Insight into the mind of autism

I just finished reading The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higoshida, a Japanese boy who struggles to communicate due to severe autism.  What makes this stand out is that he wrote this when he was only thirteen.  It offers moving insight into the mind of a person caught in the onslaught of input that is autism.  Naoki used a character board to communicate as speech was often beyond his ability to control.  He speaks candidly of the misconceptions about what motivates the actions of someone with autism.  What makes this even more astounding is his sophisticated world view, especially for a 13-year-old.  When asked why he enjoys going for walks so much, he responds, "...to us people with special needs, nature is as important as our own lives.  The reason is because when we look at nature, we receive a sort of permission to be alive in the world, and our entire bodies get recharged.  However often we are ignored and pushed away by other people, nature will always give us a good big hug, here inside our hearts."  It makes me think twice about my preconceived notions about not only autism, but other disabilities.

Deep thoughts

I picked up The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson because it is nominated for the Minnesota youth book award for sixth through eighth graders.  I found it surprisingly mature and thought-provoking.

It is set in a future time with the title characte's struggle to recover both physically and mentally from a terrible accident that she can't remember.  Her parents have told her that she had been in a coma for an extended time, but, she suspects there is something they aren't telling her.  Why does here grandmother seem to find her repellant?  Why are they "hiding" in an isolated home to which they recently moved?  Why does she know the entire text of Leaves of Grass, but can't remember her best friends from before the accident?  Why do her parents discourage her from leaving the house?  As she gets to the truth of the matter, she begins to question everything about her "self."

This book raises some sophisticated questions including the seat of one's soul.  I wonder how children in the target audience will respond to it?  Having said that, I found the book compelling and thoughtful. It was well worth the read.

Aa is a type of lava....

A Artificial

When a book is written alphabetically, rather than any other convertional narrative technique.

B but

However.....

C Compelling

When something, like The Encyclopedia of Me by Karen Rivers, holds your attention.

This is the story of Isabel "Tink" Aaron-Martin as told by her in encyclopedia format.  However, it works.  This story manages to encorporate first love, the family dynamics of an autistic older brother, and the pain of junior high friendship loyalty shifts, all in alphabetical order. Told in the voice of a tiny almost thirteen-year-old, she faces the trauma of junior high with her quick sense of humor.

She talks frankly about feeling forgotten, insignificant, and treated like a baby.  All issues with which most junior high students can identify.  And, I like who she is when she comes through it.

For the reluctant reader....

I've heard of reluctant readers, but never one so adamantly opposed as Charlie Joe in Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald.  In this humorous telling, Charlie Joe admits that he has never read ANYTHING entirely.  He reads the beginning and the end, and then "pays" a friend to summarize the rest.  His perfect plan is thrown out the window when his friend suddenly decides he's tired of doing it for him.  We not only follow the extraordinary ends to which he will go to NOT read, but learn his 25 tips on not reading.    

I enjoyed that it was not only funny, but had a bit of a deeper message.  Don't worry, though, it does't end with a syrupy sweet conversion to a love of reading.  In fact, without giving away too much, this is this last tip:  WHEN FINISHING A BOOK, NEVER LOOK AT IT AGAIN.  So, there.

Disappointed

BeforeI started Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, I had high hopes.  It is a Coretta Scott King Award honor book, it is about hurricane Katrina, and I was told the main character could see dead people.  Sounds compelling and exciting.....unfortunately, it was neither.

It is about twelve-year-old Lanesha, who has been raised by Mama Ya-Ya in New Orlean's Ninth Ward.    Mama Ya-Ya is a local healer, but not her birth mother .  Lanesha's mother died giving birth to her.  In fact, that is one of the dead people she sees....her mother, on the birthing bed.  What should be creepy, soon became a bit dreary.  Because Lanesha was born with a cowl covering her, she has always been held as different.  The part of the story that deals with her isolation and response to it is the one uplifting part of this book.  Unfortunately, even riding out Katrina in one of the worst-hit parts of New Orleans is sort of anti-climatic.  

I can't say I hated this book.  It was well-written, and I liked Mama Ya-Ya and Lanesha, it just was a bit dull.....disappointing.

Deeply.....Odd

I took a break from reading young adult literature to read the newest in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz, called Deeply Odd.  Now, I should preface this review with the fact that, in general, I am not a fan of Koontz.  The exceptions are this series and the Frankenstein series.  

Odd Thomas is the given name of the main character of the series.  He is a barely 20 young man that is quite satisfied to work as a fry cook, oh, and he can see dead people and other supernatural phenomenon.  his "gift" helps him solve murders and sometimes allows him to sense when terrible things will happen.  The books are usually exciting and funny....Elvis and Frank Sinatra have made appearances as well as a ghost dog named Boo.

Unfortunately, I found this book just way too....well.....deep.  There was way too much time spent discussing the nature of evil, of being blue and smooth (don't ask), and moping over his lost love.  Blech.  If you cut out the moping and the deep conversations, it's an exciting story.  Odd gets one of his premonitions that a flashy trucker is intent on murdering children.  He starts a wild chase to find him before it happens.  On the way he meets a mysterious old woman in a limo, crosses into hell, and runs afoul of a Satanic cult!  

I suggest you not start with this book if you haven't read any other of the Odd Thomas books.  Not only will you be lost, this would not give you the best opinion of the series.

It's all true

I had heard all sorts do good things about Once by Morris Gleitzman.  Sometimes, I'm afraid to read a book after so much positive hype for fear it can't possibly live up to it.  Nearly every book recommended by Oprah's book club comes to mind.  Fortunately, this book did not disappoint.  It is a story of the Holocaust, told from the point of view of a young Jewish boy in Poland who doesn't quite understand what's happening.  Much like the young boy in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, he has been protected from the truth.

Felix was brought to a remote Catholic orphanage years ago by his parents, who were owners of a book store.  Felix has an incredible gift for storytelling and has made up a whole notebook of stories about his mother and dad and their adventures trying to save authors so they will have books for their bookstore.  Then he receives a sign and he is sure his parents are coming to get him.  However,  before they can get there, he sees soldiers burning books, and sets off to find his parents' bookstore, which he believes is just closed for now.  He intends to hide the books, saving the store.  What he finds, unfortunately, is much different than his stories.  He runs right into the heart of Nazi brutality in Poland.

This is a journey of a young boy from innocence to stark reality.  However, it focuses, instead on his hope and bravery.   It is followed by three more books: Then, Now and After.  I can't wait to read them!

This book is difficult to place for for appropriate interest level.  It is fairly easy to read, and yet, contains some brutal details and images. I am placing it at Junior High because if a younger person reads it, be prepared to discuss the brutality that occurred during the Holocaust.

This is from the front flap of the book:

"ONCE I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad.

ONCE I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.

ONCE I made a Nazi with a toothache laugh.

My name is Felix.

This is my story."