Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is a realistic fiction novel by Dusti Bowling.  While it is realistic fiction, there is a bit of a mystery to it as well that will appeal to readers looking to figure out a secret.  The book is 39 chapters long and 262 pages, so it is an average size for a teen novel. The story is told through the eyes of Aven, a teen who was born without arms.  Aven is a memorable character who has a great senese of humor and a fantastic attitude and outlook on life.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus also has a sequel for readers wanting to read more about Aven's life: Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus.  

Aven's life is flipped upside down when her parents tell her they are moving from the comfort of the life they have known in Kansas to Arizona, where both her parents will now manage an old, dying theme park.  Aven will be leaving her friends and school, who know her well and have been able to look past her different way of doing things due to her missing arms.  Aven quickly learns life in Arizona is VERY different from Kansas - from the weather to the plants and to the people.  People at Aven's new school don't understand her disability and are fascinated that she is determined to live life as normally as possible and do everything independently that all the other kids at that school do: brush her hair, eat her sandwich, write her own notes, open doors, and even play the guitar.  While Aven is adjusting to life out west, she begins to notice some strange things at the theme park in her daily walks around the property: an owner no one has ever met, pictures of the owner's family that have been removed from walls, a silver and turquoise necklack buried in the sand under a large saguaro, drawings and photographs of tarantulas everywhere, and a packed storage office that has been locked and marked with multiple "Keep Out!" signs.  Then there is Henry, the ice cream shoppe worker that has been an employee of the theme park for 66 years and keeps mixing up Aven's order and asking where her arms went.  The transition is tough until Aven meets Connor, a kid at school who struggles with his own disability that is noticeable to others as well. Together, Aven and Connor are determined to figure out what the secrets are at the theme park in the hopes of keeping it open to the public.  

I started the summer with Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus at the recommendation of one of my students and it did not disappoint!  Aven is an awesome character and I aspire to show the resilience and positivity that she does!  For anyone struggling with something that you feel makes you "different" than others - whether it be a physical, mental, or emotional - this book is for you!  Aven's character shows us all how to change the "can't do" into "can do."  She understands there are things that she never be able to do because she was born without arms (she gives basketball as an example), but that almost everything is possible for her, but just may look different than how other people do it.  She also is focused on finding things that highlight her strengths and things she may even do better than others, such as soccer.  Aven recognizes that *most* people stare at her out of their curiosity and ask questions for the same reason, rather than they are making fun of her, and she strives to show others that a single setback out of your control doesn't have to define you - a mindset she is determined to teach Connor as he struggles with his own disability himself.  I do think it is a better fit for female readers only because Aven is the narrator and shares her thoughts and insecurities more females may struggle with in her situation, such as longing for the confidence to wear tank tops and spaghetti straps that fully expose her lack of arms more than a short-sleeved top.  However, I think male readers will also be able to relate to Connor as well.  I would recommend this novel for true middle school readers and would not suggest it to anyone below 5th grade just due to a few comments and thoughts Aven shares that are better fit for adolesents, but this is a fabulous 6th/7th grade choice!