Yours Turly, Shirley

Shirley Basini, a fourth-grade student with dyslexia, faces academic challenges that could result in her repeating the grade. Her learning disability affects her performance in school, where she masks her struggles with disruptive behavior. Her family decides to adopt a child from Vietnam, and through unexpected circumstances, Shirley gains a younger sister named Jackie instead of the anticipated baby brother. The sisters form an initial bond as Shirley helps Jackie adapt to life in America. The relationship between the sisters becomes strained when Jackie demonstrates strong academic abilities and advances to a higher-level class. Shirley must navigate her feelings of jealousy while dealing with her own learning challenges. This novel explores themes of self-acceptance, sibling relationships, and the different ways people can succeed despite obstacles. The story presents a realistic look at learning disabilities and family dynamics through the lens of adoption and academic pressure.

Readers describe this book as a relatable story about a girl struggling with dyslexia. Many reviews come from adults who read it as children and found comfort in seeing their own learning challenges reflected. Readers appreciate: - Realistic portrayal of dyslexia symptoms and frustrations - Supportive teacher and parent characters - Clear explanation of learning disabilities for young readers - Inclusion of actual dyslexic letter reversals in the text Common criticisms: - Plot feels predictable - Some find the resolution too neat - Supporting characters need more development Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (405 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (15 ratings) Reader quote: "As a dyslexic child in the 90s, this book helped me feel less alone. The way Shirley sees letters jump around on the page matched my experience exactly." - Goodreads reviewer Another notes: "The story handles the topic with care but the secondary storylines fall flat." - Amazon reviewer

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✧ Ann M. Martin is best known for creating "The Baby-Sitters Club" series, which has sold over 176 million copies worldwide ✧ Dyslexia affects approximately 20% of the population and, like Shirley, many students develop creative coping mechanisms to hide their struggles ✧ The Vietnamese adoption storyline reflects a significant period in U.S. history, as over 2,000 Vietnamese children were adopted by American families during Operation Babylift in 1975 ✧ Martin drew from her experience as a teacher and children's book editor to create authentic classroom scenarios and learning challenges ✧ The book's title intentionally misspells "Truly" as "Turly," offering readers immediate insight into Shirley's dyslexia-related spelling difficulties