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