Lia Anshar's Honest Pages

"Each person with Tourette syndrome is unique. We all have our own tics, struggles, hopes, and dreams."  Tic-errific Me by Alicia Meyers is a warm and thoughtful picture book that helps young readers understand what it’s like to live with Tourette Syndrome in a way that feels both informative and incredibly kind.  The story follows a young girl who explains her tics directly to the reader. Her verbal and motor tics sometimes appear unexpectedly during everyday activities, and she never quite knows which ones might show up. Through her own voice, she shares what living with tics feels like, how others might see them, and how she first learned about her Tourette’s.  What makes this book especially lovely is how gently the information is presented. The narrator explains that some things, like playing or relaxing, can help her tic less, while stress or excitement might make the tics appear more often. She also talks about the support she receives from her parents, doctors, a...

  Uncommonly Curious, Eternally Autistic by Rasha Hamid is a heartfelt and accessible picture book that celebrates the beauty of being autistic and neurodivergent. Written in clear, child-friendly language, this book offers young readers an affirming and positive perspective on autism, while gently acknowledging some of the challenges that may come with it.  From the book, we can see that autism doesn't look just one way. Autism can take many different forms, and you can't always tell whether someone is autistic just by looking at them. This message is conveyed in a simple yet powerful way, helping children understand that every individual experiences the world in a unique way. While the story focuses primarily on the strengths and uniqueness of autistic individuals, such as curiosity, creativity, and deep interests, it also briefly touches on realities like anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and frustration. These moments are handled with care and balance, making the book both hon...

We Are the Future: Proud, Kind, United by C.M. Harris is a picture book that gently introduces young readers to diversity within a school environment. Through simple storytelling and warm illustrations, the book emphasizes essential values such as kindness, tolerance, and respect for differences; messages that are especially important to instill at an early age.  The story itself is straightforward and easy to follow, making it well suited for children around the ages of 4 to 6. The language is simple, and the illustrations clearly support the narrative, helping young readers understand both what is happening in the story and the message behind it. Nothing feels overwhelming or confusing, which is exactly what a picture book for this age group should aim for.  I’ve come across some reviews criticizing this book for lacking realism or being too “flowery.” However, I believe this perspective overlooks the developmental needs of its intended audience. Most readers of this book a...

Molly Tells the World by Krista Weltner is a touching children’s story that explores dyslexia, self-acceptance, and the quiet fears many children carry with them. Our main character is Molly, a kind and intelligent young girl who has dyslexia but is terrified of letting her friends know. Like many children her age, Molly just wants to be normal, to fit in, to be liked, and to avoid standing out for the “wrong” reasons.  Molly’s fear is relatable. Children with learning differences often feel pressured to hide their struggles, worried that others might see them as less capable, strange, or even unlikable. This emotional reality is portrayed with great sensitivity in the story. Molly is not shown as weak or incapable, in fact, she is good at school, friendly, and smart. Yet behind that confident exterior, she carries anxiety and self-doubt about her dyslexia, which makes her character feel very real.  Everything begins to shift when a new presence enters Molly’s life, Leeann. T...