It is going to take all of us to learn more about disabilities. It is going to take all of us to get to know and talk to people who don’t look like us. My mom and I made a pact that we would work together to help as many people who are different as we can. That’s why we are working so hard to grow Born Just Right as a nonprofit. We can all find our own ways to respect disabilities. Many times, it just starts with a conversation, maybe even a hello when you pass by someone who has a physical difference.
When I was little, my parents would read all kinds of picture books that talk about our differences. Books where one kid has red hair, one kid has glasses, one kid uses crutches . . . We are all different. Instead of feeling scared when you are with someone who doesn’t look or act like you, give that person a chance. Learn from them!
I think we can all learn a lot more when we talk to one another about our differences. That’s when we learn new things, and maybe that will help us all create more great and fun ideas. If not, at least we will all understand one another more! At the end of the day, we are all born just right.
SITES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Born Just Right: The nonprofit run by Jordan and her mom, Jen
bornjustright.org
STEAM Squad: Jordan and her STEAM friends
thesteamsquad.org
MAKE magazine: A community of makers around the world
makezine.com
Tinkercad: The first 3-D CAD tool Jordan used
tinkercad.com
Girls Who Code: A nonprofit that aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science
girlswhocode.com
DIY: A site that awards kids with digital (and real, if you want to pay) badges for making stuff
diy.org
Eighteenx18: A creative platform to engage the young generation to speak our truth, get active, and (once you’re old enough) vote!
eighteenx18.com
Black Girls Code: A nonprofit that focuses on providing technology education for African-American girls
blackgirlscode.com
Être: A resource site where motivated girls can find the tools they need.
etregirls.com
GenderAvenger: An organization focused on making sure women (and girls) are included in public events
genderavenger.com
Girls on the Run: Jordan enjoyed running and learning about girl power through this organization.
girlsontherun.org
My first day!
Me with my very first prosthesis. Even though it was tough, my parents let me figure out how to do things on my own.
I loved dance class as a kid. Here I am, channeling my best inner ballerina! Dance also helped me with my balance and coordination.
I love proving to people that I really am limitless in what I can do. Adaptive CrossFit is a way I keep my body strong, and it’s a lot of fun!
I also enjoy playing other sports, like basketball and softball.
It was so much fun appearing on the Rachael Ray Show and a “Shark Tank Jr.” segment. It’s where I pitched the initial prototype for Project Unicorn! Here I am with Mark Cuban, one of the Shark Tank judges.
I love traveling and advocating for limb difference awareness. Here I am in action at a recent TedxYouth talk.
Proudly spreading our mission and message far and wide. I love clothes that empower me and help me feel stronger!
Showing off Project Unicorn—and the power of glitter!—at the Maker Faire. Sam and I worked so hard to come up with an even better design that really made a splash.
© Matthew Pait
Family portrait! Randy, Cameron, Jordan, Jen, Blue, and Bailey. (Blue is the Weimaraner mix; Bailey is the goldendoodle.)
Besides my family, the most important people in my life are my friends. Here I am with my two best friends, Quin and Reese. Our moms met before we were born, and for most of my life we have lived across the street from each other, which is convenient!
Maine is a special spot for my family and me. It’s a place where we can relax and just be together.
My travels also help me feel limitless, and I feel so lucky to have such amazing experiences. During a trip to Florida for the Amputee Coalition National Conference, I got to meet this awesome dolphin named Winter, who uses a prosthetic tail! After I saw how she uses her own helper tail, Winter really helped me change my perspective on my own prostheses.
Unless otherwise indicated, insert photos are courtesy of the Reeves family.
Striking a pose in Austin, Texas. I’m so happy to be able to travel to cool places and spread the message of limb difference awareness and the importance of STEM/STEAM.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Books don’t appear magically. It takes a lot of time and support from many people. First and foremost, we need to thank Randy (Dad) and Cam. Your support and love make everything we do possible. We are so lucky you both support us when we’re home and when we’re away. Our family is unusual for our experiences near and far, but you both keep us grounded. We love you so much.
There are other family members who are so important to us. Lots of love to Uncle Barry and Aunt Jenn, Colin, Camden, Addison, Grandma and Grandpa Lee, Poppy and Ruth Ann, Uncle Jon and Grant. Thank you for the love and guidance you’ve all given us.
Huge shout-outs to our literary agent, John Cusick, and our incredible editor, Alyson Heller. We stumbled into the most perfect team to help us learn about the vast world of publishing. We appreciate the time and attention you’ve given us to navigate this experience.
There aren’t enough sheets of paper in the world to be able to include each and every person who has made an impact on our lives. First, we want to thank our local community of friends. Jordan is so thankful for her friends in and outside of her school, but especially Quin and Reese. Jen is amazed by the network of women and men who are there to listen and make sure we meet other changemakers in the area. Unplanned text messages that lead to our gatherings are the very best. We are also very lucky to have Alex George from Skylark Books as a friend and guide through the book publishing process.
We are connected to so many amazing current and past students, faculty, and staff at the University of Missouri. We have been a part of the Mizzou community in many different ways. From the medical community, the journalism school, and the staff of the Joint Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, we are obviously Mizzou Made. We have to give an extra thank-you to the many Mizzou alumni who work in newsrooms everywhere and have helped us tell the Born Just Right story.
Big thanks to our friends who live across the country: bloggers, progressive activists, digital marketing experts, and even our amazing family from the Disney Parks Moms Panel. They have all helped us along the way. It’s stunning how many people play a special role in our lives.
There are many different people who have made a special impact in our lives through the disability community. Thank you to Liz Jackson, Nikki Kelly, Angel Giuffria, Rebekah Marine, Mary Leighton and Camp No Limits, all of our friends at Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (especially Nick Clark), Amputee Coalition of America’s Amp Camp, Helping Hands Foundation, and our Sammy’s Friends from long, long ago. Ryan Haack, you and your family are something special. (Eric and Patti, your families fall in the same category.)
Thanks to the amazing people who keep Born Just Right, the nonprofit, up and running with us. Thank you to Born Just Right’s Design Director Sam Hobish and Senior Programming Director Kate Ganim, along with board members Sarah Granger, Chuck Donalies, and Nicole Shea. We’re also thankful to Sarah O’Rourke at Autodesk for her long-term support of Jordan and Born Just Right’s work. Thank you, Ellen Gerstein, for not only your friendship but your insight and guidance for BJR. Thanks to Dave (“Mr. David”) Rotter for your support as an advisor to Born Just Right and Jordan’s evolution as a prosthetic wearer and designer.
There are some special DC folks we want to make sure we include:
Sara and Giff, thank you for your
constant love and the chance to be a part of our lives when we are near and far away. Jen looks forward to future happy hours in person or over Google Hangouts. She is not picky. Heidi and Chuck, we are so lucky you have offered your time and friendship in so many ways. Your family has a special place in our hearts. Stef and Marlene, we are just getting started. We hope our adventures continue together.
Thanks to Jordan’s growing STEAM Squad (especially cofounders Julie Sage, Taylor Richardson, and Allie Weber), #YoungScientistProbs, and #WeVoteNext friends. You are rock stars and we’re honored to be connected with you and your parents.
Finally, thank you to the Born Just Right community—the families, kids, and adults who have connected with us through the years. Thank you for going on this journey with us. We can’t wait to see what we all create next together.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
JORDAN REEVES was born just right and cofounded a nonprofit with the same name, Born Just Right. Jordan is the official ambassador and lead innovator for the organization. Ever since she was little, this teen has pushed through any expectations and proved she can do anything (except monkey bars). Through her activities and opportunities to speak to and mentor other kids with limb differences, Jordan is helping change attitudes around physical differences. Jordan is currently changing what we think of as a superhero by designing body enhancement. Her ideas include a 3-D printed prosthesis that allows her to shoot sparkles for her alter ego, Glitter Girl. Jordan has shown off her work on the Rachael Ray Show, at Maker Faire, at TEDx, at SXSW, and at many other events across the country.
JEN LEE REEVES is the cofounder and executive director of Born Just Right. She’s also mom to Cameron and Jordan. She and her husband, Randy, have learned so much about what it takes to advocate for their children and how powerful it can be when parents work together in advocacy and support in the world of disability. When she isn’t working for Born Just Right, she’s a social media strategist and training consultant with her own consultancy. She also taught at the Missouri School of Journalism and managed an NBC affiliate newsroom. To relax, Jen loves to travel, enjoy sunrise runs in new cities, take photos of the lake in her backyard, and enjoy music and good food with her family.
Aladdin
Simon & Schuster, New York
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Jordan-Reeves
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Jen-Lee-Reeves
ALADDIN
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin hardcover edition June 2019
Text copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Lee Reeves
Jacket photograph copyright © 2019 by Darla Harmon
Interior photos courtesy of the Reeves family
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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Designed by Heather Palisi
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Reeves, Jen Lee, author.
Title: Born just right / by Jen Lee Reeves and Jordan Reeves.
Description: New York : Aladdin/Jeter Publishing, 2019. | Audience: Age 9–13. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018051714 (print) | LCCN 2018059915 (eBook) |
ISBN 9781534428409 (eBook) | ISBN 9781534428386 (hc) |
Subjects: LCSH: Reeves, Jordan—Health. | Artificial arms—Patients—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. | Arm—Abnormalities—Patients—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC RD756.2 (eBook) | LCC RD756.2 .R44 2019 (print) |
DDC 617.5/74—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018051714
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