Anything But Typical

This book isn't for everyone, but those who read it will learn a lot about what it must be like to be autistic in a world where most kids are neurotypical. 

Jason Blake is an autistic 12 year-year-old who does his best everyday to understand and fit into the world around him. Jason is a gifted writer but is terribly uncomfortable in social situations. He shines in an online story writing chat room, but struggles in his life outside of  the computer. He's always searching for the right thing to say or do but in the end discovers that just being himself is more than enough. 

It thought this book was excellent, and I'm so glad I read it. It gave me quite a bit ti think about. Grades 4 and up.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree

I think Emma Jean Lazarus might be my new favorite fictional character! Emma Jean is the smartest and strangest girl in her 7th grade class. She approaches every problem from a strictly logical viewpoint and decides to become the unofficial problem solver for her classmates. Unfortunately, some of her solutions have consequences she doesn't foresee. She is definitely not like the other "silly" girls, but is quite happy just to be herself. 

I think Emma is a very sweet and funny character and I found myself laughing out loud as I was reading. 

Lauren Tarshis is also the author of the I Survived series, but this book is VERY different from those (in a good way). I recommend it for ages 10+.

Half a Chance

This was a WONDERFUL book!! Lucy's family moves to a new house on the lake and she discovers that it's hard to be the new girl. She makes a friend, Nate, and he helps her with her entry into a very important photography contest. Lucy uses her camera to take pictures of the wonders of the lake, but she also sees something through her camera that Nate doesn't want her to discover- a family secret that is hard for him to handle. This is a great book for grades 4 and up!