From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026

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What Members Thought

Chrissy
May 30, 2009 rated it really liked it
Shelves: kid-s-stuff
I've read several books like this one written in first person, and this one is the most surprising, and the most satisfying. Jason is very believable, and his descriptions of his behavior give the reader a very clear understanding of his feelings. The most amazing part of this story for me was the depiction of his parents, both doing everything they can to help him, and yet dealing with their own insecurities and issues (his mother especially). The characters around Jason are very balanced betwe ...more
Jaclyn
Sep 16, 2009 rated it really liked it
Despite being a very quick read, I got a lot out of this book. I enjoyed getting the first-person perspective of Jason, a 12 year old with autism. Baskin did a really good job of showing the day to day life of a child with autism trying to fit in a world that makes little sense to him, surrounded by people who try to force him to fit or are just outright cruel to him. Overall this is a story about Jason's journey to self-acceptance but much of why I liked this book came from the actions of his y ...more
Sarah
12-year-old Jason isn’t like everyone else: he is autistic. Jason tells his story using first-person narration so the reader gets to see the world through his eyes. Other kids (and even some adults) think he is weird because he has trouble keeping still and doesn’t often talk.

Jason shares his experiences at home, school, and also about when he was little. The highlight of his days is going online to a Storyboard site to post the stories he writes. He becomes friends with a girl named Rebecca who
...more
Dest
Aug 25, 2009 rated it really liked it
Mock Newbery 2010

I really loved what Baskin did with the first-person narration in this book. The main character and narrator, an autistic boy named Jason, tells us his head is flying off of his body and his mother is saying, "Stop doing that to your hair," but we don't know that he's doing anything to his hair, which subtly conveys what Jason is and isn't aware of when he's having a panic attack. This book is full of stuff like that. One of my favorite things about reading is the chance to live
...more
Karyn The Pirate
Sep 04, 2009 rated it liked it
Shelves: juvenile-fic
Jason Blake’s life is made up of words and acronyms. The NT’s (Neurotypicals) in his life don’t understand him and find it hard to communicate with him. He is in SPED (special education) because he has ASD (autistic spectrum disorder.) Or possibly NLD (nonverbal learning disorder,) or even PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder – non-specific.) All Jason really knows is that he does not fit into the typical world. He does not look you in the eye when you talk to him; his hands and fingers fl ...more
Megan
Jul 29, 2009 rated it it was amazing
This fascinating book told in the first person by an autistic teen boy was fan-friggin'-tastic. I don't think society takes enough time to stop and understand these kids, and they are labeled simply as troubled or behavior-challenged. The book went into the mind of this kid in a way that I have never seen done before, and the result was amazing. Reading it, you understand why he's flapping his arms. You understand why he can't look anyone in the eye. I will be reading all I can from this author. ...more
Shannon
Jan 19, 2010 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2010
I am so enamored with this book that I am wide awake late (for me) on a school night and I cannot bring myself to put it down. Except to write to tell you that if you liked (or loved) Cynthia Lord's Rules, you are going to think this book is brilliant. I promise. Also, the narrator disses Catcher in the Rye, which is either really cool or kind of sad, depending on your viewpoint. Changed my whole view of people on the autism spectrum. ...more
Carmine
Reading this was a solid, walk a mile in someone else's shoes experience- the narrator was an autistic twelve year old boy who who develops a friendship online through a story writing forum, but then must deal with the dilemma of whether or not to meet her in person and reveal his differentness. ...more
Jess
Jan 18, 2010 rated it liked it
Shelves: juv
Although I enjoyed this while reading it, it hasn't really stuck with me. Details of plot and character are already hazy, and the only issues I really remember are that Jason, an autistic boy, tells the story from his point of view, and that he loves writing stories. He tries to tell his own story like a "normal" person would, and we get a glimpse into the ways that navigating school and everyday life are an added challenge for him. The characters of his parents were nicely fleshed out, and the ...more
Suzanne
May 20, 2009 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: juvenile-fiction
A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time for the Juvenile Fiction crowd. Very engaging read. Heartbreaking and hopeful, Anything But Typical is a glipse into the mind a pre-teen with autism. A must-read.
Shelley
May 06, 2010 rated it really liked it
Excellent, from the point of view of a middle-school autistic boy. Very moving, funny, and fascinating.
Rachel
Nov 12, 2008 rated it liked it
Loved the perspective and the voice of the autistic main character, but the time line kept jumping around and it was hard to tell if this was an effect of the disability of the character or just poor plot development, made it hard to follow especially at the end
Karen Gibson
Excellent book written from the POV of an autistic child.
Sarah
May 11, 2009 rated it really liked it
Kris Springer
Jun 18, 2009 rated it really liked it
Rita
Jun 18, 2009 rated it really liked it
Shelves: juvenile-fiction
Mandy
Jun 20, 2009 rated it liked it
Emily
Jul 03, 2009 rated it liked it
Shelves: kid-lit
3.5 stars
Maria
Jul 27, 2009 marked it as to-read
Tamsyn
Aug 11, 2009 rated it really liked it
Barbara
Aug 27, 2009 rated it really liked it
Ann
Sep 21, 2009 rated it really liked it
Robynn
Nov 06, 2009 marked it as to-read
Kathy
Dec 17, 2009 rated it really liked it
Karen
Jan 07, 2010 rated it really liked it
Kathryn
Feb 16, 2010 marked it as to-read
Jodi
Aug 21, 2010 rated it really liked it
Hannah
Aug 24, 2010 marked it as to-read
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