Shelly's Book Blog

Anything But Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin, caught my eye as I was perusing the new books shelf at the library because I saw the word neurotypicals on the back cover. It reads, "Neurotypicals like it when you look them in the eye. Just because you are not looking at someone does not mean you are not listening." Jason Blake is a 12-year-old boy who wants to be a writer. As he tells us about his own life, we get a good sense of what it is like to live on the autism spectrum. Jason realizes that his behavior often causes people to think he is strange. The thing is, he always has as good reason for behaving the way he does; it's just that other people are not always able to see or understand those reasons.

In the story, Jason's mother takes him to Dallas, Texas to attend a Storyboard convention. Storyboard is an online social networking site for aspiring writers, and Jason has been a member of the site for about three years. He is terrified that he will have to meet one of his online friends in person there, and that she will not like him anymore once she sees him.

I really loved this book. The author seems to really understand how autism can affect a person's world view. It's great to see a well-written, engaging story about a talented, caring boy who is not only learning to cope with his difference but is also teaching others about the value of his unique way of seeing the world.