• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12
• Reading age: 7 to 10

Martin's been diagnosed with ADHD, but he feels something about his diagnosis isn't right. The Ritalin he's prescribed doesn't seem to make a difference. When Martin's grades continue to sink no matter how hard he tries, his father writes him off as lazy and just plain stupid. His dad is convinced that Martin just needs to focus more on his studies and less on making movies.

One night while out pursuing his passion on the city streets with his camera, Martin meets Stick and is introduced to the energetic and exciting pastime of parkour -- free-running. While filming Stick's flips and tricks, Martin begins to see a connection between how his brain interprets the world, all jumbled and fast-moving and out of order, and what the free-runners see. Camera in hand, Martin sets out to make a video that will show his dad what he sees, and hopefully get him to understand that Martin's real learning disability, dyslexia, has never been properly diagnosed.

KIM FIRMSTON is a writer and creative writing instructor in Calgary, AB. Her short story "Life Before War" was shortlisted for the 2008 CBC Literary Awards.

www.kimfirmston.com

Kim Firmston's profile page

• Commended, One of the Year's Best -- Resource Links
• Winner, Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens

"Stupid is another book that I can see my struggling readers picking at the beginning of the school year when they are trying to find books to keep back into reading again. I am always looking for hi-lo stories that have a decent plot and students will connect with this one."

NetGalley Reviewer

"Stupid crackles with energy, dragging readers along on a violent, muscles flexed, white-knuckled ride through midnight landscapes and abandoned industrial sites, into the frustration and fragmentation of dyslexia."

National Reading Campaign

"The portrayals of a kid's experiences with learning differences are spot-on, and a clear story line leads the reader through Martin's difficulties with nail-biting suspense, both at school and on the tops of abandoned buildings. A compelling high/low reader with wide teen appeal."

Booklist

"Firmston deftly handles this store and it never lags…This page-turner will appeal to many beyond its target audience of reluctant readers. It is highly recommended, particularly for school libraries." Rated E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!

Resource Links

"Stupid will certainly appeal to male students, and anyone interested in urban stories featuring teens."

Educator at Vancouver School Board

"Stupid was an enjoyable book that helped me understand a little more of the difficulties a student with a disability might face. This book show how stressful a learning disability can be but also how that same disability can spur creativity in people. This book might help some students see that everyone has the ability to learn its just that not everyone learns in the same way."

Librarian at Brooks Middle School

"[A great book the story itself is terrific and full of suspense while the underlying theme clearly illustrates the impact a learning disability can have on someone, and how it can be misunderstood by others. Id make this required reading for all kids and parents who have or know someone who has a learning disability."

Educator at Florida International University

''Stupid is an accessible yet richly layered text. I recommend it for the targeted age group, but also hope that educators and parents will read it and consider that "lazy" and "stupid" are often misnomers and never helpful.''

CM: Canadian Review of Materials