Listen !

I would never know what it would be like to be in an accident that would take away so much of your life. Stephanie S. Tolan captured the emotion and sympathy of what it is really like for someone to help herself overcome challenges that would seem almost unbearable to others. Listen!, is a book published in 2006 that changed my life and many others because it shows how by putting your mind to it, you can change the outcome of any struggle in life.

Charley is a twelve year old girl who had been in so many terrible situations in her life, but when meeting a mysterious stray dog, she starts to learn that she must overcome the challenges thrown at her. One day, when getting a ride home from school, Charley had been eager for summer break. But on that ride home is when the accident began. Charley’s friend had crashed their car leading for Charley to have serious surgery in her leg, which included a placement of an iron rod.

After that day Charley mostly sat in her chair for she had trouble walking. But after meeting a stray dog in her back yard, Coyote, she begins to try and see that she isn’t the only one who has had many hard ships in their life. After an arduous process of training, Coyote grew to like Charley and begins to give her faith in herself as a whole. This was the key to Charley’s successes in life.

Troubling situations like this happen all across the world and the lesson is to not keep your feelings bottled up, let them out and explore ways to overcome your challenges to find and begin a new and better life. But the story has not ended for Charley and there are many more challenges that still wait for her. But to find out what those might just be, you will have to read the book!