Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin is about Jason, a 6th grader who is autistic. The story is told through his point of view. Jason knows he's different than other people. He knows he pulls his hair and flaps his hands. He know most people don't understand and don't really like him. He can tell when people are making fun of him and when people are being genuinely nice (which doesn't happen a lot). His dad and brother seem to understand Jason pretty well, but his mom struggles. The only place where Jason feels comfortable being himself is online. He belongs to StoryBoard, a place for kids to write original stories and share them over the Internet. His powerful writing attracted the attention of a girl, who regularly corresponds with him through e-mail. They share stories and give tips and ideas about each other's work. Jason even begins referring to her as his girlfriend! Then, his parents throw a huge surprise at him - they are taking him to the StoryBoard Writing Convention this year! This is something he's always wanted to do! He's so excited and can't wait to tell Rebecca. But then Jason finds out that Rebecca is going, too. He is terrified that once she sees him for the first time, she won't want to be his friend anymore. This terror almost causes Jason to lose the chance to go. His parents don't understand why he's so upset about the convention and decide he must be afraid to fly so they set up a "flying simulator" in the living room and make him practice every night! The truth is, Jason is worried about losing the only real friend he has ever had because of his autism.

I loved this book! I have never read a story like this. It was interesting the way the author showed Jason's perspective on everything - his flapping and hair pulling, why he pushed over the potter's wheel in art, how he deals with new situations, etc. It makes me wonder what kind of experience Nora Baskin has had with a person with autism. I also liked the way she wove ideas about autism and writing techniques within the story. Greak book!