At first glance, Justin appears to be your typical 10-year old boy. Justin (not his real name) is precocious, inquisitive and has energy like the eveready bunny. His smile and bright eyes immediately endear you to you his youthful innocence. Each of these qualities would serve him well as he matures into manhood.

Yet in Justin’s case, these personality traits have been cause for an entertaining and educational children’s book. You see, Justin has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the story of his young life has been titled Hey, That Kid Got Issues.

As a single parent living in Bloomingdale, Earnest Williams Jr. set boundaries and cultivated a home environment that taught Justin right from wrong. With a strong moral and spiritual foundation for Justin, Mr. Williams knew he was doing the best parenting he could.

Often Justin’s behavior would make his father stop and scratch his head in wonderment. “I chalked it up to Justin being an only child with a vivid imagination,” Mr. Williams said.

Neither Justin or his father thought ADHD was the root of their problems. Justin’s teacher was having so many interruptions in class due to his behavior. At first, typical teacher punishment was rendered. Time outs, no recess, and eventually isolation within the classroom from other classmates.

None of these consequences seemed to deter Justin’s happy-go-lucky attitude. Quickly Justin was known throughout the school and labeled and ridiculed by students.

The letter finally arrived requesting a parent-teacher conference immediately about Justin’s behavior. “I took off work and spent the whole day at the school in Justin’s classroom,” said Mr. Williams. “My concern for Justin overrode my amazement at Justin’s behavior during the school day. I was equally devastated when the teacher recommended to have my son tested for ADHD,” Mr. Williams said.

Like any parent, Mr. Williams sought to find as much help for Justin as possible. Mr. Williams had to educate himself about ADHD after test results confirmed his son’s disorder.

“Come to find out thousands of boys and girls sit in classrooms across the nation with the same thing Justin has,” said Mr. Williams. Most often the boys are more frequently diagnosed due to their overt activity.

Mr. Williams took one step further and authored a glowing tribute to his son and an eye opener to those dealing with ADHD. The book is an easy read with beautiful and colorful illustrations by Steve Howard.

As school bells start to ring, Hey, That Kid Got Issues is a great backpack stuffer. It’s now available in hardcover for $14.99 and paperback for $7.99 at www.williamworks.com. The book can also be found locally at Greater Mt. Calvary Church and Petals, Ribbons & Beyond at 3906 12th Street NE in Brookland.

“Tate” Races Into Print

Brookland resident Lydia Diaz Briscoe’s inspiration for her first published book, Tate and the Race, came from her nephew Rolando, known as Tate. Rolando was born with cerebral palsy, and Tate and the Race is a fictional account of a handicapped child confronted with a bully as he tries to win a bike race.

Ms. Briscoe plans to write a series of “Tate” books, and is almost finished with the next volume in the series: Tate Goes to Camp.

Ms. Briscoe works full time at a consulting firm and enjoys writing in her spare time.

Tate and the Race is available online for $7.99 at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore.

Extract from Tate and the Race:

“Everyday after school he practiced rolling his wheelchair up the hill, going across the fields, and riding on the sidewalks. He took his radio and listened to music while he rolled along. His mother thought he was practicing too hard and might be too tired to race when the special day came.
      On the day before the big race, Tate and his mother sat down to talk...”
      — Lydia Diaz Briscoe