The Double Life of a Wheelchair User
“It was quite an ordinary day when Will discovered he would be going to two schools”...
...but go he does, and it is the beginning of an extraordinary adventure for the young writer of Marlowe Park. For a whole year, Will is at two schools at once. And things grow more complicated, once he has a girlfriend at each.
With friends and enemies at both schools, teachers to please and bullies to beat, from the Bicycle Reflector Club to the Santa delivery, Will is in for a busy and exciting year. But one day, he has to decide where finally he wants to be...
A fun, enlightening collection of twelve linked short stories taking place in both a mainstream school, and a school for students with disabilities. The book is based on author Rob Keeley’s own childhood experiences of transferring from special to mainstream school.
Published 28 November 2025.
“Will is a keen player of video games, a conscientious student, a slightly annoying brother and a supportive friend. But most of all, he is an aspiring writer. English is his favourite lesson at his school, Marlowe Park, and one at which he excels. This hasn't gone unnoticed by his headteacher, Mrs Howarth, and she has suggested to Will and his mum that he spends a couple of afternoons a week at a different school, Station Road, where his ability might be better extended.
Will is excited and also, unsurprisingly, a little apprehensive. New environments are always testing and it's hard to go from being a big fish in a little pond to a much bigger pond with a lot more fish. But Will also feels a special responsibility. Because Will uses a wheelchair and Marlowe Park is a SEND school while Station Road is a mainstream school. If Will's placement goes well, it might lead to more integration between the schools and show that kids like him can flourish in the mainstream.
This all sounds rather heavy, doesn't it? Well, don't worry. The Double Life of a Wheelchair User isn't heavy at all. Will navigates his double life fairly well, albeit with a few hiccups, such as balancing his friendships with two girls, and he has lots of adventures and mishaps - an hilariously disastrous school trip, a Santa Claus mix up, a competition to collect the most cereal box tokens. He also has to deal with some challenges including bullying, and becoming a bit too big for his boots. It's a fun read with serious undertones rather than a serious read with a few light moments.
As you all know by now, we here at Bookbag Towers are big fans of Rob Keeley. He writes lovely, accessible, entertaining stories full of the real bread and butter of children's lives. He gets kids and we give a big thumbs up to all his work. But we're going to give The Double Life of a Wheelchair User our biggest thumbs up yet. It's such an ordinary story of a boy who loves to write, has friends who he sometimes lifts up and sometimes lets down because he's not perfect, and who has all the quotidian worries - including juggling two girls who like him! - that any child has. He's also a wheelchair user and while this is intrinsic to the story, it's Will's story, not a wheelchair's story. I love this careful balance of educating readers about life in a chair and avoiding patronising or lecturing them, which Keeley navigates with ease.
When Will gets bullied, for instance, the bully uses his chair as a tool in the bullying. That's what bullies do - pick a thing that might make you vulnerable or that might cause embarrassment, and use it. But kids in and out of chairs get bullied. To the bully, it doesn't matter what the thing is, just that there is a thing to use. But Keeley makes clear that this particular bully is an equal opportunity offender so readers will see that anyone could be Will and take notice of how it's described and learn lessons in how to respond, whether it's them or someone else who is being bullied.
Some gentle lessons about children with disabilities having challenges to overcome but, notwithstanding them, still have more in common with other children than not, some hilarious adventures, some trials and tribulations and an ending full of optimism. What more could you want in a middle grade story?
Highly, highly, recommended.”
Advance review from The Bookbag
“The Double Life of a Wheelchair User is a heartfelt, deeply authentic, and inspiring story about a young boy’s journey of self-discovery, friendship, and resilience.”
Advance review from Reading Pioneers Academy. See their full video review below!
‘This was another fab book from Rob Keeley, a fantastic collection of short stories based on the author’s own childhood experiences.
I really liked Will and enjoyed following him on his adventures. He was bright, a bit cheeky, and could be full of himself at times. Fortunately his friends at Marlowe Park School were able to stop him taking himself too seriously, as they knew what he was like.
I enjoyed all of the stories, but my favourites were Double Date, The Bicycle Reflector Club, Santa Claus is Coming, Don’t Touch That! and Losing the Will.
Definitely recommended if [you] enjoy fun short stories for middle grade readers.’
Advance review from Secret Library Book Blog
‘If ever a set of stories showed you that children are children, no matter what their circumstances then this is it!! And it's full of fun, adventure and sadness too all seen through the eyes of Will who is in a wheelchair - but that doesn't stop his go getting attitude or his very active imagination and I loved seeing life through his eyes!
He's given the opportunity to be part of 2 schools - his 'special' school is not fulfilling him education wise so those in charge, and his family, want him to visit a mainstream school a few times a week to get the full education experience so he's obviously a little apprehensive, but also excited!
And to see him accepted so wonderfully, by most!, at his new school is the wonderful side of children. They don't see disability, they see another boy and he really fits in and has lots of new challenges to face which he seems to relish! He is a really resourceful young man and you can't help but admire his attitude to life!
There's lots of fun adventures, but it also touches on the problems facing many children, whether they have special needs or not and he finds himself super popular at both schools. There really is never a dull moment with Will and his friends around and I think this is a book to be enjoyed by children and adults alike!’
Advance review from Karen Mace, blogger
‘The Double Life of a Wheelchair User isn't a ghost story, but it has the same charm, humor, and sweetness that made me fall in love with [Rob’s] earlier books. So, needless to say, I loved it.
At the start of the story, Will attends a school for children with disabilities. A good writer and exemplary English student, he gets invited to start attending the fancy Station Road school, where he'll test whether a wheelchair user can succeed at a school for "normal" kids.
Chaos ensues.
For one thing, Will quickly gets himself a girlfriend at Station Road. That's great...except that he already has one at Marlowe Park. When both girls visit his home on the same day, things get complicated.
Then there's Sam, the school bully at Station Road, who sees Will as easy prey.
There's also Will's creative imagination, which sometimes gets him into trouble.
But in the end, his tender heart, natural spunk, and ability to laugh at himself see Will through. Sure, there are some growing pains, and you may find yourself cringing at some of his actions, but if you remember that awkward phase between childhood and adulthood, you won't begrudge him too much.
While most of the book is lighthearted and humorous, it has its serious moments. About midway through the book, one of Will's classmates at Marlowe Park passes away unexpectedly. Will, who argued with the boy right before his fatal accident, now has to grapple with his guilt, knowing he'll never get to apologize.
The novel also shows some of the challenges that, for children like Will, are often just part of life, whether it's getting bullied by ableist jerks or putting up with plaster casts and other inconveniences.
While it had its serious moments, I read most of this book with a smile on my face. Will's antics are very amusing, especially when his imagination carries him away. At one point he thinks he's gone through a time warp and assumes that the fate of the world now rests on his shoulders.
According to the author, this work is semi-autobiographical, and I enjoyed seeing that shine through. I don't know just how much is based on the author's own experiences (I hope the two girlfriends part is true), but Will's spunk and creativity definitely seemed to be drawn from life, and I imagine the author knows from personal experience the difficulty, and sometimes the fun, of balancing two worlds.
"Write what you know" is sound advice. At the end of the day, I think this may be one of my favorite books by Rob.
I was going to give it four stars only because a book has to like, blow my mind to get a five-star rating. But then I realized I'd given a bunch of Rob's other books five stars and I liked this one at least as much as those, so I have to be consistent. What can you do?’
The Wood Between the Worlds
