With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Volume 2 by Keiko Tobe

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child is a manga series, a type of graphic novel written in Japan. The author, Keiko Tobe, takes the experiences of several parents of children with autism in Japan, and consolidates them into the tale of Hikaru and his parents.

In the second volume of this series, Hikaru experiences the later elementary school years. He and his family must deal with several challenges including tragedy at his school. This volume seems to flow more easily than the first and contains a wealth of information about assisting autistic children at this age. The short essays at the back are a fascinating read, as usual.

George and Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism by Charlotte Moore

(Reposted from Goodreads, January 7, 2009.)

I don't know anyone on the autism spectrum, but I picked up this book out of interest in the condition. I've always been interested in how the human brain works. Therefore I couldn't approach this book the way I think many of its readers probably are: as parents, or caregivers, or family members of a person with autism, looking for answers or maybe just another perspective. I can't say how useful the book would be to someone in that situation, though I'm inclined to say that I would have found information and a bit of comfort in the pages if I were.

Charlotte Moore is the single mother of three boys, two of which are autistic. Her youngest son is "neurotypical," ie, not autistic, and normally functioning. As a writer, she’s able to spend her days at home, and she provides her perspective on her sons growing up. She compares her eldest, George, to her middle child, Sam, who’s arguably the most limited of the pair, and she compares the both of them to her youngest, Jake. She provides a chronicle of their lives from birth to diagnosis all the way up to their current ages, with George poised on the brink of puberty.

The author does jump around a bit, which can be slightly confusing as we are introduced to the three children and their lives. It's not so much a chronological journey as it is a topical one. She jumps from the boys' food habits to their verbalization (they all say very funny things, and it made me laugh out loud once or twice, providing part of the humor of the book), to their schooling to the various methods she and the father of the boys attempted to bring words and emotions to their daily lives. The jumping around also leads to a slight repetitiveness which becomes the most pervasive during the middle of the book.

She's very positive, and you can tell she adores her three sons. It seems she is in a relatively unique position to provide them a lot of one-on-one care and be very involved in their lives. Moore also has the capability to step back and distance herself so that she never seems too biased in any direction.

The book definitely provided me with a new perspective on autism, and a new understanding of the mindset of people who are autistic

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

(Reposted from my Goodreads review, August 25, 2009.)

I was really, really impressed with this. The author drew me in quickly with Jason's voice; I immediately felt as though I was in his head, and his thought process was demystified. It was almost painful, at times, to read Jason's thoughts, and know that he wants to answer someone's question, to explain himself to someone, but he just can't. He struggles constantly with his body movements, his words, and his relation to other people, in a very profound and realistic way.

Although very little actually happens in the story - we are taken through several days of Jason's life, his past, and then to an authors' convention in Texas where he steps outside his own boundaries and grows - it was engrossing. I'd never thought that a book that is basically about a few emails back and forth between two teenagers, as well as one of their lives, would be this interesting, but it's a testament to the author's skill that she was able to write the characters and their interactions so skillfully.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

(Reposted from my Goodreads review, December 29, 2009.)

I thought this was a very realistic portrayal of a girl's life with a younger brother who has autism. Although it is a quick read (it's a juvenile book), it manages to pack a lot of depth and thoughtfulness into its pages. All of the characters face challenges here, and I found each of them realistically portrayed. It was obvious just from reading that the author has experience with autism as well as other disabilities. Although David, Catherine's autistic younger brother, isn't really the central focus of the story, he acts as a chaotic influence on Catherine's life, forcing her to constantly adjust her priorities and her plans. Other characters revolve around the periphery of her life: her somewhat clueless parents, a boy she's interested in, her best friend and a possible future friend. Though little is actually resolved at the end of the story, the book is a sort of slice of Catherine's life, leaving the reader with an optimistic view of how she will continue to grow. 

Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports From My Life with Autism by Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin is a very inspiring person and this book does a wonderful job of explaining her way of thinking and approaching the world. A definite must-read to understand how one person lives their life with autism.

As I wrote in my Goodreads review on September 9, 2010: I really appreciate what Temple Grandin has written. It's not like other books about autism, written from an outsider's perspective - a doctor or a parent or a teacher. Temple writes herself. She's successful, intelligent, communicative. She is very methodical in her writing, explaining everything absolutely perfectly, ensuring you get an accurate mental picture of the way she thinks.

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Volume 1 by Keiko Tobe

With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child is a manga series, a type of graphic novel written in Japan. The author, Keiko Tobe, takes the experiences of several parents of children with autism in Japan, and consolidates them into the tale of Hikaru and his parents. In this first volume, Hikaru's mother must learn to deal with her child's diagnosis, her marital difficulties, and her hopes for Hikaru's future. The volume continues through Hikaru's early elementary school years and concludes with some real-life stories from the parents who inspired the author. I definitely enjoyed this volume and look forward to reading the future volumes in the series.

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid by Daniel Stefanski

How To Talk to an Autistic Kid is a nonfiction book written by Daniel Stefanski, who is autistic. The book is aimed at kids who may not know about autism or how to act around another child they know who may have autism. By using easy-to-understand language and sentences, as well as pictures that illustrate the points he's trying to make, Daniel does an excellent job of getting his point across. This is a great book to introduce children to autism and how to get along with others - no matter who they are.