How Rocket Learned to Read

I'm more familiar with the hyperlexic aspects of the spectrum than with the difficulties some kids find with decoding. Still, this cute picture book seems an useful adjunct to me if you're trying
to get your child to understand the linkage between the
abstract alphabetical symbols and the stories they can tell.
It may help make the leap between letters and words
easier.

Little Rocket the dog needs help.
He loves to be read to, but he can't get the stories
out of the books himself.
Fortunately, little yellow bird knows what to do.
Start with the alphabet. The perfect teacher for
Rocket - until Little Yellow Bird leaves for the Winter.

The main plus of this book is its concrete approach
to the alphabet and clear connection between letters
and reading.
Random House offers a study guide for the book to
increase its usefulness to beginning readers and you
can find other useful ways to use the book on the web.
 (yes there's an app).

Tommysaurus Rex

What if a T - Rex followed your son home?

Would you let him keep it as a pet?

That's the premise of this comic book (sorry, graphic

novel) by Doug TenNapel.

The language and situations are fairly realistic and 

mature (once you accept that a living T-Rex survived

millennia buried in a cave and is dog like except for

the eating cows business).

The dinosaur's giant bodily functions come off big in

the book. Very enjoyable for younger readers, but

you'll have to decide if you want them to read the 

words p--- and c--- and enjoy the graphic pictures

of same.

The family relationships are to the far side of ideal.

The dad complains about his boy's dog right before

a vehicle kills it, and the parents are delighted to 

dump their grieving son with his grampa for the

whole summer. Another boy is a bully (he makes Ely

eat dog p---) because his father has abandoned the

family. Other adults also behave selfishly.

Only the Grampa is wise and kindly, but he's also

manipulative and prevaricates a lot. Also, you have to

question his sanity. Sure, the kid would be upset if he 

couldn't keep the T-Rex. But those people who just lost

their house to the dinosaur look pretty upset too .  .  .

If your kid likes dinosaurs, or you're looking for a well-

illustrated story for reading ages 6 - 12, I still recommend the book. It's a comic book (I mean graphic novel) after all, 

with a silly premise. The somewhat realistic portrayal of adult motivations are likely meant to amuse the adults.  

The treatment of bullies may be of special interest to readers

with autism and may open discussions for all readers (Why do 

you think Randy says mean things? Is Randy happy or unhappy?

Why? Do you think the other kids should tease Randy about his

dad?).

Readers who like color pictures and few words per page will

rejoice.

-Spectrum Mom

"You can't expect a creature to just eat all of your problems away."

Tommysaurus Rex

Doug TenNapel

with color by Katherine Garner

Graphix, A division of Scholastic

2013

140pp

The Stinky Cheese Man Returns

This afternoon I found my son reading 
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales 
by Jon Sciezka
and wondered 
"How many times has he read that book?"
I don't know, but I do know he was reading
it three (!) years ago when I wrote this post.
A post in which I do a better job of venting
my frustration that he's still reading The
Stinky Cheese Man than I do of describing
The Stinky Cheese Man. Which I'll probably
do again, but I'll give description another try.
The characters in the stories use as many words
to argue about the nature of their tales and
their presentation in the book as they do to actually
participate in stories. Not surprisingly, the
stories don't amount to much in terms of 
action. These odd parodies and
commentaries on the original fairy tales
rarely make enough narrative sense to
qualify as stories in their own right.
Jack of "Jack and the Beanstalk" tries to run
the book, but ends up running away. 
The pictures are big and bold and weird 
and cover the pages as does the sprawling
text which seems to have as little notion of
consistency as the stories do.
I have no idea why this book appeals to him
so. But in all likelihood, its absurdity will
endear it to any kid old enough to have
heard "Run, run as fast as you can" more
than once.
I asked my son about the book and he has memorized
much of it. Here's what he told me. This should give 
you a feel for the material. And yes, this is a fairly
accurate quote from the book. 
"The Stinky Cheese Man had bacon for a mouth
and olives for eyes. In 'Jack's Bean Problem' the giant
said 'Fee Fi Fum Fory I have made my own story.
I'll grind your bones to make my bread.' And Jack
says 'Giants talking in upper case letters really messes
up the page.' 'The End of the evil stepmother who said 
I'll huff and I'll snuff and I'll give you three wishes. And the
Beast turned into seven dwarves. Happily Ever After. 
For a spell had been cast by a wicked witch. Once Upon a Time.'
And Jack says 'That's not a fairly stupid tale, that's
an incredibly stupid tale. Awk!'
The reason why Jack said awk is that the giant dragged
Jack to the next page."
S Mom
ps an image search turned up a Stinky Cheese Man 
tattoo. That is just wrong.

Most RecomMended 3

When my son was very small, I read him a Fisher-Price book from who knows where. A flimsy book with a 

flimsy colorful cover with pages stapled in, and

then falling out, and then taped in, again and again

and again, because even though he had the whole

book memorized he wanted to read it again. 

And again.

And again.

It is now more tape than book and I swear I will

throw it out after posting this. Really, I will.

He can't really need to read this again?

(sigh)

Perhaps he does. But I may throw it out anyway.*

We've been trying to make the teenage divide 

visible to him.

Anyway,

Little People Opposite Safari is filled with simple big pictures and simple rhymes.

“Let’s go on safari.

There’s nothing to lose.

Remember your camera,

And wear comfy shoes.”

The rhymes are logical, the little Fisher-Price people and animals

direct and engaging with the opposites bolded for quick emphasis:

“The monkeys climb up, the lions lie down,

They’re all smiles, except for one

rhino’s frown.” 

This flimsy paperback soon became more scotch tape than paper.

Oddly, I never sought out the others in the series, perhaps because

though it clearly satisfied a craving for my son, the merchandizing link

and the simplistic structure became a bit much for me after a while.

If you’ve a source for old paperbacks, the others in the series are:

Alphabet Farm

Number Circus

Color and Shape Shop
-Spectrum Mom
* I tried to recycle it, my husband fished it out and said "But I read this to him hundreds of times!" It's currently in his car.

Mercy Watson

Kate DiCamillo long since conquered children’s publishing with a Newbery, Boston Horn Book Award, and as a National Book Award finalist. 

Two films based on her books didn’t hurt her reputation any

(though I thought the animated Tale of Desperaux ill-advised to jettison most of the original story).

But the books which most appeal to my family are her starter chapter picture books starring the “porcine wonder,” 

Mercy Watson (Theodore Geisel award). 

Mr. and Mrs. Watson as depicted by illustrator van Dusen 

are rather round and pink themselves, so perhaps their adoption of a pig as surrogate daughter should

not surprise us.

Mercy’s immense fondness for buttered toast and willingness to sleep tucked up in a child’s bed may puzzle adults, 

but children rarely worry about such trifles,

focusing instead on Mercy's attempts to drive a car 

and capture a thief (among other exploits).

Again, the series format allows kids a chance to get familiar with the characters,

who include not only the Watsons, but their neighbors, 

the elderly Lincoln sisters (Eugenia and Baby, who both embody and defy older women in kids' stories stereotypes),

and various bit players like Officer Tomallelo.
I've mentioned Mercy before, as a librarian pick, and
if you're interested in finding other good choices for elementary readers, you may want to visit that blog 
entry. 

Hiatus Again

On hiatus again because of life events.
Please sign up for autism reads on twitter or
facebook to be notified of new postings.
In the meantime, please enjoy my past
200 plus postings.

Thank you,
Spectrum Mom

Summer Reading 2 - The Outsiders

Back again after a summer break - Nashville's insane school schedule means my son handed in his book reports Monday. Unlike his typically developing peers, he spent almost every day during his short summer laboring to read these books.
Then came the painful process of sitting down with him and trying to cue him in to remember some of what he read and prompt him on what he might write in response.
(btw Pardon the blah look of this post, I'll try to add a photo later, and quotes from his reports. For now, bare bones to get me back into writing myself)
His second book of the summer was The Outsiders.
I know very little about his relationship to this one, except that
it took the entire month of July for him to read the book, with
the patient help of his dad.
The Outsiders is about the greasers and the socs, and a neighbor
of ours remembered that divide and described it vividly to my
son. I don't think he heard.
In the book, the tension between the two groups leads to violence
and death. The lead character, Ponyboy, survives to tell the tale.