6^th Grade to 8^th Grade

Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn’t been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window, making notes about their habits as they bustle about the cul-de-sac.

When a toddler staying next door goes missing, it becomes apparent that Matthew was the last person to see him alive. Suddenly, Matthew finds himself at the center of a high-stakes mystery, and every one of his neighbors is a suspect. Matthew is the key to figuring out what happened and potentially saving a child’s life. But is he able to do so if it means exposing his own secrets, and stepping out from the safety of his home?

The classic movie Rear Window for a younger audience.

After listening to this book for an hour in the car, I immediately washed my hands. If you’re a germophobe, don’t read this book. The way Matthew talks about germs made me want to wash my hands multiple times.

I was a bit of a germophobe back in elementary school and middle school. I used wet wipes after using the bathroom. I mostly did that because the soap they gave wasn’t even soap, just pink sand. You’d think the school district would want to keep the children clean and healthy, but I guess not.

I’ve heard that you need a few germs to keep your immune system strong. But it’s still a good idea to wash your hands regularly. Here’s a Frazz comic about washing your hands:

From what I can tell, this book does an excellent job of explaining severe OCD. I’ll keep looking for more books about people with OCD to compare them.

This week’s Weird but True Fact about Washing Your Hands

95% of people don’t wash their hands long enough to kill infectious germs after using the toilet – and 10% don’t wash their hands at all!