Book Reviews....

Here they are, enjoy :)

Introduction

I drew inspiration for compiling this collection from my desire to become an elementary special education teacher with a concentration in autism. I wanted to take some time and explore the literature that is currently being made available to teachers, families and friends of those with autism as well as children who have autism. I felt that a survey of what is out there was important as autism’s prevalence has exploded in recent years. To my dismay, I came across very few quality pieces of literature from this genre. Most were appalling, laughable, or mediocre at best. The three books that I have chosen to include and review represent the best selections from a very limited array of options. Having read each of the books a few times over I noticed a couple overarching themes: collaboration among doctors, teachers, families (with a particular emphasis on sibling relationships), and friends and the implications of such collaboration on the success of the child with autism as well as the unique characteristics and mannerisms of children with autism. In keeping with something I read from Eve Tal’s article earlier in the semester about classifying books pertaining to persons with disabilities, I tried to make sure that I was choosing books for this collection that had characters “whose disabilities may be integral or peripheral to the plot, but which are not stories about disabilities” (216). The stories I have included here transcend disability and highlight the importance of other issues that may stem from it- patience, communication, building relationships based on understanding and collaboration, and strengthening sibling connections.


Book Critiques

Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism
Written By: Laurie Lears
Illustrated By: Karen Ritz

Ian’s Walk by Laurie Lears gives readers a glimpse into some of the unique and puzzling characteristics of autism while telling the story of a sister who desperately wants to understand her brother’s autism- all in a days walk. It’s a beautiful summer afternoon and Julie wants to make a trip to the park with her older sister Tara, but not before being guilted into taking her younger brother Ian along too. Julie is given strict instructions by her mother to keep an eye out for Ian while they’re gone, but her mounting frustration with Ian as they journey to the park causes her to pay a little less attention to him than she should. The book is set up in a manner such that Ian’s differences are expressed by going through each of the five senses. Ian would rather watch the ceiling fan spin round and round as opposed to paying attention to the waitresses and food in the restaurant because he “sees things differently.” He would rather eat cereal than hot dogs, pizza or pretzels, because he “tastes things differently,” and so the refrain continues until each of the senses have been covered. As Julie waits, frustrated and fed-up with her brother’s peculiar behaviors, for her sister to return with pizza she neglects to watch Ian closely and he wanders off. While her stomach does a “flip-flop” she and her sister begin frantically asking strangers if they’ve seen Ian, searching every place they can think of. It is Julie who finally realizes where Ian has gone off to- the park bell, and she races to get him. On their walk back Julie lets Ian lead the way home and even lets him engage in behaviors that would otherwise annoy her- like laying on the sidewalk, smelling brick obuildings, and stopping to listen for something no one else hears. The book’s vibrant, water-color illustrations truly capture Ian’s innocence, Julie’s frustration, and ultimately the thing that bonds them together, regardless of differences- the love they share as siblings.

Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome
Written By: Clarabelle van Niekerk and Liezl Venter
Illustrated By: Clarabelle van Niekerk

With its brightly colored, eye popping illustrations and informative yet enjoyable storyline Niekerk and Venter have teamed up to create a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart. In their book, Understanding Sam and Asperger Syndrome, a young boy begins to exhibit perplexing and atypical behaviors. After noticing Sam’s difficulty in social situations such as school, resistance to change, impressive musical capabilities, and disappearance one night from home his parents decide he needs to see a doctor. After running several tests doctors come to the conclusion that Sam does in fact have Asperger Syndrome and that the only way to help him will be by working together to understand him. With the collaboration of teachers, doctors, family, and peers Sam begins to show signs of improvement in the previously mentioned areas. Sam’s extraordinary talent with the cello is showcased when he is asked to perform a solo at his school concert- where he receives a standing ovation and a crowd full of applause and smiles. The text goes beyond a superficial description of the characteristics of autism, but rather, highlights the importance of early intervention and collaboration in the face of it. The heart of the book lies in the success and progress made by Sam and provides hope to parents of children with autism that their journey may also have a happy ending.

Tacos Anyone?
Written By: Marvie Ellis
Illustrated By: Jenny Loehr

Tacos Anyone? or Alguien quiere tacos? as it is also known is the story of an older brother who is learning to work with his younger brother’s autism with the help of an occupational therapist. Older brother Thomas observes his brother Michael partaking in some strange behaviors that he cannot understand. Thomas wonders why Michael will not play with him, preferring instead to jump on his bed alone for hours on end. He sees his little brother screaming and hitting himself unable to articulate why, wishing that his brother would just communicate with him. With the help of Ms. Karla, the occupational therapist, Thomas learns how to step back and pay attention to what Michael is saying to the people around him through his facial expressions and body movements. Thomas learns that Michael does not like to touch certain things, like wet paint, but he does like to play with puzzles and bubbles. Thomas also learns a trick that’s sure to get his brother smiling and playing with him- turning him into a taco by rolling him up in pillows! The brothers share their first act of play together in a long time because Thomas has patiently worked with Ms. Karla and watched his brother to find out what makes him happy. This idea of improving sibling relations through collaboration and consideration is essential to any family trying to navigate their way through the unknown trials and tribulations often attached with autism. Aside from its important message and lively colored pencil illustrations the book is also written in both English and Spanish-a bonus for readers attempting to learn a new language and those whose first language may not be English.

Scholarly Review

Not surprisingly, I had a really difficult time finding an article about the presence of autism in children’s literature. I decided to broaden my search and look for an article about autism in general, but again I had a difficult time. I ended up coming across an excerpt from the book, Diagnosis and Assessment in Autism, by Eric Schopler, and Gary Mesibov that highlighted some of the defining characteristics of people with ASD- or Autism Spectrum Disorder. It was suggested to me to use the excerpt as a lens through which I viewed the validity and accuracy of the depiction of autism in the books I selected. Having read the portion of the book online called “The Continuum of Autistic Characteristics” I received further confirmation that the books I selected portrayed autism in a truthful manner. Some of the characteristics mentioned were “impairment in social interaction” which included things like impairments in social recognition, communication, and understanding, “repeated patterns of activity,” unique responses to “sensory stimuli,” and impairments in language. Looking back through the books that I chose I can find elements from each of these categories that the characters with autism exhibited in the stories. In fact, I think that the books I chose addressed several of these characteristics in a systematic manner (i.e.- one of the books goes through each of the five senses to express how autism influences them.) Based on the information I got from the book excerpt I stand by my selections as quality pieces of literature.