|
|
| Plot Summary of Dibs In Search of Self |
|---|
"Dibs, five years old, is silent and withdrawn in the playgroup. If he responds at all, to anything, it is generally in monosyllables - "No, no, no!". He attacks the other children if they approach him. His New York background is upper class and wealthy, but at home he is often locked in his room as he is mute, unmanageable, an embarrassment. His father is a brilliant scientist, his mother was a top heart surgeon before the children were born. Maybe he should go to a school for the mentally retarded? The playgroup leaders are divided on this, and the assessment of the professionals is that they cannot fathom the problems.
Virginia Axline, a gifted therapist and a pioneer of play therapy, takes on this small frightened child and, over the course of many weekly one-hour play sessions, enables him to start to become the person he is meant to be. He is indeed an astounding child, gifted and highly sensitive. This is a classic of clinical cognitive psychology, the techniques and guiding philosophy are described with clarity and simplicity, the main verbal technique being reflective listening. The outcome is joyous, but the process of healing and devolpment is hard and emotionally demanding. The crying of the child and the crying of the parents are equally are full grief, and it is hard if not impossible to not grieve with them. This is an M. Scott Peck of a book, and I would recommend it to anyone; but particularly for all counsellors, special needs workers, and professional psychologists."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar
|
"Dibs is confronted with trying to find himself. The therapist and his parents are trying to find out what is wrong with him. he turns out to be one of the most intelligent kids."
Sondra Hopkins, Resident Scholar
|
|
|
| Review Analysis of Dibs In Search of Self |
|---|
|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
|
|
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- alienated from society
Family, hate
Yes
Struggle with:
- Father
- Mother
- Sister
The difficult family member
- expects to be obeyed in all things
- disapproves of personality
- blames for things that go wrong
Family, ill
Yes
Who?
- Son
because he/she is
- mentally ill
Family, love
Yes
Special relationship with
- grandma
Phys disability/mental struggle?
Yes
Struggle with
- mental illness
- general search for meaning
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a kid
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- mentally ill
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
- wild
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- American (!)
How sensitive is this person?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other people
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 2 (a little)
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
- wealthy
Misc setting
- Fancy Mansion
Century:
- 1980's-Present
- 1930's-1950's
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel?
- very happy
- thoughtful
Unusual Style:
- a lot of play on words
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Writer's slant towards subject:
- very favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of set of events during life
If this is a kid's book:
- Age 16-Adult
Autobiography?
Yes
Pictures/Illustrations?
- None
How much dialogue in bio?
- mostly dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
A LOT of info about personal vices?
Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 0-25% of book
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Virginia M. Axline Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Sondra Hopkins
SCHOLARS:
| |
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Mo Hayder
5:11:13 PM
Suzanne Collins
1:03:18 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun
12:37:12 PM
Robert Segarra
11:12:13 AM
Zana Muhsen
9:04:32 AM
Andrew Clements
5:58:47 AM
Victoria Holt
5:43:05 AM
Belinda Alexandra
3:38:00 AM
Jean M. Auel
2:15:24 AM
George W. Bush
12:36:35 AM
Mary Downing Hahn
11:11:35 PM
Erin Hunters
10:11:32 PM
Warren Reiten
6:51:13 PM
Anonymous
5:18:14 PM
Marlo Morgan
2:44:30 PM
Ray Bradbury
12:00:50 PM
David Pelzer
8:47:20 PM
Laurell K. Hamilton
6:38:10 PM
Colin Forbes
5:34:13 PM
Gerald Morris
5:21:54 PM
More message boards
|
