Shortcomings

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Shortcomings

Author: Ginger Simpson

Genre: Young Adult

Release: March 2011

Editor: Lea Schizas

Line editor: Penny Ehrenkranz

Cover artist: Delilah K. Stephans

Word count: 44061

Pages: 133

ISBN: 978-1-926931-38-8

E-book price: 5.50 There is a complimentary Shortcomings Teacher's Guide with each download purchase in our bookstore.

Blurb:

Our shortcomings don't define who we are, unless we let them. Cindy Johnson needs to learn that. Born with one leg shorter than the other, she has no self-esteem because of the cruel comments and cold stares she receives from her classmates.  When Cory Neil, the football quarterback asks her to Homecoming, she's quite sure he's asked her on a dare and refuses.  It takes more than just her mother's assurances that Cindy's beautiful before she realizes she may have made a mistake in turning him down.

Excerpt:

Cindy glanced at the clock above the teacher’s head for the hundredth time since taking a seat. Only ten minutes of class remained. Perspiration dampened her hands at the thought of seeing Cory. She wiped her palms on her skirt then quietly slipped her books into her backpack. What in the world had she been thinking when she agreed to meet him?

The second hand tick, tick, ticked, and with each stroke, her heart beat quickened. Her mind tried to assemble her jumbled thoughts into a proper greeting. Nice to see you!  Or, Hey, Cory, glad we could get together. She clenched her teeth. Everything sounded so stupid and rehearsed.

The bell announced the end of the period and startled her from her musing. Hoping she hadn't missed anything important the teacher may have said, she hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder and pushed free from the confines of her desk. The moment was here, and she still hadn't decided if she was filled with dread or just nervous anticipation. Her stomach churned, and the taste of bile rose in her throat. “Oh, God, I should have said no,” she muttered on her way into the hall.

Homecoming banners painted in bright colors hung everywhere. She glanced up and grimaced.  She’d never heard of spirit week at her old school; they didn’t even have a football team.

Pausing outside the library, Cindy smoothed her hair into place and took a deep breath. She walked through the doorway and scanned the tables for Cory. He wasn't there yet, thank goodness. At least she didn't have to make her entrance limping over to him. She hurried, found a seat, and rifled through her backpack to find her math book, some paper, and a pen. Poised and ready when he entered, Cindy fixed a smile on her face and tilted her head coquettishly to one side. That seemed to be a pose assumed at least once by her favorite romance heroines. She licked her lips and swallowed, trying to find saliva in a mouth as dry as cotton.

She spied him as soon as he came through the door.  Her heart hitched. As he neared, Cindy took a deep breath and prayed whatever she said came out semi-intelligently. She tried to look relaxed, but beneath the table, she pressed on her stomach to quell the flippy thing that happened whenever he was near.

“Hi, Cory.” Her voice held a nervous quiver. Being with a boy was totally new ground.

“Hey, been waiting long?” He plopped his backpack on the table.

She looked up at him, trying to maintain her composure. “Uh, no, I just got here. Are you ready to get started?”

“Yeah, I need all the help I can get.”

“Shhh.”  Cindy held a finger to her lips. “We’re in the library, remember?”

He grinned and slid into the chair next to her. “Well, where do we begin?” His voice was so low she barely heard him.

Her fingers trembled as she pulled her math book over and opened it. Cory smelled like he'd just walked out of a shower. His nearness distracted her. “I…I guess we’ll start with what we’re studying in class? How are you with equations?’  She softly cleared her throat to quell the quiver in her voice.

“I suck at them.”  His brow creased. “Anything to do with math confuses the heck out of me. If only numbers came as easy as playing football.”

Although she hadn't been to an actual game, visions of him in his uniform flashed through her mind. She’d caught a glimpse of him at a noontime pep rally a few days back and struggled not to stare. A smile tugged at her lips, but she sobered quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed. She didn't want to act all giddy and stupid despite the fact he was a sight to behold in his shoulder pads and tight pants.

The room grew warmer. She lifted the hair from the back of her neck. “Let’s get started.” She felt a tad breathless, and math offered a welcome distraction.

After an hour, Cindy closed the textbook and leaned closer to him. “Do you think that helped at all? You seemed to be a little clearer than when we started.”

“I’m beginning to understand.” He paused, and with a sheepish shrug adjusted his volume. “But I think I need a few more sessions, if you’re willing?”

His request sounded like music to her ears. A few more sessions?  She’d spend a lifetime with him if he asked, but she pushed her girlish thoughts aside and nodded at him. “Not a problem. I don’t really have anything else planned, and this sure beats being at home with a bunch of crazy kids.”

A stray, dark curl hung in the middle of his forehead; Cindy had a sudden urge to reach and brush it back but resisted. His nearness stifled her, made her want to act crazy. She scooted away. “So, tomorrow then?”

Cory stood, but she remained seated. There was no way she wanted to display her uneven gait while walking out with him. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“I still have some homework to do. The library doesn't close for another half hour, so I’m gonna stick around a while longer.”

He picked up his backpack and patted her shoulder. “Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow. I have practice the day after, but on days I don’t, I really need your help.”  He slung his book bag over his shoulder and flashed his trademark smile at her.

Her skin warmed beneath his hand—a feeling she wanted to capture and keep forever. “Sure, I…I’ll meet you here at the same time.” What was it about him that made speaking difficult?

Her gaze remained fixed on him as he walked away. His shoulders were broad even without the pads he wore under his uniform, and his jeans fit just right, not sagging in the backside like some of the boys at school. What she wouldn't give to be the girl he asked to the dance.

Reviews:

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Customer Reviews:

How I wish Ms. Simpson had written this story when I was a pre-adolescent! I was drawn into Cindy’s world and immediately related to Cindy’s emotions, insecurities, and internal struggles, which remain timeless and appropriate for any young woman (even the pretty perfect ones) to this day.rnrnYou certainly don’t need a disability to appreciate this multilayered story about not feeling ‘good enough’ compared to your classmates, or peers, which Ms. Simpson aptly explores in this coming of age story. I liked all the supporting characters...every girl needs a ‘Nola’ in their life.rnrnThis is a cinderella story...and so much more! I loved Cindy’s character, and thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow and change. In fact I left my husband and son to their football, and to get their own dinner, so I could read straight through the afternoon, evening to see what happens!rnrnI not only highly recommend this powerful and lovely story for all pre-adolescent and early high school girls, but for parents and teachers as well. Kudos Ginger Simpson!

The first sentence of Ms. Simpson's blurb for Shortcomings says it all…Our shortcomings don’t define us… But it’s the last part of her first sentence that should scream out at each and every one of us…UNLESS WE LET THEM. rnrnMs. Simpson’s book, Shortcomings, is a story of personal growth and building our own strengths as Cindy accepts and loves the person she is. We all have our own shortcomings; something we don’t like about ourselves, whether it is weight, hair, looks, or like Cindy, one leg shorter than the other. But it is how we accept ourselves that defines our lives. Cindy struggled with it—immensely. Ms. Simpson does a great job allowing the reader to see the depth of Cindy’s struggles. We can empathize and understand. Most of us have been there at one point or another. rnrnCindy, 17 and a senior in high school, has recently moved to a new town. Not only does she have to deal with being the new kid in school, but she must endure the stares, whispers and taunts of her ‘limp’ that make her self-conscious and embarrassed. When the star quarterback (her secret crush) asks her for help with his math, she ignores her desires thinking he only wants help because he needs to pass the class to remain on the team. When he asks her to a dance, she believes she is the butt of a cruel joke. Why would he ask her to a dance when she obviously can’t ‘dance!’ rnrnIn this light romantic and compelling story Cindy triumphs over her shortcomings to become a positive role model for teens and adults alike; to express what it took for this one girl to overcome her own limitations and find happiness and acceptance. Ms. Simpson weaves a great story. It’s not an easy fix for Cindy. She doesn’t always make the right choices. And sometimes she is her own worst enemy. It’s a very true-to-life story I can use as a tool to manage my own self-esteem and grow in loving myself.rn

This is a story about acceptance. It's about accepting others the way they are, shortcomings and all and about accepting YOURSELF, shortcomings and all.rnrnCindy's "shortcoming" is one leg being two inches shorter than the other. She's got a limp. The kids at school call her names, won't sit with her at lunch, laugh when other tease her, or just plain avoid her alltogether (which is no better). rnrnHaving grown up with a disability myself, I felt as though I was reading my own story, except it's a leg issue, not a hearing issue. I think the author pulled this off nicely and I feel it's a story that should be read by the masses, especially the young ones that this novel is aimed at. This moral cannot be repeated enough: "Our shortcomings don't define who we are, unless we let them." And as Cindy's friend says in the book, "You're never going to find someone who likes you until you like yourself."rnrnAnd I'm getting off track here... Cindy is 17 and never been kissed. When the star of the football team asks her for tutoring, Cindy thinks, "Oh he just needs to pass math class and stay on the football team.." When he asks her to the school dance, Cindy thinks, "Oh he is playing a joke on me!"rnrnIs bitterness ruining things for Cindy? Is she seeing ulterior motives where there are none? Except for that nasty chick, Sally, does anyone really have a problem with Cindy's handicap? Or is it just Cindy with the problem? Perhaps she is making it into more of a problem than it is.. Again, there's a strong lesson here.rnrnI highly recommend kids everywhere read it. If they are being mistreated in school, this will give them hope and teach them to not be ashamed of themselves. If they are doing the mistreating in school, well, obviously they need to read it even more.rnrn

Cindy Johnson has a handicap and no self-esteem. Not to mention the cruel comments and cold stares she receives from her classmates. Cindy refuses a date to Homecoming with Cory Neil, the football quarterback because she feels he asked her on a dare. Ms Simpson wrote a real page turner here and I recommend this book to all teens as well as adults.rn