Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Mockingbird, Kathryn Erskine.  New York: Philomel Books/ Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2010.  e-book, 129 pps.


Caitlin is a fifth grader with diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome.  Her older brother Devon was a great kid who often took the time to explain things to her.  But Devon died suddenly.  Both Caitlin and her dad are drifting and lost.

Caitlin likes to look up words in her dictionary.  She finds the word "closure" and begins hunting for how to do that.  Along the way, she makes a friend.

sapphoq reviews says:  Kathryn Erskine did a fine job portraying the rich inner life of an Aspie girl.  The dialogue [in italics] flows nicely.  The characters are rich and three-dimensional.  Mockingbird was a easy book to love.  Highly recommended.

Aspergirls by Rudy Simone

Aspergirls, Rudy Simone.  London: Kingsley, Jessica Publishers, 2010.  e-book, 206 pps.


Rudy Simone's daughter has Asperger's.  Because Asperger's presents somewhat differently in girls [and women], the diagnosis is often missed.  Many of the studies done about folks on the autism spectrum in general and about folks who are aspies specifically are conducted on male subjects.  Of late, there has been some question about whether or not the common perception that "mostly males get this" is correct.  Just like the idea that the cute little boys with autism cease to attract attention as adult men with autism-- perhaps they grow out of it or perhaps they ingest invisibility crackers-- so is the idea that little girls and women just don't have autism often.  

The author alternates between narratives about the things that have happened to her daughter and what she has experienced as a mother of a female with Asperger's.  At the end of each chapter is a list of tips for aspergirls and separate tips for the parents.  Intermingled with the narrative are snapshots of girls and women who have Asperger's.

Now that the D.S.M. 5 has come out and further muddied the waters by declaring auties and aspies to all be part of something called Autism Spectrum Disorder, it will be interesting to  find out whether or not most folks-- men and women, boys and girls-- who fit in the aspie camp will be ignored.

sapphoq reviews says:  Although Rudy Simone briefly admits that a few folks with Asperger's have a bisexual orientation [without actually using the word "bisexual"] she does not address lesbianism in aspie teens and women.  This I think is an oversight that should have been addressed.  Lesbian and bisexual intimate relationships work a bit differently from heterosexual relationships.  It is not merely a matter of, "We do the same things you do in bed.  It's just that my partner is the same gender."  Aside from that, Aspergirls is certainly a valuable and readable book for aspies who are female, their parents, and others who are interested in the subject.  Recommended.