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Positive

A Memoir

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Paige Rawl was an ordinary girl.

Cheerleader, soccer player, honor roll student. One of the good kids at her middle school.

Then, on an unremarkable day, Paige disclosed the one thing that made her "different": her HIV-positive status.

It didn't matter that she was born with the disease or that her illness posed no danger to her classmates.

Within hours, the bullying began.

They called her PAIDS. Left cruel notes on her locker. Talked in whispers about her and mocked her openly.

She turned to school administrators for help. Instead of assisting her, they ignored her urgent pleas . . . and told her to stop the drama.

She had never felt more alone.

One night, desperate for escape, Paige found herself in front of the medicine cabinet, staring at a bottle of sleeping pills.

That could have been the end of her story. Instead, it was only the beginning.

Finding comfort in steadfast friends and a community of other kids touched by HIV, Paige discovered the strength inside of her, and she embarked on a mission to change things for the bullied kids who would follow in her footsteps.

In this astonishing memoir, Paige immerses the reader in her experience and tells a story that is both deeply personal and completely universal: a story of one girl overcoming relentless bullying by choosing to be Positive.

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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      June 15, 2014
      Rawl's journey from secrecy to acceptance thanks to her friends and family makes for a compelling memoir.As a child, Paige saw her daily doses of medicine as normal-not strange at all. It wasn't until she was in sixth grade that her mother told her that Paige had been born with HIV. That revelation ends her idyllic life in Indianapolis, forever transforming the energetic girl who did cheerleading, pageants and soccer. Because when Paige tells her best friend, Yasmine, about her HIV-positive status, the news spreads through her middle school, prompting bullies to target Paige and accuse her of having AIDS. Now known as "PAIDS," Paige loses interest in school, suffers from stress-induced pseudo-seizures and even attempts suicide. But slowly, thanks to counseling, time at a camp for kids affected by HIV/AIDS and all her friends, Paige learns how to forgive and move on with her life. Rawl and Benjamin deftly capture the mindset of middle schooler Paige with anecdotes that reveal the teen's innocence and naivete, tracking her progress toward adulthood. They tackle tough subjects such as suicide delicately but honestly.Readers will come away feeling inspired by Rawl's work as an HIV/AIDS speaker and anti-bullying advocate. (author's note, further resources) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

      COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      July 1, 2014

      Gr 7 Up-This realistic and honest biography of a young woman living with HIV will draw readers in, shedding light on this difficult topic. Though Rawl was born with HIV, she never experienced symptoms of the virus or AIDS, as she was diagnosed early and used medications. In middle school, she confided in a friend about her HIV-positive status, who told others, leading to bullying and name-calling from fellow students as well as lack of support from her school's administration. While the experience was painful, Rawl eventually gained control of her life. Now a college student planning to study molecular biology, she is an advocate against bullying and an HIV/AIDS educator. Through short chapters, teens will get a sense of the girl's life, including her happy childhood, the strong bond between her and her mother, and the difficulties she faced, as well as gain accessible information on HIV/AIDS. Back matter incorporates websites and resources on AIDS, HIV, bullying, and suicide. The book beautifully conveys what it's like to grow up with HIV, dispelling myths about the virus and imparting useful knowledge.-Paige Bentley-Flannery, Deschutes Public Library, Bend, OR

      Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.1
  • Lexile® Measure:730
  • Interest Level:6-12(MG+)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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