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How could I resist a book like Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin with a cover like that?  As soon as I saw this book on display at my local library I snatched it right up.  Didn’t even read the back cover or anything.  I just knew that this looked like a special book.  And I’m pleased to say that it did not disappoint.

Twelve-year-old Jason Blake has been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum disorder and in this story Jason shares with us what his life is like.  Incredibly intelligent and talented, Jason has a difficult time communicating with others.  Having a conversation with somebody takes all of his concentration.   He’d rather not say anything at all.

But the thing people see the most is his silence, because some kinds of silence are actually visible.

Anything can go go wrong at school.  It’s difficult for him to remain in control.  But there is one place where he can always control his environment and that’s at an online writing message board.  He writes stories and posts them online.  He can interact with others in this space called the internet without having to deal with all the extras.  He has a voice:

When I write, I can be heard.  And known.

But nobody has to look at me.  Nobody has to see me at all.

And he can listen to others more easily:

Neurotypicals like it when you look them in the eye.  It is supposed to mean you are listening, as if the reserve were true, which it is not; Just because you are not looking at someone does not mean you are not listening.  I caan listen better when I am not distracted by a person’s face:

What are their eyes saying?

Is that a frown or a smile?

Why are they wrinkling their forehead or lifting their cheeks like that?  What does that mean?

How can you listen to all of those words when you have to think about all of that stuff?

He develops a connection with a girl on the writing site who calls herself PhoenixBird.  He likes to think of her as his girlfriend and they exchange a few messages back and forth and critique each other’s writing.  For Jason’s birthday his Dad registers him for a large writing conference, one that he’s excited for but also very apprehensive about.  So when PhoenixBird writes to say that she’ll be at the conference at well, he reaches a crisis.  That means that she wants to meet him and while he’s curious about her, that’s the last thing he wants to do.  Will he be able to show her his true self?

I remember reading Nicola’s review at Back to Books after I finished reading Anything But Typical.  Nicola’s son has also been diagnosed on the Autistic Spectrum and she herself has Asperger’s.  I appreciated her review because it made me realize that Nora Raleigh Baskin got it right.  I’d highly recommend checking out her review but I’ll quote two points here.

The author has the inside feelings of an autistic person down to a “T”. She has either researched very well or lived with someone on the spectrum herself”

and

It would be a great read for teens on the Autism Spectrum so they can relate to what the main character has gone through and for other teens interested in the subject matter. I also recommend the book to adults with any interest in the field of autism as I can personally vouch for the validity of the feelings and inner turmoil portrayed by one with ASD. A rather bittersweet ending but then such is life.

I particularly liked getting inside Jason’s head.  I loved how his little brother loved him so much that he also picked up some of Jason’s behavior so he could be just like him.

So glad that I picked this book up on a whim.  It’s a winner!  And one definitely worth adding to any book list for those who want further reading that feature characters with Autism.

Links of interest:  Nora Raleigh Baskin website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher:  Simon and Schuster.  March 24, 2009
Hardcover, 208 pages.  ISBN: 1416963782
Anything but Typical is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s and Amazon.

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