THE U-NIQUE LOU FOX

A spirited and creative wannabe playwright in Winnipeg navigates grade 5 with dyslexia and ADHD.

Louisa Elizabeth Fitzhenry-O’Shaughnessy has 36 letters in her name—and she hates spelling. She’d rather go by Lou Fox, the dream name that she plans to use when she becomes a Broadway playwright. For now, though, she is stuck in class with Mrs. Snyder, someone who seemingly doesn’t like anything about Lou and can sense her daydreaming a mile away. Lou nicknames her teacher the Shadow Phantom, after the stealthy character in her dad’s comic books. Lou attempts to control her wandering mind but nevertheless ends up regularly visiting the principal’s office. But trouble with her friends over her behavior as director of the school play and stress at home since her mother became pregnant with twins mean her level of distraction grows. Still, she is supported by a humorous, devoted father full of love for Lou just as she is. The book’s text design and font were selected with accessibility for readers with dyslexia in mind, and the author shares her own struggles with ADHD in a note to readers. Lou reads as White, and there is some racial diversity in the supporting cast; unfortunately, these characterizations feel superficial, and Lou’s Chinese Canadian friend leans heavily into model minority stereotypes.

A strong neurodiverse protagonist nearly makes up for flatter secondary characters.