Books with author Monika Roe

A proud, gifted young man learns to overcome abuse. Dane, a high-school senior and ski team standout, is in a rehabilitation clinic in Florida, a thousand miles from his home in upstate New York. Guillain-Barre syndrome has paralyzed him completely, and doctors don't know when—or if—he'll regain the use of his body. When Anya, a young, no-nonsense woman, enters Dane's room and introduces herself as his physical therapist, Dane promptly sends her away. He's confident that he'll overcome this freakish illness without her superior attitude. Dane finds his occupational therapist more agreeable, and the two make quick progress on Dane's upper extremities. His legs are another matter. Dane understands quickly that if he wants to ski—or walk—again, he'll need to work with Anya. She and Dane reluctantly agree to develop his body strength, but as his family's visit to check his progress gets nearer, tension mounts. Dane's disdain for his friends, his family, and even his girlfriend grows clear, and his father's intolerance for failure becomes a consuming preoccupation. When the day of the visit arrives, a lifetime of subtle abuse either will cause Dane's icy mind to crack, or the young man will learn to thaw. An intense pain, tingling and electric, suddenly needles into my right calf, making me flinch. My breathing tries to speed up on me, but I catch it, forcing it back into the right rhythm. I close my teeth onto the insides of my cheeks and focus. Never lose control. —FROM THE BOOK

Bed Bumps is an early reader book about a boy who discovers that the bumps in his bed are more than an annoying problem. He soon learns that there is a price to pay for letting clutter get out of hand. Add to that a pesky sister and her strange pet. He soon learns some valuable life lessons about hording and taking care of toys, and in the meantime, comes to appreciate the little annoyances in his world that are a natural part of being a kid, while making a brand new friend along the way. This is a children's book for readers aged 3-8, approximately. Illustrations are by the author.