I've learned a lot about 2E children (2E=Twice Exceptional, meaning simultaneously gifted and learning disabled) from that group and from doing my own research. I have often suspected that my Bria has a minor learning disability, even while being extraordinarily gifted in some areas. We went through an especially difficult period with her in the fourth grade, and, with a lot of work on our part, she has risen above many of the difficulties she encountered then. She's a determined--and very smart--child who now makes As and Bs, and has a goal to go to BYU. She just has to work really hard for those grades in certain subjects (cough cough math cough cough). Square Peg arrived on my doorstep at the right time. My son is struggling in school and one of the reasons why is because he is bored with worksheets. Rose's book has given me a new outlook and strategies to help him and encourage his teachers to think "out of the box" when they teach him.

This book should be an essential piece of reading for everyone who works with, or is interested in the lives of children who struggle to be included or are often overlooked. In the midst of a lot of noise and anger about a failing system, it focuses our attention on the humanity of children, their individual needs and how to support them to succeed. The short chapters mean it is a book that can be dipped in and out of regularly, looking at excellent legal and practical advice as well as inspirational stories of success. They need to know that you are always there for them, even in very hard times, otherwise they lose hope in themselves.

Reading this book reinforced in me how essential it is that we prioritise supporting our ‘square pegs’ and work towards a more inclusive and equitable education system. More than that, it’s a valuable resource with a host of insightful and empowering perspectives on the experiences and challenges faced by these students. If all you want is facts and research results so you can find their flaws, read research journals, and leave this one alone.

The author of several books, and the editor of many more, Ian is known by thousands of teachers and young people across the world for his award-winning Thunks books. Thunks grew out of Ian's work with Philosophy for Children (P4C), and are beguiling yet deceptively powerful little philosophical questions that he has created to make children's – as well as their teachers' – brains hurt.The authors and their contributors champion the needs of all children who are ‘square pegs’ and write with passion about the ways in which the school system often fails to meet their needs and to recognise their strengths.The book provides personal and professional insights into an alternative, positive vision of education. As a teacher, I can get defensive when faced with a critique of the profession and this book certainly doesn’t shy away from that. However, I made a conscious decision to leave my teacher hat at the door and to give the book a fair shot. Rose's book is simultaneously a memoir and a textbook which teaches parents and teachers how to cater to individual learning styles. He has great ideas for using all of the technology available today to help the students that struggle in a traditional learning environment. I liked how he had 'Big Ideas' and 'Action Items' after every chapter. I liked even more that the action items often included things like "give your child a hug!" Rose, who was diagnosed with ADHD as a youth and consequently dropped out of high school with a 0.9 GPA, is now a faculty member of the Harvard School of Education. His story is inspiring, and his ideas for our children even more so. Over and above this emotive aspect, which one might expect from a book on compassion, there are also many innovative and outside-the-box ideas for supporting “square peg students”. However, the authors don’t always take into account ever-shrinking school budgets. One chapter even states explicitly that “it is not about the money”. For many schools today, the sad reality is that it very much is. Over the last few years, changes in education have made it increasingly hard for those children who don't 'fit' the system - the square pegs.