Book Review: My Friend with Autism

Bishop, Beverly. My Friend with Autism. Arlington, Texas: Future Horizons Inc., 2002.

The book My Friend with Autism was designed for anyone who is “being introduced to autism.” The pages of the book are black and white with simple texts that describe a boy and his strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. The story follows a boy and his friend with autism as they engage in different activities at school and home with other children. They used scooters to get to school and played football on the playground.

The book describes many similarities between children and children with autism spectrum disorder. The book also describes ways that people without autism can assist and help friends with autism. There is an appendix in the back of the book that the author says is intended to give adults involved in the life of a person with autism, enough understanding to guide typical children “into meaningful relationships with an autistic child.” This guide breaks down page-by-page the many different things discussed in the book, like enhanced vision, taste, touch, hearing smell, as well as pretending, intelligence, sharing, change, feelings, etc.

The author, Beverly Bishop, wrote the book to help her son, who is special needs, fit in with his peers and build understanding among her son’s classmates, teachers, and friends. Because she has a son with autism, she is considered an insider to this group of people with disabilities. While she doesn’t have autism, she lives with the daily trials and tribulations of the disability.

This book is a piece of diverse literature because it describes in a positive way the life of a person with autism. The book points out many similarities between children and children with autism. It also incorporates ways people who have friends with disabilities can include them in social situations and help them when and if needed. In the back of the book, there is a guide that describes why a friend with autism would have “special skills” like oversensitive hearing or taste as well as the problem people with autism have with certain social skills like sharing, pretending, and talking. The pages of the book are also black and white because the author wanted to allow for readers to color their own pictures. This is unique in that there is no race depicted in the book, making it devoid of racial stereotypes of people with autism.

Looking After Louis Book Review

Ely, Louis. Looking After Louis. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company, 2004.Looking After Louis is a story about a boy names Louis who has autism. A young girl in his class talks to him, but Louis just responds by repeating what she says. When they go outside for recess, some of the students ask Louis if he wants to play, but he just repeats what they say or does not move. One day at recess Louis runs out onto the field where the other boys are playing soccer and started chasing a boy, Sam, playfully around the field. Later that day Louis drew a picture of him playing soccer, so the teacher let him and Sam go play soccer outside. The young girl asks why Louis is allowed to go outside and play during school time, and she learns that you're "allowed to break the rules for special people."

I liked this story and the fact that it promoted the idea of accepting and understanding the differences within people. The little girl learns why Louis is allowed to go outside, and more importantly, understands it. Sam also accepts Louis and lets him play in their soccer game. I think that it shows that you should accept people for who they are and that, when given the chance, they can surprise you. I also like how the author incorporates different aspects of autism into the story. Someone who reads this story can begin to understand some of the characteristics of autism, and some of their tendencies as individuals. It also shows how Louis is in his own world at times, which is something that autistic kids tend to do. The one thing that bothered me, and I actually had to read the story very slowly and carefully to make sure, is that it does not mention that Louis has autism. I feel like that for someone, like the little girl in the story, to truly understand what is going on, they need to know what the disability is. At the end of the story, there is a section explaining that Louis has autism, and it also talks about what it is. However, I would have liked to see some of this information in the actual story.

Heather Has Two Mommies

Newman, Leslea. Heather Has Two Mommies: Tenth Anniversary Edition. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications, 2000.Heather Has Two Mommies is about a girl named Heather who is not quite school-age yet who's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, and two mommies. Her mommies names are Mama Jane and Mama Kate. Mama Jane is a carpenter. In Mama Jane's toolbox there are two hammers: one for Mama Jane and one for little Heather. Mama Kate is a doctor. Mama Kate gives Heather aspirin to feel better and puts bandages on her cuts. Mama Jane and Mama Kate tell Heather that she will be joining a play group with a bunch of other kids and a teacher, Molly. One day, while playing with the other kids, a few of the kids start talking about what jobs their daddies have. This makes Heather upset because she doesn't have a daddy and she begins to cry. Molly gives Heather a hug and explains how not everyone has a daddy. She explains how some kids don't have daddies just like Heather and how some kids have two daddies and how each family is special. Molly says, "The most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other."The story of Heather and her two mommies has a very important message. The book allows each child to see that not any one family is the "right" family; that each family is special. Through children's drawings we are able to see what they do with their family members and how being a part of their family makes them happy. The illustrations are in black and white and I wonder what the purpose of this decision was. One strength of these illustrations is the chilren's drawings depicting their family. I feel like it adds a sense of relatability and realness to the book. However, one fear of mine when reading this book is how the stereotype of one lesbian being portrayed in a "manly" way is perpetuated by Mama Jane having short hair and being a carpenter. I do really like the moral of the story, as Molly put it, "The most important thing about a family is that all people in it love each other." I would use this book in my classroom, even as an introductory text to a unit on family, because it does incorporate blended families, nuclear families, single parent families, and adopted families.

Reflection of Text Set - "Cognitive Disability" or Mental Illness

Throughout the three texts, Inside Out, Humming Whispers, and Kissing Doorknobs, there were many paralleled themes in relation to individuals who are “cognitively disabled” or mentally ill. Each character that suffered from a mental illness (Zach, Tara, and Nicole) made it apparent that although they were conscious of their actions, they could not help them.

Take for example the following quotes:

• Inside Out – Zach states, “The thing is, I am not normal. I’m not, and I can’t help it” (Trueman 7).
• Kissing Doorknobs – Tara states, “Do you think I want to do this! Do you think I like it?” (Hesser 66).
• Humming Whispers – Sophie states, “Nicole says being schizophrenic is like screaming in a closet where no one can hear you” (Johnson 112).

This theme is so significant because it clears up some misconceptions people may have about those who are mentally ill. I personally wondered if people who are “cognitively disabled” are aware of their “abnormal” actions. In learning that they both aware and helpless at times, have helped me better see that the illness or disability does not make the person. Through each of the characters, I have been able to make the necessary separation of their identities and their “disabilities.” It is also important to add that each of the characters took medication or participated in behavioral therapy to help manage and control their “abnormal” actions and thoughts.

Hesser, Terry Spencer. Kissing Doorknobs. New York: Delacorte Press, 1998.

Jonson, Angels. Humming Whispers. New York: Orchard Books, 1995.

Trueman, Terry. Inside Out. New York: Harper Collins, 2003.

Review: Thank You, Mr. Falker

Polacco, Patricia. Thank You, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books, 1998.

Thank You, Mr. Falker is a wonderful book about Trisha, who is motivated and excited to finally start school and learn to read. However, she realizes fairly quickly that this task is shaping up to be a bit more difficult than the other students make it look. When she tries to read words out loud, the texts gets all jumbled up in her brain and she cannot form complete words. Other students begin to make fun of her attempts and she becomes more aware that she is not progressing while the other students are surpassing reading expectations. In the book, it states that “Trisha began to feel ‘different.’ She began to feel dumb.” Trisha becomes more frustrated when she realizes that the same problem happens when she tries to do math as well. To make matters worse, other students call her “baby” and “dumb,” which leads Trisha to spend her free time in hiding, crying. Soon she starts to find reasons to avoid going to school at all… Until Mr. Falker, her fifth grade teacher realizes what she is up against and spends his extra time schooling Trisha on the basics of reading. Over a period of time, progress was made until Trisha could finally read a full paragraph. In the epilogue, Trisha encounters Mr. Falker again and when he asks what she is doing now, she tells him that she is now a children’s book author.

What is very important to know about this book is that it is an autobiography of Patricia Polacco herself, which makes her an insider to the learning disabilities community. She wrote this book because it was a tale she knew best and wanted to show how one teacher “unlocked the door and pulled [her] into the light.”

I like this book because it describes the experiences she went through and puts it into context for the uninformed reader, like how instead of words looking like a string of letters, they look like a bunch of fuzzy squiggles that are illegible. This story is accurate and authentic because it is based on her experiences. She defers the stereotype that students with learning disabilities are stupid, although according to her, many people assume. I would definitely use this book in my classroom in the future as it is very relatable and can impact those with and without learning disabilities.

Families are Different

Pellegrini, N. (1991). Families are different. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

The book Families are Different is about two girls that were adopted from Korea when they were babies. The main character of the story is Nicola, who is the younger sister. Nicola introduces her family, talking about her sister, her dog, and activities she does. She explains the adoption process and then begins to talk about how sometimes she gets sad and mad because she does not look like her parents. Her mom tells her that there are many kinds of families and it doesn't matter what they look like because love holds them together. Then Nicola goes through and talks about many different types of families that there are. At the end she says that she is not strange at all and that her family has a lot of love.

I think that this book would be a great book to use as a diverse piece of literature because it shows diversity of families. There are about ten families that Nicola talks about, and even though they do not show all the combinations there still are many types included. Nicola talks about each family and how they are not wrong just different. This is key because she is not judging, just pointing out the facts as they are, which is sometimes what diverse literature needs to include. Besides diverse families they also show diverse people, there are people of different races and genders, and the book does not choose one over the other, it puts them all in equal light which is great! I really enjoyed reading this book!