The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion)

"The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion is about Don, a man with Asperger's, who starts "The Wife Project."  The main purpose of "The Wife Project" is to find himself a suitable life partner who meets specific (and I mean very specific) criteria.  Along comes Rosie, a woman who is on the search for the biological father.  Don, being a geneticist, is able to help Rosie with some DNA tests to help determine who her father is.  While helping Rosie, he puts a hold on "The Wife Project," which allows him to step out of his comfort zone and begin to see see the beauty in just letting things happen.

The hectic May and June schedule (OK, let's be honest - the whole September to June teacher schedule) has made it much more difficult to keep up with the extremely long list of books that are waiting to be read, but I must say that I did really enjoy this book. 

I've noticed a trend - that I have been reading lots of books about individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  I must say that this one didn't disappoint.  Like others I have read, this book was written from the point of view of Don, so it portrayed an excellent idea of what may go on inside Don's head and how confusing certain social interactions are for him. 

The other thing I liked about this book was the humour.  You feel so awkward for Don at times, but you can't help but laugh at some of the events that happen in the book.  There are so many different relationships in the book as well characters with such quirky personalities, that there is bound to be someone in this book that you look forward to reading about.

I would highly recommend this novel for a good summer read!

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (Matthew Dicks)

"Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend" by Matthew Dicks is a different kind of book - one that really requires you to wrap your head around it.  When I first saw the book, I was intrigued by the cover.  Then, when I found out that it was an autism-themed book, I knew I wanted to read it.  I don't know why I have the sudden fascination with fiction books about autism - possibly because it's a very talked about topic or maybe because it's seen very frequently in schools.  Regardless, it's a very interesting topic and I love how these fiction books help to raise awareness, inform their readers, and put you in the minds of the individuals. 

 

This book is different from the other fiction books with an autism theme.  Whereas books like Mockingbird or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime are told from the perspective of someone with autism, this book is told from the perspective of the imaginary friend of a child with autism.  Strange, right?

 

Budo is Max's imaginary friend.  Max is different from his classmates.  He needs his routines, he doesn't enjoy the company of others, and the whole school situation makes him uncomfortable.  Budo makes it very clear in his memoir that he likes Max's regular classroom teacher, Mrs. Gosk, but doesn't like Mrs. Patterson, one of the support teachers who helps Max throughout the week.  Budo discusses what goes on in Max's day-to-day life, and then they go on a bit of an adventure together. 

 

I liked the book because it gave a new perspective to a child with autism.  Telling the story from the child's perspective, it's hard to see 'everything' - because that's not how they see things.  A child would miss the obvious social cues or wouldn't understand why certain things are happening.  With this book, Budo is able to give honest opinions - you know, being the loving and loyal imaginary friend that he is. 

 

It took a bit of getting used to in the first few chapters, but it was a very neat concept (regardless of whether or not I was completely 'into' the plot in the second half of the book).  Budo, who is so real to his friend Max, is able to share his story while also sharing Max's story.  It's the story of a child and his imaginary friend as they are both growing up.  (Imaginary friends can also be very smart creatures, if you imagine them to be this way...  Budo happens to be very smart and he is very well aware that as soon as his friend Max stops believing in him, he will no longer be alive as an imaginary friend.)

 

I recommend it.  It was interesting.  It was different.  It kept me entertained.  It was a very neat concept. 

And it continues to spread autism awareness. 

Mockingbird (Kathryn Erskine)

I picked up the book "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine as I was browsing the books at the local library. I was initially in the "E" section looking for the next Janet Evanovich novel in the Stephanie Plum series, but instead fell upon this gem of a book. I judged it initially by the spine of the book, then by the cover (I know, how can you decide based on the spine of a book that you want to read it?!). It was a small book and had an interesting cover. While reading the blurb about the book, I decided that since the story was told from the point of view of a child with Asperger's, it was worth a read. 
 

The story is told by Caitlin, a young, elementary school aged girl (at the junior level, for all my Ontario teacher friends) who has Asperger's. Everything that she is dealing with in her world are things that would be challenging for any child, let alone one who has difficulty understanding emotions and the fine lines between what is right and wrong. Caitlin's family consisted of herself, her father, and her brother, Devon - that is, until Devon was killed in a school shooting. Caitlin doesn't know how to deal with the loss of her brother, her dad is an emotional wreck, and she doesn't have Devon there to help her through it anymore. She decides that she needs to find "Closure" for herself and her father.
 

I really enjoyed reading "Mockingbird." It was a short, easy read, but I found it really gives you a good look into the life of someone with Asperger's. Similar to "the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime," (by Mark Haddon) the language in the book follows the thought processes of the child and really opens your eyes to the situations that some of these individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) deal with on a daily basis. Being an educator, I have learned a lot about ASD since doing my Bachelor of Education, but I find it's books like these that really help you put yourself in the shoes of someone else.
 

I would definitely recommend this book! Read something different and put yourself in someone else's situation. It won't take you long to motor through this book and I guarantee you will look at things a little differently after having read it.