The Unique Lou Fox

Gr 3-7--Fifth grader Louisa Elizabeth Fitzhenry-O'Shaughnessy is creative, innovative, warm, a fierce friend, and a loving daughter. Lou aspires to be a Broadway playwright and a Cirque du Soleil performer, and she practices her theater and gymnastics skills with her two best friends, Lexie and Nakessa, every chance she has. Lou is highly verbal and terrific in art class, but because she has dyslexia and ADHD, she finds schoolwork involving reading, writing, and memorization a frustrating slog. Lou's imagination runs wild during class, and when her teacher Mrs. Snyder constantly clocks her daydreaming, Lou comes to believe that Mrs. Snyder just doesn't like her. When Lou learns she is about to become a big sister, her anxiety at school extends to home. Lou mistakenly believes that she needs to prove her worth to the adults in her life: she needs to be perfect in her behavior and schoolwork, so her mother is proud, and she needs to direct and write a perfect play so Mrs. Snyder sees how much work she is putting in at school. In Lou Fox, Carmichael has created a refreshing, believable, and fun-loving protagonist who will be a welcome addition to library shelves. Her navigation of stage fright, jealousy, friendship, and schoolwork is deftly written with believable examples. Despite Lou's anxiety about school and home life and frequent pitfalls and fresh starts, the book flows at a cheerful, bouncing pace. The very short chapters, often between two and six pages, will build confidence for emerging readers. The font was selected with readers with dyslexia in mind, with emphasized words bolded and back matter sharing information and resources about dyslexia and ADHD. Lou is cued as white. VERDICT Prepare to fall in love with Lou Fox and her supportive cast of family, friends, and teachers. Recommended for fiction collections.--Lauren Younger

Praise for The Unique Lou Fox

2022 School Library Journal "Great Minds Don't Think Alike" feature

2022 The Children's Book Council "August: Hot Off the Press" feature

"In Lou Fox, Carmichael has created a refreshing, believable, and fun-loving protagonist who will be a welcome addition to library shelves...the book flows at a cheerful, bouncing pace...Prepare to fall in love with Lou Fox and her supportive cast of family, friends, and teachers. Recommended for fiction collections."—School Library Journal

"A spirited and creative wannabe playwright in Winnipeg navigates grade 5 with dyslexia and ADHD...A strong neurodiverse protagonist..."—Kirkus Reviews

"In this story Louisa Elizabeth Fitzhenry-O'Shaughnessy wants to be a writer, but has to deal with things like a teacher who simply doesn't understand what having ADHD actually means. Fortunately, Lou has a lot of good coping techniques and the book takes time and attention to display these."—School Library Journal, Fuse 8

"The books also strikes an excellent balance between acknowledging the hardships that disabilities bring and making it clear that disabilities do not define people—they can even be strengths... Both humorous and melancholy, The U-nique Lou Fox is a touching novel about a young playwright's self-discovery and creative triumphs."—Foreword Magazine

"Jodi Carmichael has written a solid middle-grade novel that gives a good picture of what kids with learning disabilities have to deal with...the writing is great and the story is compelling."—Portland Book Review

"The storyline is adaptable to middle school and upper elementary...The author also has ADHD and addresses the day-to-day difficulties of living with a learning disability"—Children's Literature-CLCD

"Appreciate those close to you. The author is able to evoke empathy for Louisa, as she becomes overwhelmed by the challenges faced every day...This book became more than I expected, and I highly recommend you give it a shot."—YA Books Central

"This book is amazing. I could really feel what Lou was feeling...I couldn't put it down until the end. I recommend it!"—The International Educator

"I hope that every Louisa in every classroom gets an opportunity to read or listen to The U-nique Lou Fox. It will be wonderful for all Louisas to have their uniqueness recognized and affirmed. Highly Recommended"—CM Magazine

"Everything about The U-nique Lou Fox is fantastic...This story exudes kindness and generosity and is a must have for classrooms and school libraries. It's time for more stories about neuro-atypical children."—Storytime with Stephanie

"This is a fabulous children's novel! Not only is it written about a main character with dyslexia, but it was printed with consideration for readers with dyslexia... There were also parts of this story that are universal...The U-nique Lou Fox is a great middle grade story!"—Jill's Book Blog