Gosh, Please Pay Attention is a book that hurts in the best way. Bea is a sixth-grader with cerebral palsy who is Buddies with Josie, a kindergartner with anxiety, and best friends with Rani. Max is the school nurse, and also her foster mom who gave her her name because Bea’s neonatal room was decorated with Peter Rabbit before Max brought her home. Bea loves to draw and even gets in trouble for drawing places she shouldn’t, like her bedroom wall and classroom desk.
But then one day the unthinkable happens and an active shooter comes to the school. Bea panics when her teacher tells everyone to get down, and isn’t able to get down from her chair until after everyone else is down, leaving her feeling extra alone. The trauma of the day makes it hard for Bea to do anything she used to love, and being indoors makes her feel trapped because what if she’s too far from the exits or her chair can’t make it across an area?
This is such an important book but also so heartbreaking in the best way only because we get to see Bea healing and we see the love and community around her. There have been too many school shooting events in American history, and our legislation continues to waffle on creating any changes on gun access and control. The way Bea’s personal story is told interspersed with letters to her governor, pleading that they pay attention, is such a great element, especially because who she’s writing the letters to isn’t revealed until the ending.
Please Pay Attention is an exceptional book telling an important story. As mass shooting events happen, too often disabled people are forgotten and left behind, both literally and figuratively. This book, I hope, can make such a difference because it is centering the experiences of a disabled child, and also she is never shown as a burden. Bea is a loved child whose mom does everything in her power to help her heal, which translates to equestrian therapy because Bea can’t bear to talk about the experience. I loved this book and cannot wait for it to reach more readers.