5 Minutes for Special Needs Books

Leave a comment to win a free copy of this week's book!

Just in time for the holidays, I Am Potential: Eight Lessons on Living, Loving and Reaching Your Dreams (Da Capo, 2008) is the heart-warming and inspirational book by self-advocate Patrick Henry Hughes, with Patrick John Hughes and Bryant Stamford.

You might have "met" the Hughes family on the ABC television show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in February 2008, or you might have heard Patrick, a pianist, singer and trumpeter, perform at the Grand Ole Opry, the Kennedy Center, or the Orange Bowl. He and his father, Patrick John Hughes, are a two-person member of the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with a rare genetic disorder that had physical consequences–his arms could not straighten, his legs won't support his body weight, and he has no eyes. Patrick was also born with a gift for music, discovered when he began playing the piano as a 9-month-old.

I Am Potential is Patrick' life story, as told to Bryant Stamford and with additional sections written by Patrick's father. The book inlcudes black and white photographs and a resource section. Patrick's eight lessons for life are time-tested and universal, but even more important than the lessons themselves is Patrick, whose delightful spirit is full of optimism, good humor, and courage.

To learn more, you can visit the book's website. And I have 2 hardcover copies to share. If you're interested, leave your name in the comments and I'll chose a winner in a drawing next week.

Happy reading!

Jennifer Graf Groneberg reads books, writes books, and writes about books. She's the author of Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years with Down Syndrome (NAL/Pengiun, 2008), and her blog is Pinwheels.