This children’s book is about special educational needs and understanding and raising awareness of different types of intelligence.
Chester is the new kid at school and has to sit next to the sloppy, chaotic, and seemingly dumb Joe. Joe is incredibly messy, cannot write properly, and does not understand the ways in which things are explained. When the students have to create a little How-To-book, Joe starts off with ‘How to write neatly’. Upon recognising that Joe does not get the help he needs from the teacher, he feels obliged to take on this task himself and supports his schoolmate in making a book about how to write really badly building a sense of achievement in Joe. With time, Chester also realises that Joe does indeed have an incredible talent which is, however, just not encouraged and fostered in school.

The book provides a heartwarming example of how students can support each other but also shows how the school curricula sometimes do not leave enough space for individual needs and talents and how important it is for teachers and students to foster the ability to think outside the box.

Short fiction · 1996