Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
In Anything But Typical a twelve-year-old boy by the name of Jason Blake allows readers to see what is like to live with Autism and how his reactions or refusal to react cause his peers and family members to view him. Diagnosed at an extremely young age has made it possible for Jason to come into his own in since various forms of therapy and aid have made it possible for him to attend school without a one on one.
Even though Jason is fully functioning he still has difficulty communicating with others and carries a lot of anxiety since different smells, sounds, and reactions can send him in a tizzy. Despite these setbacks he is still extremely intelligent and has profound gift when it comes to reading and writing. As a matter of fact, Jason talks a lot about the power of words and how just because someone is not reacting the way one would expect does not mean that they do not comprehend or better yet feel the repercussions of their comments.
Realizing that a lot of his classmates do not understand him and would much rather stay away causes Jason to find alternate forms of communication. He is an avid user of a fan fiction website known as Storyboard where he is able to post some of his creative writing pieces and users can then read and critique his work. When a girl from Texas by the name of Rebecca begins reading one of his stories and comments a friendship begins to blossom. For the first time in a long time Jason is not only free but hopeful for his future since there are people out there who will take the time to listen BUT when his parents surprise him with a chance to go to the annual Storyboard Convention in Texas he does not know if he should go. What will Rebecca think if she meets him? Will she see him like his classmates do? And, most importantly will she still want to remain friends?
A touching coming of age story that allows readers to not only understand what it means to have a certain level of Autism but also that things are not always as they seem. Just because Jason has trouble communicating does not mean that he cannot understand what others are saying or thinking. I think this book is something that everyone should really take the time to read. Excellent for middle schoolers and up!
