though, Hardwig’s nuanced, witty novel celebrates how all of us, sighted or not, must look inward to see true friendship, character, and courage. After putting this book down I felt as if I could accomplish anything." —Allan Wolf, Author of The Watch that Ends the Night and The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep

 

"As a blind child, I really enjoyed this book because it spreads information about blind people and what they do. I also loved the characters and the plot. I thought it was very suspenseful. A great read for the sighted or blind. I would highly recommend it." —Layla Hildenbrand, age 10, two-time National Braille Challenge Finalist

 

"As the parent of a blind child, I absolutely adored reading Just Maria. Blindness is not a tragedy and does not limit one's ability. Jay Hardwig brilliantly gave us a character that proves such. Maria is like any other child who makes some bad decisions, struggles with friendships, and ultimately proves her independence despite being blind. I highly recommend this book to all readers…tweens, teens, adults, blind or sighted." —Stacey Hildenbrand, Layla's mom and a certified Teacher for the Visually Impaired

 "Starred Review Just Maria is a loving novel about living with disabilities." —Ashley Holstrom, Foreword Reviews

From the Publisher

02/18/2022

Gr 4 Up—Sixth grader Maria Romero is blind and opinionated. She doesn't want to be pitied for her blindness; it's all she has known. She doesn't have any superpowers, and she doesn't want to have to behave in an exemplary way, especially when it comes to her neighbor and classmate, J.J. Munson. He's fat, asthmatic, wears army boots, and has no filter. He does treat Maria with consideration for her blindness, like announcing himself by name when he greets her instead of making her guess his voice as others tend to do. Maria allows herself "Crabby Abby Days" and shares her top ten list of the most annoying things about being blind, with number one being the "Can You Guess Who This Is?" game. J.J. is also relentlessly optimistic and takes fabulous care of his severely autistic younger sister. He wants to start a detective agency with Maria, which Maria has no interest in. He blithely ignores her and sets up a series of challenges, which Maria has no intention of attempting, until she does. Maria is an utterly engaging, often hilarious narrator. Her cynicism and dry humor make her a bit prickly, which is the way she likes it. J.J. is endearing and perhaps not as clueless as Maria believes. Short chapters and a hunt for a missing child add to the appeal. VERDICT Readers will learn much as they fall in love with Maria and J.J. A terrific title that will be popular.—Brenda Kahn

School Library Journal