Anything But Typical

SpringSunshine

http://www.amazon.com/Anything-Typical-Nora-Raleigh-Baskin/dp/1416963782


Editorial Reviews:

From School Library Journal
Grade 4–7—Baskin writes in the voice of a high-functioning boy who identifies himself as having numerous disorders, most with labels that appear as alphabet soup. In the third grade, after yet another battery of tests, Jason receives the diagnosis of autism. Now in sixth grade, he relates how he does not fit in, even though he tries to follow the instructions of his therapists and helpers. He labels the rest of his classmates and teachers as neurotypicals, or NTs for short. While humor resonates throughout the book, the pathos of Jason's situation is never far from readers' consciousness. If only he could act on what he knows he needs to do, his life would be so much easier. Jason also shows himself to be a deep thinker and an excellent writer. Through his stories and thinly veiled fictional characters, Baskin reveals not only the obstacles that Jason faces, but also his fierce determination to be himself at all costs. Jason is a believable and empathetic character in spite of his idiosyncrasies. Baskin also does a superb job of developing his parents and younger brother as real people with real problems, bravely traversing their lives with a differently abled child without a road map, but with a great deal of love.—Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD
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From Booklist* Starred Review*
    Baskin tells this luminous story entirely from the point of view of Jason, an autistic boy who is a creative-writing whiz and deft explainer of literary devices, but markedly at a loss in social interactions with “neurotypicals” both at school and at home. He is most comfortable in an online writing forum called Storyboard, where his stories kindle an e-mail-based friendship with a girl. His excitement over having a real friend (and maybe even girlfriend) turns to terror when he learns that his parents want to take him on a trip to the Storyboard conference, where he’ll no doubt have to meet her in person. With stunning economy, Baskin describes Jason’s attempts to interpret body language and social expectations, revealing the extreme disconnect created by his internalization of the world around him. Despite his handicap, Jason moves through his failures and triumphs with the same depth of courage and confusion of any boy his age. His story, while neither particularly heartbreaking nor heartwarming, shows that the distinction between “normal” and “not normal” is whisper-thin but easily amplified to create the chasm between “different” and “defective.” This is an enormously difficult subject, but Baskin, without dramatics or sentimentality, makes it universal. As Jason explains, there’s really only one kind of plot: “Stuff happens. That’s it.” Grades 4-7. --Ian Chipman.

Product Description
Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world.Most days it's just a matter of time before something goes wrong. But Jason finds a glimmer of understanding when he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does.
Jason can be himself when he writes and he thinks that PhoneixBird-her name is Rebecca-could be his first real friend. But as desperate as Jason is to met her, he's terrified that if they do meet, Rebecca wil only see his autism and not who Jason really is.By acclaimed writer Nora Raleigh Baskin, this is the breathtaking depiction of an autistic boy's struggles-and a story for anyone who has ever worried about fitting in.

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Product Details[ul][li]Reading level: Ages 9-12 [/li][li]Hardcover: 208 pages[/li][li]Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (March 24, 2009)[/li][li]Language: English[/li][li]ISBN-10: 1416963782[/li][li]ISBN-13: 978-1416963783[/li][li]Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches[/li][li]Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)[/li][li]Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)[/li][li]Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #292,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)[/li] [/ul]

SpringSunshine

这是一本适合四到七年级学生阅读的书，作者以一个ZB孩子第一人称的口吻叙述了他在家里和学校的种种遭遇和内心的以及生理的感受。
这本书是上五年级的女儿从学校图书馆借来的，我正在和她一起阅读。

bori

[EM37]Thanks for sharing. I booked this book for my son.