Wilde, Jen. Queens of Geek.

Wilde, Jen. Queens of Geek. Macmillan/Swoon Reads     2017  262p  $10.99  Paperback  ISBN 978-1-250-11139-5   hs  Realistic fiction  VG-BN   

Three characters, all Australian teenagers, fly to LA to attend a Comi-Con type of convention.  Charlie, of Chinese ancestry, has starred in a movie.  She was in love with the male star, but they have separated and she has moved on. This is her event.  She has to do many publicity events with the ex.  He thinks they will get together again, but she has met a girl she has had a crush on for years, and they mesh completely.
 

Taylor, who has identified that she is on the autism spectrum, is usually afraid of just about everything.  Taking this trip was a very big step for her.  Jamie has been a steadying influence on her.  He seems to understand her.  She loves him but is afraid he sees her as just a friend.  Jamie has loved Taylor from a distance.  This weekend they each learn the truth about their feelings.
 

This novel presents the message that you need to be who you are and not be controlled by peer pressure or public opinion.  It deals with bisexuality, autism, and love.  There is lots of kissing and some fondling but no actual sex scenes.  The novel includes mature content, so it is most suitable for high-school readers.      Wrapped in a contemporary novel that refers to texting and social media uses, the story touches on issues of bisexuality, autism, peer pressure and being honest with yourself.  For high school.

Summary: Charlie, a Chinese-Australian actress, Taylor, who is autistic and a writer, and Jamie, a geek photographic artist, all fly to LA to attend a Comi-Con type convention.  There they each find their own reality and love.

Autism-Fiction, Love-Fiction                                      --Joan Theal

Mathieu, Jennifer. Afterward.

Mathieu, Jennifer.  Afterward.  Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press  2016  310p $17.99  ISBN 978-1-62672-238-5     hs/adult  Realistic fiction  E-BN           

What a powerful topic Jennifer Mathieu has taken on in her new novel.  “Edgy” is just one of the descriptive words one could use to describe the plot.  As in her novel Devoted, in which she did a stellar job with the topic of oppression of females by a religion in the deep South, this time she attacks the topic of child abduction and its aftermath.  Indeed, it is beyond traumatic for a normal boy to be abducted; this time, another boy is taken by the same kidnapper, and he is autistic.  When both boys are recovered alive, Ethan Jorgenson can be helped by therapy.  But how does one help a child with autism who is largely nonverbal?  It is difficult, to say the least, and the reader is not surprised when the parents of the young autistic boy split.  The strain of raising a child with autism is enough to put any marriage out of commission.  When that same child is abducted and then recovered alive, and tries to make sense out of what happened to him, it is devastating to his family.  Dylan’s sister Caroline approaches Ethan to try to find out what “damn, cake” means.  These words, uttered by her brother in times of stress, must mean something.  Caroline’s hope is that Ethan will be able to help her as she tries to understand what her brother experienced at the hands of a kidnapper and sexual predator.  As he explains to Caroline, Ethan’s memory is sketchy.  He has so much to cope with after his return:  media, questions about why he did not try to escape during his four years in captivity, lack of schooling, nightmares, distrust issues with his new psychiatrist, and quandaries about how to resume friendships and create new ones.  Music brings Caroline and Ethan together, and as odd as their new friendship may seem to others, they bring solace to each other, until Ethan recalls something that puts that friendship at risk.  Readers new to Mathieu will find her to be a powerful storyteller who is not afraid to tackle more mature topics.  Established fans will be drawn into this new book quickly, and they will read it voraciously from cover to cover.        

Summary: No one has forgotten about the abduction of Ethan Jorgenson. When eleven-year-old Dylan Anderson goes missing from the same town, the search for the missing boys ends when a pick-up truck matching the description of the abductor’s is seen.  In this novel, what happens during the aftermath of such a heinous crime is described in realistically disturbing detail.           

Kidnapping-Fiction, Autism-Fiction                                                              —Martha Squaresky

Peete, Holly Robinson. Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.

Peete, Holly Robinson.  Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.  Scholastic Press  2016  183p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-09468-9  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  VG

Most twins say they have a special bond, and Callie and Charlie are no different. Callie has always protected Charlie, who has autism, but this year will be different. She is moving on to tenth grade while Charlie repeats the ninth grade. Part of Callie loves being free of Charlie, feeling that he often is a burden, but there is no hiding the fact that she is his biggest supporter and best friend. Told from alternating viewpoints, the story is written in realistic voices by actual brother and sister RJ and Ryan Peete. Callie often struggles with caring for Charlie and resents the way that everything has to be his way all the time. Charlie’s chapters tend to be shorter and more focused, and he also wishes things were different. In the end, readers see an extremely realistic portrayal of life with a family member who has autism, as well as the perspective of the child with autism and the way he sees life.     

Summary: Twins Charlie and Callie have always had a close relationship. Callie has taken care of Charlie, who has autism. But this year she is moving on to the tenth grade while Charlie repeats ninth, and they wonder how life will be the same and yet different.

Twins-Fiction, Autism-Fiction                         --Erin Daley

Peete, Holly Robinson. Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.

Peete, Holly Robinson.  Same but Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express.  Scholastic Press  2016  183p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-545-09468-9  ms/hs  Realistic fiction  VG-BN   

Actress Holly Robinson Peete teamed with her twin children, Ryan and R.J., to recount the twins’ experiences growing up with R.J.’s autism. The story is told through the fictional twins Callie and Charlie. Callie recounts her struggle with feeling like the guardian of her brother and her guilt at just wanting to be a “normal” family once in a while. She is frustrated with the gluten-free diet the family has adopted, and the planning and feelings of tension that occur to accommodate her brother’s needs any time the family ventures outside of the house. Charlie appreciates his family’s concern for him, but doesn’t understand why they feel the need to monitor his social-media use and deny him the freedoms that his siblings have. Robinson Peete includes short pieces at the beginning and end of the book in which she shares a mother’s perspective, including the fears she harbors about what might happen if someone misunderstands her African-American hoodie-loving autistic son’s behavior. This book is a must-have addition to middle- and high-school collections.

Summary: One family’s experience is told in the alternating voices of twins -- a teenage girl and her twin brother, who is autistic.        

Twins-Fiction, Autism-Fiction             --Stephanie Pennucci

Bildner, Phil. A Whole New Ballgame.

Bildner, Phil.  A Whole New Ballgame.     Macmillan/Farrar Strauss      2015  243p  $15.99  ISBN 978-0-374-30130-9      elem/ms     Realistic Fiction  E-BN  

If someone was looking for the absolutely all-inclusive book for grades 4-5, this is it.  The new teacher is completely unconventional.  The students represent multiple nationalities and races.  One has autism and one is in a wheelchair.  But it all works.  Throw in basketball practices and games, and interfering parents, and that sums up this title.
 

The banter among the students sounds true.  Their interests and reactions are completely real.  The unconventional teacher is a bit way out there, but he is effective.  The basketball lingo is sometimes beyond this reviewer, but the boys who are into basketball will gobble it up.  The students learn how to accept differences and work with them, and they score very well on standardized tests due to the enthusiasm and interest the teacher had instilled in them.  It is great to see innovative, creative teaching validated.
 

Boys who are into basketball in grades 4-6 will love this book.  

Summary: A unconventional teaching style, basketball, autism, and life in a wheelchair: it’s all in this title written for boys in grade 4-5.           

Basketball-Fiction, School-Fiction, Autism-Fiction          --Joan Theal