Thank You, Mr. Falker: Critical Review

Polacco, Patricia. Thank you, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books, 1998.

Thank You, Mr. Falker is a story of perseverance and hope. In this book, a young girl named Trisha is faced with a noticeably severe difficulty in reading. This is something she deals with in isolation before her encounter with Mr. Falker. Tricia’s difficulties mark her as different in the eyes of others and her self.  School becomes something she despises; she undergoes scrutiny, rejection and is made a mockery. In Tricia’s eyes, “reading was plain torture”(Polacco, 11).  After relocating to a new location, Tricia is assigned Mr. Falker as a teacher and he notices her difficulties. Readers are informed that Tricia has dyslexia. With the diligent effort of Mr. Falker, Tricia is able to come to terms with her illness and progressively get better. This story highlights the effects that teachers have in promoting student success. This book revealed the mishaps of teachers as well. It was almost unbelievable that Tricia’s reading struggles were not caught earlier and that so many teachers passed her on. This book served as an example for me as a future educator to focus and make sure student difficulties are not overlooked. This book was an excellent portray of special education embedded in literature. It provided a real life portray of a struggling student, and all of the elements in the story were portrayed in a realistic light. The elements of theme, characterization, setting, and plot as described in the Prater article, were personified in a well-developed way. The author of this book is an insider; this is shown through the compassion and sensitivity of the story as well. Patricia Polacco dedicated her story “to George Felker, the real Mr. Falker. You will forever be my hero”(Polacco, 1). The book undoable provides struggling students with hope and others with an understanding. This is definitely a great literary contribution.

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Additional Resources

Prater, Mary Anne. "Teaching Students About Learning Disabilities Through Children's Literature." Intervention In School And Clinic 42(2006): 14-24.