Baskin, Nora Raleigh (2009). Anything But Typical. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2010 Notable Children’s Book – Older Readers
Inaudible Whisper: "wow... wow... wow...."
That was my reaction as I read the last word of Baskin's Anything But Typical. Jason, who happens to be autistic, tells his story in an attempt to "Placate" the incessant "What's wrong with you?" question that is so tortuously repeated. (Placate is one of Jason's words-of-the-morning...)
NTs (neurotypicals) see Jason but don't understand him, mostly because of how he responds to them. NTs only understand what they perceive as worthy of understanding. So Jason lives a life full of ridicule, cruelty, and disconnectedness from all others except the few who have taken the time to learn about him and his "hidden" feelings. Surprisingly, Jason has taken the arduous task of learning all he can about NTs. Shouldn't they at least try the same?
This is definitely a MUST-READ! Baskin's use of precise, musical, and figurative language is fabulous. Her use of understatement seems to show the clearest picture with the least amount of words, and it brings an almost retreat-like insight into what "being different" is all about. Sometimes, Baskin only uses ONE word to present the reader with quite a complex understanding of what is going on!
If you read only one book from the list I have on my blog, please let it be this one.
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