M is for Autism

By: Vicky Martin and the students of Limpsfield Grange School
Location: FIC MAR
Genre: Real

Why do I feel so different to everyone else?
I'm just trying to be normal.
How do I get normal?

I have worked beside amazing students who have autism, you see their struggles, their confusions and their constant awareness that somehow they are unaware. I am so thankful for the training I have had in learning how to communicate and understand these students, some of who volunteer in our library. But if I didn't- this book, a great colleague to Dog at Midnight- would be a huge help in giving me an awareness of how are friends see, or don't see the world.


"M. That's what I'd like you to call me please. I'll tell you why later."

M is for Autism is a book about a teenage girl with Autism written by teenage girls with Autism. The concept of this book is brilliant and the story is bravely and beautifully written. It has pages  that are enhanced with colors, textures, and non-traditional print, giving readers a glimpse of how loud and distracting the world can be, these images are clever and poignant
With complete honesty,  M  narrates the daily trials of desiring to be normal, feeling overwhelmed and anxious about unexpected situations, and trying to figure out who she is. M's experiences at school and home are described through her self-talk, meetings with her counselor and her thoughts. She talks about anxiety and how it makes her feel when others tell her to calm down, it is not that easy. She has difficulty making friends, keeping the ones she has and dealing with her mother. It talks about the disintegration of the family due to one parent not being able to deal with their child. .