Thank You for Voting for Favorite Special-Needs Memoir!

The value of these awards is greatly diminished by the fact that people can vote multiple times. Rather than reflecting honest interest in these nominees it comes down to who has the most friends with time on their hands to vote multiple times (and possibly on multiple computers per day). It seems like this is the worst kind of popularity contest.

I don’t know, Jennifer — seems to me that if people can only vote once, it becomes a contest of who has the most relatives and the longest Facebook friend list they can persuade to come by to vote. Arguably, repeat voting measures a degree of interest and engagement by fans, and it really doesn’t take a lot of time to bookmark the poll and make two clicks to vote. I understand your concern, but I don’t think there’s a perfect and pure way to do it. In this case, About.com sets the rules, and I’m happy to be able to get some of our great special-needs resources recognized any way I can.

For those who would like to express their support in a more meaningful way, I’ve created a page for each of the finalists on which fans can take some time to write a review or give a testimonial. Go to the feature on each category, find the page of the finalist you want to write about, then click on the link that says “tell us why you love it.” You can find links to each of the category features on the master list of finalists.

I went to Amazon and read the excerpts from the Short Bus. They are good. It is worth reading. Liz’s book is different. It is first person. She poured intense effort and time into it. She shared her soul. The Braided Cord deserves first place. The authors of the Short Bus are professional writers. Liz is FASD. Try that against professional writers.

What the professionals wrote is very good – it should be. What Liz wrote is her heart and soul. Put her at the top, read the Braided Cord and then read the Short Bus. Both have their place.

I’m a contributing author to the Short Bus book. I’m not a professional writer. I’m not a professional anything. I’m a mother who has given up career, education and personal relationships to devote my full attention to my disabled child. That’s what I wrote about.

I think all of the books are excellent and valuable.

As an adoptive parent and a former teacher of teens, I am thrilled to see the strong showing for Braided Cord. As a parent of a child with special needs and a contributing author to My Baby Rides the Short Bus, however, I’d like to correct Dave’s assertion that this book reflects the work of professional writers. This is the first and only thing I’ve ever published. I’m a former teacher of at-risk high schoolers and currently a full time mom of four kids, two of whom have special needs (one diagnosed at birth and one since the publication of the book). Reading the other essays in My Baby Rides the Short Bus made me feel, for the first time as a parent, less alone in this journey.

I own a copy of ShortBus and like it. So I come here to vote often.

Regardless of who wins this – I have to say we are humbled and surprised to be a part of this. We wish the best for all involved and congratulate everyone on the writing, the publishing and the challenges of living, laughing and loving these young people. We learned of the race hours behind and pulled a small band of parents with young people with FASDs behind us who have seemed to pull others behind them and others followed. If this has added more braids into the FASD community then whatever the outcome the process itself of building community was worthy. Thank you to all who are voting on their favorites and in these last days of the race – we sincerely wish each of you our best. Let’s run to the finish guys – then I want to cuddle up with some tea and read your books! – Jodee

Yes, it’s true, but I suspect the people with the most awesome friends have also written the most awesome book.