I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, anything that presents dyslexia as something not to be embarrassed or ashamed by, can't be all bad. I also really liked the illustrations and the clear layout of the book, but there were just a few things that I struggled with.

I am coming at this as someone who was informally told that they were probably dyslexic by a music teacher, after several unsuccessful years of trying to learn to read music. I also work with children with this diagnosis in a primary school.

My issues with this book are as follows:
- I don't really get the term, "made by dyslexia." It feels as though it suggests that dyslexia is responsible for making the child who they are. For a child adjusting to a recent diagnosis, I think it could be quite difficult to feel positive about this thing that explains/is explained by their entire personality,  when, until the point of diagnosis and support, their experience has likely been one of struggle and low self-esteem.

- I don't really understand the "seven types of xtraordinary people" idea. This is presented as a fact but I can't find any information to suggest that these are recognised subcategories of dyslexia. If a child doesn't identify with one of these, are they therefore not xtraordinary? When they're older and trying to fit in but are sitting exams separately from peers to get the extra time, having work printed on coloured paper or wearing tinted glasses just so that they have the same chance at success, how are we supposed to convince a child who has probably felt different for much of their education, that this is actually all great and cause for celebration?

- I find the idea of presenting dyslexia as relentlessly positive and a gift to be celebrated, troublesome. This diagnosis is often hard-won and follows years of struggle and this can have a debilitating impact on mental health. For a child to then be told that there is a reason for this trauma but that they should actually be celebrating this, doesn't sit right with me and my concern would be that this invalidates the child's previous feelings and the difficulties they have faced.

Wouldn't it make more sense to celebrate all children and their vast range of personalities and strengths as well as acknowledging that we can't all be best at everything, that we all face different challenges and that it's ok, good even, to recognise this and accept support to level the playing field when we need it.

For a book on this theme, I much preferred See What I Can Do! by Jon Roberts.

What an inspiring book! I loved the concept of identifying your strengths and skills and thinking about how these might shape your future. Great use of graphics and pictures. The best part was the quotations at the back from a fabulous range of people and the active quiz getting students to identify what kind of extraordinary skills they have. I can just hear some of my students now recognising they can dream big!

Thank you so much to DK and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

This book teaches and shows all different types of Xtraordinary people that have dyslexia, showcasing all their differences, their challenges and their achievements. This was a cute read, I liked what it was teaching, giving a highlight to dyslexia and how it works, how it is different for each person that has it.

I did find the white background of the book wasn’t ideal, especially as that is one of the obstacles for dyslexic readers, I think it would be better with an alternate colour choice. Though the illustrations were absolutely adorable and I loved looking at them and seeing all the monsters being different Xtraordinary people doing so many different jobs and in different lives, even with dyslexia being a challenge.

I liked how fact filled it was, I liked what it was teaching and showing and that it will help many children to learn about dyslexia and help them if they have it. It’s also a good resource for in school or teaching in general.

Xtraordinary People (nice pun) is an illustrated narrative fiction book which focuses on dyslexia.
Although initially aimed for younger children, I have a slightly older child (9) with dyslexia and they liked this book.
It is empowering. Normally, I do not go for the mindset "neurodivergence is a gift or superpower" for many reasons. Though, the book was informative and engaging.
It is a nice addition to dyslexia empowerment literature.