Books

Item Description

George, Harold, and their doubles, Yesterday George and Yesterday Harold, have a good thing going. Two of them go to school, while the other two hide in the tree house and play video games all day then they switch! But when their malicious gym teacher, Mr. Meaner, creates a method of mind control that turns their fellow students into attentive, obedient, perfect children, the future of all humanity will be in their hands!

This book deals with a subject that is very close to Dav Pilkey's heart: ADHD (otherwise known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Delightfulness).

In the book, Mr. Meaner develops a drug that reverses the effects of ADHD, turning children into mindlessly compliant button-pushers.  The adults in the story are overjoyed at the improvements they see.  This is Dav's not-so-subtle response to what many experts believe is a troubling over-diagnosis (and over-medication) of the symptoms ADHD.

Many people (all grown-ups) look at ADHD as a disease or a disorder, but Dav Pilkey (who grew up with all the symptoms of ADHD and was diagnosed with the "disorder" as an adult) wonders if many of the symptoms of ADHD might simply fall under the category of 'normal'.

These symptoms (restlessness, impulsiveness, hyperactivity) might be distracting in a classroom environment, but they don't necessarily mean that there's anything wrong with the child who is displaying them.

In school, we expect children to sit still and pay attention for hours at a time.  Some children adapt well to this kind of environment, but some don't.  Many children have too much energy to do this highly unnatural thing.  The funny thing is that most adults can't handle it either.  If you stick a bunch of grown-ups in a meeting that goes on for hours, you're going to see the same restlessness, inattention, and impulsivity that you see in children.  With adults we call it normal.  With children, we call it a disease.

Item Special Note

Items will be available for pick up at Beethoven Elementary School on Monday, May 23rd to Wednesday, May 25, 2016 from 8am-9am.  If items will not be picked up from Beethoven Elementary School, they will be mailed on Friday, May 27, 2016 via USPS First Class Mail for an additional cost.