Thanks for that. I just read a Wiki synopsis, and it sounded horribly grim to me.

Charlie is not a strong reader, and has trouble with abstract concepts, so I'm really afraid that even if he got through the book, he wouldn't take away the right things, and wind up being anxious about things. It's happened before.

I also wonder, and forgive me because this sounds so much like that 'I have black friends' argument, but I honestly think he doesn't really get race. Literally the three best friends he has during school are black. I'm afraid it will confuse him and he will start to look at his friends differently because the book told him so. If you know what I mean.

Mostly I just wish they just said 'read a book'. Why can't kids pick a book THEY want to read during the summer? Why make reading any harder for Charlie than it already is?

But thanks, if I do wind up having him at least skim it, I know what to talk about.