People Books

I was never interested in reading books about slavery. But not this one. I liked it.

This book is a life of experience through a boy sold into slavery. Experience the Middle Passage, know what it is like, learn how slaves are sold, how cruel owners treat these what-they-once-called "animals." Walk with him. Run with him. And learn how a great writer put the events into words.

The historic-fiction The Captive written by Joyse Hansen is a phenomena and an anecdote to a third world country, indeed, it is a flashback into how slavery was performed and portrayed in Africa in the midst of the 1780's at the Ashanti kingdom located in West Africa. This book takes place in Africa then travels along the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas; however, it is about a young prince by the name of Kofi Kwame Paul member of the royal Ashanti family that was an inheritant of his fathers throne as a major chief in his tibe and all of a sudden he is captured in the hands of deceitfulness, vast lies, and adversity caused by their former slave Oppong. This becomes the moment when his life is transformed thoroughly from a prince to an enduring slave, and he feels like he has totally lost dignity as an inheritant of the throne, and has been stolen his integrity as an human being.

He penetrated a new world which he recognized it wasn't his home and all of a sudden he realized that his future was absolutely shattered. He was betrayed by his slave Oppong, who he thought highly of and unfortunately he killed his father the great chief and also his brother. He was taken away from his family; yet, his family had no prior knowledge of where he was. As a result, he was abducted by a slave trader; therefore, Kofi tries to come up with a strategic plan for escape. Later, he is shifted to the Americas to a farmer and learns English. In short, all he has to survive is his flute and his English speaking skill. The diverse settings of this book are the ones that give the reader momentum into continuing reading it. For the fact that is fulfilled of so many turning points that leaves you wanting to read more...
-Maria

In the book The Captive, the plot line takes many twists and turns that can be sad, or can be full of action. It takes its first twist when Kofi Kwame Paul, the main character, witnesses his father and brother get shot by their betraying servant, Oppong. This event causes Kofi and his other brother, Kwesi, to be left with a slave trader. The slave trader allowed Kofi to prove his brother and himself a part of the royal Ashanti family. On this mission Kofi finds himself escaping from a trading post he went to to get his flute back. He was caught and sent on a ship to Salem, MA with African slaves. When he arrived there it was to his misfortune that he had become a slave to a farmer. After working there he ran away to Boston, MA with the other slaves to have freedom. Although the twists and turns seem to lead somewhere different, it all ends up in one place.

Captive is a great book that is definetly worth reading. The author puts a visual in your head that makes you feel as if you are actualy there whitnessing the story.the story is about an African American Kofi who gets taken out of his home and is shiped to an owner to be his slave. his only possesions are the clothes on his back and a flute. On the ship the author describes his frusteration and confusion wtih not being able to talk to any one.He meets two other boys and they get sold to a master. his master beats him and tourchers him.The masters wife however teaches him to speak to learn and to write English. Then him and his two friends dreanm of being free again and plan to ecscape. Will Kofi and his friends ecscape?Will Will kofis dream of being free someday come true?
I enjoyed reading this book and I hope you will too.It has all the things that I like in a book action suspence and emotion. so if you are looking for that kind of book this would be a good one.

Captive is a great book that is definetly worth reading. The author puts a visual in your head that makes you feel as if you are actualy there whitnessing the story.the story is about an African American Kofi who gets taken out of his home and is shiped to an owner to be his slave. his only possesions are the clothes on his back and a flute. On the ship the author describes his frusteration and confusion wtih not being able to talk to any one.He meets two other boys and they get sold to a master. his master beats him and tourchers him.The masters wife however teaches him to speak to learn and to write English. Then him and his two friends dreanm of being free again and plan to ecscape. Will Kofi and his friends ecscape?Will Will kofis dream of being free someday come true?
I enjoyed reading this book and I hope you will too.It has all the things that I like in a book action suspence and emotion. so if you are looking for that kind of book this would be a good one.

As a sole adult responsible for my elderly mother, I found DeGraff's book to be my best friend. Prior to getting this book, I felt like a ship at sea without a rudder. Now I have direction, confidence, and clarity when it comes to making decisions for her and for me. It is a resource that offered great ideas and perspective to support her quality of life, at the same time,ensuring my own quality of life.

This book helped me understand that I'm the one in charge. The caregivers work for me and I see now that I need to take more control of the situations. It's a great resource for all aspects of people management.

This book is a treasure of facts and helps for any family member, friend, or professional seeking caregiver/personal assistant care for another, or for an individual seeking such care for him/herself. The book is reader friendly and proceeds in logical steps. The information is practical and useable. Compassion for and insight into the feelings of the care receiver are a part of the writing and this is invaluable to all as they move through the process of finding caregiver/personal assistants. The author "thought of everything" and addresses every question one could have because he has been in the situation of finding care for himself and knows what does and does not work. His expertise and information will be a welcome and comprehensive guide to anyone who needs to find, hire and manage caregiver or personal assistant help.

As indicated by the title, this book gives you all the information you need to "Find, Hire and Manage the People Who Help You (or your Loved One!). The author speaks from profound personal experience of his more than 30 years of living as a high level quadriplegic. As one who has know Mr. DeGraff since early in that experience, I have followed him as he has gone through rehabilitation, college, graduate school and beyond to where he is today and can readily vouch for his abilities. No detail has been left out of this remarkable publication.

Finally, DeGraff has a new book! He is THE authority on personal care assistance, and I trust his experience, wisdom and advice. We have waited for this new edition for several years, and we find it chocked full of practical how-to's. This is a must for families seeking advice on managing care at home, for students and for health care workers. This book should be required reading for legislators and public policy advocates because this provides practical, up-to-date, relevant information for real-life settings; and it reminds us that legislation must support independent living and home care. With the graying of America, more and more people are going to realize the value of living at home with effectively managed personal care. Agency care often does not work, and it is not aimed at promoting the care recipients' need for independence, respect and wholesomeness. Managing care at home provides sensible and healthy options -- and DeGraff's expertise and advice shows how to go about it. This is learning from the best! Margaret A. Short, Ph.D.

The book is interesting reading eventhough the narrator sounds a bit self-righteous to me. Too much of "I always knew best" for my taste. This is only referencing the personal remarks in the book; the description of the grinding poverty in the big cities and what the Depression years did to the people is really well written. All in all, I'd wish that especially young people read this book.

"A Choice of Weapons" is one of my favorite books. The compelling autobiographical story captures for us the experience of one of America's greatest treasures, Gordon Parks. His path from poverty and isolation to riches and notoriety is much more than just a story, it's an accounting of his life as an African American with rural roots in an America that was not welcoming nor supportive-- despite his amazing talent. He overcame that to become one of the world's best-known photographers, filmmakers, poets, and musicians. A fine person, strong with his mother's teaching, he brought his spirit to the world.

Mr. Parks was recently buried in his hometown (Fort Scott, KS), not long after coming home to a wonderful celebration of his life and work-- a celebration that is an annual affair as part of the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity that has been founded there. I met him during the first celebration in 2004, going into the old Liberty Theatre to view a retrospective of his films. He was charming and personable, and his eyes sparkled with happiness; the peace of forgiveness and homecoming emanated from him. He had struggled and triumphed, and the prairie wind was still fresh within him.

I encourage everyone to read this book and to explore the huge body of Gordon's work. You will be moved. You will be spurred to find the best of yourself...

I write this after hearing the news of his passing. This book gave hope to another youth who had lost his parents and was looking for a reason to become a man. The effect this book had on me cannot be overestimated. It was to set me on the path to becoming a photographer, and to pursue writing among other things. It was required reading for me when I was in High School, and the only book I read all the way through.

I absolutely love this book.
I am an avid reader but reserve my recommendations for very few books and authors. I hold dear a carefully chosen list of books that receive unjustly low profiles and recommend them to always-thankful friends. This book, by Gordon Parks, (as well as Manchild in the Promised Land, by Claude Brown) rank high on my list. Gordon Parks is an amazingly gifted human being.

.... In my opinion,its imagery and descriptive scenarios will have you imagining as if it were you in the midst of the Great Migration. Concluding that "youth as it should be at seventeen was not for me, and that full manhood must come quickly if I was going to make it", Parks describes the journey in which he endures in order to make it through various seasons in the year. In trying to conquer the obstacles that each season brings, Parks learns to rely on his "choice of weapons" which allow him to see different walks of life. If you do choose to read Parks' autobiography, please don't forget to reflect upon what choice of weapons you have chosen in coping with life.

I have been recommending this book to everyone since I read it before a trip to Kenya a year and a half ago. Donovan goes back to the roots of a Christian faith that was originally spread by going from group to group, and letting them hear the gospel and decide together. Many young adults and youth are now involved in "tribes" and "clusters" and this book has a lot to say to those who are in relationship with them
It also challenges the assumptions of our Western mentality of bringing people to our church, of living apart. Donovan realized that living in a mission compound was not the way to share the good news of Jesus. Instead, the missionaries needed to go out and visit and live with those that they cared about, in his case, the Masai tribe.
I talked to several African friends about their opinions of mission stations. One man, from Liberia, said that they had never understood why the missionaries didn't move into their village, but chose to live apart. Then he started to smile and said, "But when the danger came, they moved into the village with us rather quickly!" When is the church in the West going to move out of their Christian compounds?
It is good to follow this book with Michael Hirsch's book on Forgotten Ways. I would recommend it for church boards who are thinking of the future, and for ministers considering campus ministry or new church starts.

Many times a good churchgoer approaches me in my ministry with doubts about organized religion. I always recommend this book, as it offers a practical and spiritual understanding of Christian faith and faith communities. It is a lively and inspiring account of new Christian communities in Africa. Although this book is written by a Catholic priest, it speaks to the heart of any Christian.

This book was required reading for my Master's in theology. The book opened my eyes in the aspect of the realization that to bring Christ to different cultures one must understand that culture. It does not matter if the culture is in Old Africa or modern day Chicago. I would rate the book high on my list of books to read.

This book is quite insightful concerning missionary work in East Africa. It also digs deeply to bring to the suface the core message of the Gospel. This book will challenge you to reconsider your beliefs and approach to evangelism. Highly readable and deeply insightsfull, this is a great work.

A documentary of one man's experience as a missionary to the Masai of East Africa, but much more. Challenges long-held views on both the purpose and the method of missions while maintaining an unwavering committment to the gospel.

Quotation: "Dear Bishop, ...Suddenly I feel the urgent need to cast aside all theories and discussions, all efforts at strategy--and simply go to these people and do the work among them for which I came to Africa. ...just go and talk to them about God and the Christian message. Outside of this, I have no theory, no plan, no strategy, no gimmick, no idea of what will come. I feel rather naked. I will begin as soon as possible...."

I shared the book with my mother(Usha) and my daughter(Arathi). All three of us found the plot very engaging and could not put the book down till we finished it. Each of us could identify with Vidya in different ways. The author's narration is so vivid and spontaneous that the characters come to life. The experience of growing up in a 'joint family' is described most realistically. It brought back memories, good and not-so-good, of summer vacations when a whole host of cousins, uncles, aunts would descend on us. The covert hierarchy that exists in extended Indian families is also portrayed very well. In my own family, the more 'successful' and prosperous members were accorded more respect and treated better than the others. They also tended to be about as nasty as Vidya's periamma.
I look forward to reading more books by Padma.

A family tragedy gives Climbing the Stairs its running start. Vidya is a thoughtful and intelligent fifteen-year-old girl growing up in colonial India who dreams of a college education until her father is so badly beaten by British soldiers during a peaceful demonstration that he is brain damaged. She and her mother and brother must then go live in her grandfather's home, where she has to play the Cinderella to her nasty, domineering aunt. Only by "climbing the stairs" from the first floor, the women's quarters, to the library in the second floor, the men's quarters, can Vidya find sanctuary and the books she craves.

Venkatraman writes vividly and with great authenticity about the mood of the times. Indian life, with this Brahmin family's practice of Hinduism, its holidays, prescribed customs and rigid class structure, is portrayed particularly well and she highlights the spiritual struggles of her characters in a way not usually featured in young adult novels. The account of young Vidya's time spent in isolation from the rest of the family in the "outhouse" set aside for menstruating women is worth the price of the book.

The author has based this serious novel on the life of her mother, who grew up in India during that period. Her writing is clear and elegant, and perhaps her story might have been a little more illuminating if she had been able to tell it outside the box of her mother's voice. Nonetheless, there is enough household drama in the lives of Brahmins living on the brink of an India about to change forever to rush the plot forward to Vidya's double happy ending.

Vidya dreams about going to college. She likes to read and enjoys school, and unlike other girls around her she doesn't want to get married. Vidya isn't a typical Indian woman.

Everything is going well for her, until the day her father is brutally beaten by an English soldier. With her father unable to work she must move into her grandfather's house which is occupied by an interesting cast of characters. Vidya's life is miserable and the only solace she finds is going upstairs to the library where she reads for hours. But going upstairs into the men's quarters is forbidden.

While in the library Vidya meets a young man named Raman. He's unlike the others in the household because he treats her like an equal and encourages her to read. As time goes on Vidya begins to develop feelings for Raman but she doesn't know if she is willing to give up college for a man.

What was different about this book compared to so many that I read set during World War II was this book took place in India. Ms. Venkatraman does an excellent of immersing the reader in Indian culture. She explains the foods, festivals and different customs. The caste system is explored in this book as well as the gender roles.

The only drawback to this book is there was no glossary. The author uses so many Indian words, which is wonderful, but I think the addition of a glossary would have helped students.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I think it would be an excellent book for a social studies teacher to use. So many topics are coved in this book that it would be an excellent teaching too. Teens who want to read about history, politics and other cultures will enjoy this novel.

Padma Venkatraman artfully weaves the large issues of freedom (and the vigilence it requires), monotheism, gender, self-possession, pacifism, and the deep well of literacy into a charged narrative of a young woman's coming to terms with her changing world and her distinct inner laws. The novel takes place in the early years of WWII when Japan was pressing India. A terrific book for anyone interested in the domestic Indian landscape; for anyone interested in a young woman's rise to self-possession. Hopefully this is the first of others!

Have you ever wondered how it might feel to have your marriage arranged for you by your parents and relatives? Have you ever imagined permanently living under the same roof as your extended family? Have you ever known the desperation of living without rights or a voice of your own? If so, Padma Venkatraman's "Climbing the Stairs" is the book for you.

This book gives readers a glimpse into what it means to live in a traditional Indian joint family and of the restrictions imposed on people due to social and cultural norms. It speaks to the searing pain of oppression and the struggle for independence, both national and personal. Vidya, the protagonist of this story, is a curious girl who tries to make sense of the changing world in which she finds herself. India is in the midst of its freedom struggle against British rule and there are strong opinions on how this must be attained. Vidya grapples with the question of "means and ends" and "love and loyalty," while trying to remain true to her still formulating beliefs. Despite circumstances that unalterably change the course of Vidya's life, this courageous spitfire of a girl navigates her circumstances to uncompromisingly reach for her goals. Venkatraman's "Climbing the Stairs" is a fast paced book full of memorable characters, a strong story line, and a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend readers accompany Vidya on her journey; they will be changed just as she is.

My first inclination when I saw the title COOLIES was offensive, but as I read the book, I thought how appropriate the title was. I applaud the publisher and author for reminding us of the truth about the Chinese's struggle for dignity and equal rights. The illustrations are luminous and complimentary to the text. I appreciated the artist's attention to detail all the while capturing the human spirit and struggles of early Chinese life in America. This is a must have book for all libraries to include as part of Asian studies. Asians must owe it to the Chinese (especially the Cantonese) whose sacrifices paved the way for all Asians living comfortably in this country today.

I think it is a great book that I think everyone should read. It was a great story that had good detail and had awesome illustrations that go really good with the book. I also think that the railroad was a great Place for the two of the characters to work at all through the story.

The part I like about Coolies was when they went to put the dynamite on the edge of the cliff. Chris Sentpient is my favorite Illustrator because he writes good book. I gave you 5 stars.

I give this book 5 stars because it has beautiful illustrations. The pictures look life like.

Delightful story of two young boys who leave China and travel to US to earn money to send home. It begins because a grandmother is trying to teach her grandson the importance of honoring their ancestors.

The story is told by the young boys as they take us on the voyage, into the work camps and show us a glimpse of the predujices they faced in America.

It shows of the love the two boys have for each other and how they sacrifice to see to each others needs during this hard time. In spite of what they face, the boys remain optimistic.

The illustrations are beautiful.

This book is about the South and northern places in the mid 60's-80's. To be sure it is about a gifted black athlete having to survive a white society that wants somehow to be with him in his quest for greatness. Much more than that, this book is about racism at its core, promise, insecurity, and reluctant goodness, and we should hope that Morris's honest and understandable "sorta" autobiographical dissertation on his homeland Mississippi will compel us to take another look at where we are as a society. We should not let Pete, Willie's mid-life dog, be the best of what we can be.

This is a must read-especially for the young athletes of today. This man was a legend! Hands down the best running back in the country during his era!
Having met him, he's a modest, humble man who loves football and loves his hometown. Would love to see this made into a movie!
Get it, you won't be disappointed!

I recently read "The Courting of Marcus Dupree" and found it to be exciting and spell binding. My entire family was caught up in it. The book is an excellent tale of the birth of a young Black male in a troubling time for the South. The way Willie Morris related Marcus' birth and powerful strength to the struggle of his town and state was awesome, he should be the Mayor of Philadelphia or the Governor of Mississippi. I expected the book to be totally about football but it proved to be much more. It made you laugh and cry at times because of the tremendous pressure on Marcus Dupree, the 17 year old athlete that was blessed with such miraculous skills. The book made you feel like you were at the games when he made some of the beautiful plays. It was so intense that you wanted to get to the next page, but never wanted the book to end. I wish it was reprinted.

I read this book again recently and it was better than I remembered. It was so interesting to see how one 17 year old boy could dominate one small town's conversations. I expected this book to be a tale of a high school football star and his recruitment, but I got more, much more. Willie Morris examines the importance of football in Mississippi and how Marcus brought blacks and whites together with his play. He had insight in to Marcus that nobody outside of his family and high school coach could have had. Overall, a great read.

As an OU fan and a person who remember Marcus Dupree light up Norman during his brief time, I was very excited to have a little bit more background on this fascinating person.

The book hits several different topics. Obviously his recruitment of many football schools at times take center stage. But much of the book also discusses the effect of a black athlete becoming a state hero in Mississippi and gaining fans of all races. The foil of Dupree's time to that of two decades earlier when three cival rights activists were brutally murdered by the Klan. And the author, Willie Morris, contrasting and comparing his life with what he sees around him while following Dupree.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great personal account that takes you back to 1981 Mississippi, civil rights, and the power of football.

Really, if books like this were read more often in schools, I bet bullying would decrease. This is a great show of what happens when we treat people badly for being different from us and just how the underdog will rise again. For a children's book, it is surprisingly complex and all the more powerful for the story Yashima weaves. Apparently this was based on personal childhood experiences of Yashima and I find it more than impressive he managed to put them all into literature. It also shows the way of another culture, thus allowing us a little much-needed cultural understanding. Yashima's illustrations, true to his talent, are wonderful and do their fair share plenty in expressing the changing moods of this story.

I am so glad this book is still in print! It is a wonderful story with equally wonderful illustrations, and a strong message: a child who is "different" turns out to have special talents. One of my all-time favorites.

all of my classmates told me to get a copy of this book "Crow Boy" by Taro Yashima, so i did. when i started reading it, tears flowed from my eyes, it really is "a-must-read"

this book should be recommended for all students and teachers, it'll teach you a moral lesson you'll never forget.

This book encourages compassion and awareness of the natural world. It is a healthy change for children who are used to overstimulating action books and videogames.

This story was first read to me by a colleague. A very enlightening and heartwarming story "Crow Boy" forces readers to reflect on the importance of considering individual differences within classroom settings. A child's potential can only be fulfilled when we consider all of their interests and needs. Every teacher must have a personal copy. I am going to get mine.

Heart breaking story of homelessness during the Christmas season with a miracle to boot. Diaz' usual fabulous artwork works well with Bunting's deft story tellings of social issues, especially here.

Very moving, very powerful discussion point with kids grades 1-4. Highly reccommend for story or book discussion groups.

December is a remarkable book -- it manages to connect homelessness to the realm of miracles and the mystery of Christmas. As a reading teacher, I've had the pleasure of meeting Eve Bunting and sharing her stories with hundreds of children. The younger set don't always understand the implications of the old lady who visits on Christmas Eve, but they are deeply touched by the generosity of a mother and child who are willing to share a cookie, a precious coat and the box over their head. The story has something of the aura of O'Henry's Gift of the Magi. December is a pleasure to read and a treasure to share.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, cooking, visiting, family gatherings, one seeks a few moments of quiet, of stillness. Eve Bunting and illustrator David Diaz can provide those moments with "December."

Although designated for ages 4-8, this magnificent book is truly for all ages. Sit down with your little one or your spouse or you and a cup of tea for a few moments with "December," truly a story of the spirit of Christmas.

This is one of those books in which there has been a true collaboration of writer and artist. Each page is framed by symbolic representations of the theme of each page. On the cover is a picture of an angel. The frame contains feathers in the calming colors of blue and green, while the bright colors of the angel reflect her glory.

A mother and son, homeless, are spending Christmas Eve in a cardboard box with a board for a door. They have the top of a Christmas tree that a tree salesman was kind enough to give them. It is decorated with bits and pieces of the past. Taped to the wall is the picture of the angel, taken from a calendar, the December page. The have the overcoat of the husband/father whose absence is not explained.

A knock comes at their board/door. The mother cautiously answers. An ancient, bent, homeless woman asks for shelter. They share their space, the boy gives her one of their two Christmas cookies. The next morning the woman is gone. What the boy finds is a heart-stopping miracle.

That's just half of this quiet, but powerful story about giving and sharing. Learning the rest of the story is up to you.

I had to read it twice to have the story really sink in. This book is very moving and quiet. A really great job from Eve Bunting and a book to be remembered.

The sepia cover with the altered family photo tips the reader off right away to the time period and family problems. The book takes you to the 1950s where you experience Annette Wood's childhood years as part of a Kansas farm family. The descriptions of home, school, church and family sound as familiar to me as Sunday dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. That could have been my family and childhood she was describing. The difference is Annette's younger sister, Jan, grew up autistic. In the 50s, little was known of this problem and the family struggles with the special needs of such a child.
Annette faithfully chronicles her life, giving us a view into this earlier time. As the family seeks answers to Jan's increasingly disruptive behavior, Annette finds escape through reading. The topsy-turvy family life will strike a chord in anyone with a special needs sibling. The author touches on her own guilt feelings that she couldn't help her mother more and that eventually her sister was institutionalized.
In the latter part of the book, she interviews other families coping with similar situations. Boxed sections provide further information: tips, a list of books by autistic authors, a list of fiction and non-fiction books about autism, and information on research into autism. At the end the book includes an extensive bibliography on the subject and a list of websites.

A Different Kind of Kin was a poignant, insightful and nostalgic yet candid reading experience. The story of growing up with an autistic sibling at a time when autism was a mysterious, almost exotic, and little understood condition was compelling.

Wood's realistic portrayal of her experiences revealed the author's deep love for and appreciation of her sister. But she did not sugarcoat her story. Wood was courageously honest about the positive and negative feelings and effects, in both the short and long term, of her sister's autism. Those effects were portrayed from a personal perspective, that of the immediate and extended family, and the community.

"Kin" also offers support and hope in the form of resources for learning about and living with autism. The research is impressive and a valuable source for others to tap. I recommend reading this book to all, whether or not there is a person with autism in their life, as they will be enriched by the experience.

As faculty in a baccalaureate nursing program I found this book provided a different perspective for nursing students than "this is the disease, symptoms and treatment" typical of a nursing textbook. It offers a touching view inside a sister's heart and a poignant description of how the family is affected.

For nursing students this means helping them to easily "see" feelings that are sometimes difficult to query and then accurately interpret. This would be an excellent reading assignment for students in pediatrics and family oriented courses.

I enthusiastically encourage all faculty in Schools of Nursing to add this to their student's required reading lists.

Awesome book!!

Especially since it deals with her sister and as ABC noted in a piece this week, there is so little coverage of females with Autism. Most stories deal with males.

Chapter Ten also shows how far we have come when it comes to mental health issues, since in the past most children with Autism may have had parents who were told by doctors or teachers that the only place for the child was an institution or state hospital. One can only imagine what parents went thru when told to do something like this to a seven year old child which was the age of Jan the authors sister.

Pages 108-110 have some excellent suggestions for parents as well as the whole family. A must read book for anyone interested in Autism.

Especially those who have friends with a family member with autism because the authors firsthand experiences are like a great for helping you be a better friend to the family.

The author of this book offers the reader a very personal view of autism from her vantage point as the older sister of an autistic child. The book, although quite small in size, comes up big as an informative guide, incorporating not only family photographs and resource lists, but also a peek into the fifties when the disorder was less common and often misdiagnosed.

From personal experience, the author shares the ups and downs, highs and lows, and the often stressful and chaotic lives of families where at least one member is autistic. It also illustrates the effects of the disorder on the other family members who are determined to deal with each day as it comes.

I would recommend this book to parents, siblings and relatives of autistic persons, not only as a resource guide, but also for the sharing of experiences about a disorder that requires a loving and supportive family network.

Rated: 4.5 stars



Amanda Richards, February 10, 2008