Summary: Jason is autistic; he greatly struggles with social situations and making friends at school. He excels in creative writing, though, and becomes part of Storyboard, an online writing forum. On Storyboard, Jason feels comfortable sharing and interacting with other writers. When a girl named Rebecca starts responding to his stories, he is ecstatic. However, Jason’s world is turned upside down when he has the opportunity to meet her at a Storyboard conference. If Rebecca meets him face-to-face, will she still want to continue their online relationship? Is it worth the risk?
Thoughts: Anything but Typical is an anything but typical story. The author does an outstanding job of allowing the reader into the autistic mind. Jason struggles with issues that are not a challenge for everyone; but, trying to make sense of the world, discovering where we fit in, and getting along with the people around us are issues we can all relate to, autistic or not. I fell in love with this kid and thoroughly enjoyed his story & unique point of view. I was thrilled that this title won the Schneider Family Award this year. Kudos to author Nora Raleigh Baskin for an honest depiction of autism and a truly engaging story.