Two New Books About OCD

In The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson, Matthew Corbin lives on a small cul-de-sac in a suburb of London and spends a lot of time watching the world go by outside his window. Matthew has a debilitating case of OCD, and because of this, he is afraid to leave his room and expose himself to germs. One day when he is looking out his window, a toddler disappears right before his eyes. Will Matthew be able to get over his germ phobia enough to leave his room and help solve the mystery of the missing child? The descriptions of Matthew's attempts to keep his room and his body germ-free become almost too painful to read. Your own hands will hurt as you read about his cleaning and scrubbing routines. As the story unfolds, you or your reader will learn why Matthew thinks he caused the death of his little brother years earlier. By the end of the book, you will be cheering for Matthew and his two misfit friends, as they come together to solve the disappearance of the young boy. Give this book to a 10-year old up reader who loves realistic fiction and mysteries. In Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz, Twelve-year-old Molly Nathans has just won the first round of her middle school poetry slam contest. Can Molly convince her Mom, who has moved away temporarily to take a new job, to come back if she makes the finals? As Molly stresses out about her absent mom, her compulsive behaviors begin to worsen. Molly tries to hide her problem from her friends and family as she attempts to research her condition online and stay in control. Readers will empathize with Molly as she measures, cleans and counts her way toward the realization that she is battling OCD. Both of these books would help teach a young reader empathy toward individuals suffering from OCD. Another terrific book (and newly-released movie!) that teachers empathy is Wonder by R.J. Palacio.