Book Review & Giveaway!

“When we tune our ears only to the voices we want to hear and tune out the voices that make us uncomfortable, we diminish our ability to hear the voice of God. If we make space in our lives for certain kinds of people but not others, we will never know the fullness of God or understand the depths of God’s love for humanity.” 

-Heather Avis-

When author, Down syndrome advocate, and Instagram leader Heather Avis (@theluckyfewofficial) announced the release of her new book, I sent this text to a dear friend: ‘Welp. Looks like I don’t need to write my book now.’

I confess I was bummed that my work and goal in writing a book on a similar topic now seemed redundant, superfluous. I began to wander down the road of comparison and jealousy–a road familiar to many writers–one in which we never want to linger.

Weeks passed before I noticed the irony of my insecure response to the message of the book, found in its title, Scoot Over and Make Some Room: Creating a Space Where Everyone Belongs. I had foolishly bought into the ‘myth of scarcity,’ a phrase penned by theologian, Walter Brueggemann. I believed the lie that with Heather’s work in the world, my work was no longer necessary and I stumbled into that either/or trap, despite knowing there is ample room on the shelf for this vital message of belonging. 

Instead of avoiding this book for the wrong reasons (namely self-pity, which always begins with self), I humbly crawled out from beneath my insecurities and bought it. 

I’m glad I did.

In her book, Heather graciously addresses several issues related to inclusion and offers her perspective based on personal experiences, research, and a willingness to listen to those who exist outside the (white, privileged, able-bodied, neurotypical) majority. These issues include, but are not limited to:

• The importance of parents, educators, church/community leaders providing space for kids with different abilities to grow and thrive with neurotypical peers.
• The necessity of listening and connecting with those who differ from us.
• The complexities of education for students with neurotypical differences: “IEPs are deficit driven, meaning they start by identifying how far behind students are and what they are unable to do [compared to typical peers].‘
• The uncomfortable conversations around pro-life advocacy: “If we say we’re pro-life, then we better be pro-Down syndrome and pro-black lives, pro- autism, pro-immigrant, and pro-person-with-a-physical-different-ability who still cannot enter a building (maybe even a community church) because it does not accomodate their specific mode of mobility.” Love that she doesn’t mince words here. 

I appreciate Heather’s direct approach on both the need for (greater) inclusion and the rationale behind the need. She invites the white, privileged, able-bodied community of Jesus followers who haven’t considered their homogeneous social circles or simply don’t know how or where to start building relationships with those who exist beyond their norm. 

If you’re looking for a challenging, helpful read on the importance of creating room in your life for those who differ from you (and your kids), this book is worth your investment.

And if you’d like the chance to win a copy, head to my Instagram page @katecarper and follow the prompts to enter the giveaway. It begins today, Tuesday October 29 and ends Thursday 10/31 at 8 pm EST. Good luck!

“Love will lead us toward understanding. When we have understanding, we can more easily drop our pointing fingers and extend a hand of welcome. When we have understanding, we can release our cynical spirit, listen to one another with humility and grace, and learn from each other’s realities. And even if we wholeheartedly disagree, we can find a way to embrace one another in love.”