A kid is a kid is a kid is a kid

Long before I started blogging I was 
a freelance (or perhaps guerilla) book
advisor for kids. You know, the crazy 
lady who pops out of the book stacks 
and insists your child must read The 
Book of Three?
My favorite advisee is a friend's daughter, 
age 10, the same age as my boy with autism. 
She's my favorite because she devours 
fantasy books just as I do. But when my 
friend told me she had read all my picks and 
was ready for more, I started thinking about
how the books we read shape us.

When I started blogging I realized that one
of the reasons I hadn't found many book 
lists for kids with autism is because autism 
is only one factor among many to consider 
when choosing books for a child, like age, 
grade level, ability, interests, etcetera. 
But there are book lists based on each of 
those factors. So if I have to have a hundred 
subcategories to make this blog useful, I will.
Today's post is specifically for the 
3rd - 5th grade reader who reads 
independently but has narrow interests
- perhaps a child with Asperger's.
The New Way Things Work is a great 
book for those with an interest in 
machines and those you want to interest 
in machines. The mammoth illustrations
may be enough to hook those kids with
 interest in animals (strong for many kids).
Next, a few titles aimed 
at that same group 
but especially useful for 
girls with social skills 
issues-
Cleary writes clearly
about what being a kid 
with a sibling is like, what you should 
and should not do when you're upset 
and other relevant topics.
A special chance for one of your
favorites to become one of your
child's.

The Cobble Street Cousins by
the wonderful Cynthia Rylant
(Lighthouse Family, Henry and
Mudge, Poppleton) is another
series that gives some of the basics 
on the give and take of being a 
friend and being in a family.


What book choices seem unique
to your kid? What book choices
remind you a kid is a kid?
Comment or e-me @
autismreads@gmail.com.


-Spectrum Mom