Saturday, March 26, 2011

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin


Grade: 5-6

Committee annotation: Jason is a boy with autism. Kids at school think he is "weird" and usually avoid him. Jason finally finds friendship with a girl in his online writing group. Will a face-to-face meeting change their friendship?

Subjects:

Author website: http://www.norabaskin.com/

7 comments:

  1. Mackenzie H. Grade 5, Steere Farm Elementary School, BurrillvilleNovember 7, 2011 at 7:02 AM

    I read the book Anything But Typical. I thought it was a very good book and that it was a very good way to look at someone who is autistic. I thought Anything But Typical was a good book because Jason explained everything that happened in the story very well. But some of the things in the story were short and not explained as well as other things that happened. Another reason this book was good was because Jason, the main character, had flash backs in the story. I like to know things about the character and Jason’s flash backs were a good way for me to find out more about Jason. Also, I could make connections with Jason. Some connections were that he loved to go on the computer, he wrote lots of stories and he had a younger sibling that he liked sometimes and didn’t at other times. Lastly, I thought this book was a good way to look at an autistic child because the book made me feel like Jason wasn’t autistic at all until the book told me he was. I recommend this book to anyone who likes explained and expressed thoughts, as well as flash backs. I really liked this book; it is one of my favorites!

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  2. I read “Anything But Typical” by Nora Raleign Baskin. I loved this book so much. She really explained how Jason felt and what he thought. And I really like that when the author doesn’t leave details out and really explains things. I really got the book, and I couldn’t guess what would happen next like with other books I read. I liked how it showed everything from an autistic boy’s (Jason’s) view. I like how Nora Raleign Baskin made her “Anything But Typical” very relatable to many people. She kind of made it so the reader could connect in some ways. She expanded what Jason was like, so a reader with a younger sibling could connect, and a reader who liked computers could connect. I could connect to him in some ways. I felt bad in some ways for the Jason’s mother. She would cry every time he would do something that autistic kids do. Like not being able to manage his actions. But I also felt that his mother cried about everything. Like when he wanted to go to a convention with his father instead of her. He ended up going with his mother anyway, though. I mostly felt bad for Jason though because nobody liked him at school because he was autistic. And he didn’t have any real friends. He thought he had a friend, but he had to sort of lie to be friends. So he didn’t have any true friends except for a girl on his favorite website. But he didn’t know her in person. The whole book is about Jason being scared of meeting the girl because he thought she wouldn’t like him. There were many memories of happy and sad times in Jason’s life. But I can’t give away the rest or I’ll ruin it! I’d suggest this book to all of my friends because I think they would all very much love “Anything But Typical” like I did.

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  3. Hannah P., Grade 5, SFEDecember 1, 2011 at 7:08 AM

    Anonymous was Hannah P., Grade 5, SFE.

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  4. Marie P, grade 5, SFEDecember 2, 2011 at 7:14 AM

    I have read the book, Anything But Typical and I thought that it was a very good book, but I thought that it was not very exciting. I thought this because I don’t like books without any action. This book was very good because it told a wonderful story of an autistic kid. The book told a story about a kid that really liked to write stories and was autistic. The boys name was Jason, and he was always being made fun of in school. This book was a very good book and it was very good at making it feel as if you were in the story with Jason. I thought that the story was not exciting because nothing happened other then; he thinks he has a friend that is on the computer, but is scared when he finds out that he will meet her in person. In the story, nothing that caught my attention really happened. The story part of the book was amazing because of how the book made you feel like you were really there, in the book. I thought that Anything But Typical was a wonderful story, but I thought that it was not very exciting.

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  5. Ellen L. Grade 5, Broad Rock Middle SchoolDecember 21, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    I loved Anything But Typical. I thought that Jason was funny. But it was sad that he was being made fun of in school. Nora Raleign Baskin put a lot of voicein the book and explained how Jason felt really well. The book wasn't as exiting as I thought it would be. I loved the book Anything But Typical!

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  6. Graceg, Broad Rock Middle SchoolDecember 21, 2011 at 9:17 AM

    I'v never read this book but it sounds really interesting and full of facts!!!!!! I'll try it!

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  7. sidneyH,5 grade broad rock middle schoolDecember 21, 2011 at 9:18 AM

    i like this book because i have a cousin that is autistic

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