Nonfiction Books

Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome?: A Guide for Friends and Family

Jude Welton

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $5.27

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Science, Nature & How It Works -> Health -> Diseases -> Nonfiction
Subjects -> Children's Books -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Disorders & Diseases -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good basic book in very simple language 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

It is important to remember with any book you purchase regarding Aspergers and Autism that people on the Autism spectrum are not "cookie-cutter-cases". Each person is an individual and no book will cover ALL aspects. This book is written in a childs voice and is very easy to understand. Are you going to walk away from reading it profoundly enlightened? No. Are you going to have a more simplistic understanding of the day to day situations and life of a child with Asp? Yes. I purchased this book for my son's grandparents, his older brother and for him. It gives him a voice and something to relate too (not on all issues, but most). The book is extremely easy to read and fast. I read through the entire book in under an hour while helping my son with his homework. A great addition to your personal and lending library.

Editorial Review:

Meet Adam - a young boy with AS. Adam invites young readers to learn about AS from his perspective. In this book, Adam helps children understand the difficulties faced by a child with AS; he tells them what AS is, what it feels like to have AS and how they can help children with AS by understanding their differences and appreciating their many talents. This book is ideally suited for boys and girls between 7 and 15 years old and also serves as an excellent starting point for family and classroom discussions.

Fever 1793

Laurie Halse Anderson

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Aladdin Amazon Marketplace: 127 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> United States -> Fiction -> Colonial

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 299 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

On the heels of her acclaimed contemporary teen novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson surprises her fans with a riveting and well-researched historical fiction. Fever 1793 is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in Philadelphia that wiped out 5,000 people--or 10 percent of the city's population--in three months. At the close of the 18th century, Philadelphia was the bustling capital of the United States, with Washington and Jefferson in residence. During the hot mosquito-infested summer of 1793, the dreaded yellow fever spread like wildfire, killing people overnight. Like specters from the Middle Ages, gravediggers drew carts through the streets crying "Bring out your dead!" The rich fled to the country, abandoning the city to looters, forsaken corpses, and frightened survivors.

In the foreground of this story is 16-year-old Mattie Cook, whose mother and grandfather own a popular coffee house on High Street. Mattie's comfortable and interesting life is shattered by the epidemic, as her mother is felled and the girl and her grandfather must flee for their lives. Later, after much hardship and terror, they return to the deserted town to find their former cook, a freed slave, working with the African Free Society, an actual group who undertook to visit and assist the sick and saved many lives. As first frost arrives and the epidemic ends, Mattie's sufferings have changed her from a willful child to a strong, capable young woman able to manage her family's business on her own. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager, A True Story from Her Diary

Anonymous Teenager

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperTeen Amazon Marketplace: 152 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Issues -> Illness
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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Issues -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 184 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Why lie about it? 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

"It was like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir began singing the "Hallelujah" chorus. ..."

"... more spiritual than anything I had ever heard, even the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the ..."

"... loud dissonant combo but . . . well, like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Hallelujah Chorus..."

These lines are from three different journals supposedly written by three entirely different real-life teenagers.

Er...supposedly...

If Beatrice wanted to write fiction, why didn't she just CALL it fiction?

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I read this book in eight grade english and I'm now a sophomore in college. This semster we were asked to make a list of all the books we have ever read and then name one of those that you still remember or is your favorite from the list. My list included The Glass Castle, Marquise of O, The Freedom Train, Hamelet(more of a play), The Merchant of Venice(again more of a play), The Dairy of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, and It Happend to Nancy. When I looked at that list I just couldn't chose any of those books over It Happend to Nancy. It gave a realestic account of what it was like to be a teenager living with HIV/AIDS and diffenatley made me think twice before I made decision because for all I know I could've been Nancy or my sister could've been.

Editorial Review:

The editor of the classic GO ASK ALICE has compiled the poignant journals of a 14-year-old date-rape victim who contracted AIDS and died.

Asperger's Huh? A Child's Perspective

John Strachan, Rosina G. Schnurr

Amazon Price: $20.00 List Price: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Anisor Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $19.00

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Science, Nature & How It Works -> Health -> Diseases -> Nonfiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This book is going right into my shopping cart! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Asperger's Huh? A Child's Perspective The review quoted - in part - below has convinced me to purchase this book: it was very helpful in my decision, which I have been thinking about for us and our recently diagnosed grandson. I was ready to purchase it, but started seeing the negative reviews, even though there were more positive ones.

I never read many reviews before, but will now. Thank you to all the people who send them. The ones for this topic, and, in particular, this book, have been very helpful to me. This is my first review.

Dreamdog's review:
My son (age 7) and I have enjoyed reading this book together. I considered buying it for over a year, but was discouraged by the negative reviews here.

When I finally got it, I was puzzled by some of the criticisms leveled at the book. Going through the book with your child and pointing out the ways in which he/she is both similar to and different from the narrator is a great way to practice understanding similarities and differences among people in general.

I recommend this book highly. Again please note: this is a partial review.

Editorial Review:

A book for children ages 6 - 12 who have Asperger's Disorder.

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio

Peg Kehret

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Albert Whitman & Company Amazon Marketplace: 4 new & used starting at $10.85

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Memoirs
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Specific Groups -> Special Needs
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Specific Groups -> Women

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great for Mother/Daughter Book Clubs 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is a must if you are looking for a book for your Mother/Daugther book club. We read it when our daughters were 10 yrs. old, but you could certainly be older. All the moms loved it.

Completely fascinating! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My daughter, age 9, was assigned to read this book as part of a Reading Olympics program in her school. I found it at the library and read the first chapter to her while we were still in the library. She did not want me to stop reading. We read it together every night after she had finished her homework. She was so fascinated with Peg Kehret's story that she would work hard to finish her homework in order to leave time for reading before bed. I highly recommend this book for older elementary and middle school age children. The author offers a very engaging glimpse of her experience as a child their age going through an enormously difficult and challenging ordeal. Her courage and humor in the face of her disease will give children insight into coping skills they can use someday.

Editorial Review:

Ten years ago, In a riveting story of courage and hope, Peg Kehret wrote of months spent in a hospital when she was twelve, first struggling to survive a severe case of polio, then slowly learning to walk again. The book deeply touched readers of all ages and received many awards and honors. This anniversary edition includes an updated and extended epilogue about the author's experiences since the original publication. It also includes twelve pages of new photos and a lengthy section about polio, past and present.

This 10th Anniversary Edition will inspire a whole new generation of readers. Those readers who already love it will find themselves reaching for it one more time.

Germs Are Not for Sharing (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)

Elizabeth Verdick

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Free Spirit Publishing - Model: 9781575421964 Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $3.09

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Features:

• Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind.
• Top Quality Children's Item.

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great book on preventing Germ Transmission 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Simple and to the point. Great book for the very young child on what to do when you sneeze, blow your nose, etc. It isn't a book about "just washing hands", it covers more than washing hands and opens up the opportunity to discuss when and where we find germs. Wonderful illustrations - bright and colorful.

Wow! It's great. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old and it quickly became his favorite book.

Now when it's time to wash his hands he tells me! He is always telling me "Germs are not for sharing." He also asks me for a tissue when he needs one and has stopped eating food that has hit the floor.

I think the charm of this book is the fact that it uses words like Achoo, Cough, Gurgle, Flush -- that I can say in a way that really gets his attention.

2 Thumbs up!

Editorial Review:

Achoo! Cough! F-L-U-S-H! What to do In childcare, in preschool, at home, and everywhere, toddlers need to learn that germs are not for sharing. Rather than focus on what germs are, this book teaches the basics of not spreading them: Cover up a sneeze or cough. Hug or blow kisses when youre sick. And most of all, wash your hands! Child-friendly words and full-color illustrations help little ones stay clean and healthy. Includes tips and ideas for parents and caregivers.24 page illustrated 7 x 7 inch, full-color board book.

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book)

Jim Murphy

Amazon Price: $12.24 List Price: $18.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Clarion Books Amazon Marketplace: 79 new & used starting at $3.60

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> United States -> Colonial & Revolutionary

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

1793, Philadelphia. The nation's capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown . . .
In a powerful, dramatic narrative, critically acclaimed author Jim Murphy describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city's residents, relating the epidemic to the major social and political events of the day and to 18th-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city—and all his papers—while escaping the deadly contagion. The search for the fever's causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward, provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege.

Thoroughly researched, generously illustrated with fascinating archival prints, and unflinching in its discussion of medical details, this book offers a glimpse into the conditions of American cities at the time of our nation's birth while drawing timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. Bibliography, map, index.

Balto and the Great Race (Stepping Stone)

Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Amazon Price: $3.99 List Price: $3.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Random House Books for Young Readers Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Dogs -> Nonfiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A teacher in PA 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book if you are interested in the Iditarod race in Alaska.The book helps young children understand the importance of perserverence and is a great introduction to history for the very young (6-8).A true story that inspires people to understand the bond between animals and people.

Balto: not just for kids 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 15 people found this review helpful.

We purchased this book after seeing the real Balto (courtesy of the art of taxidermy) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Our quest in Northeast Ohio, where Balto enjoyed his senior years, was prompted by my seven year-old daughter's love-affair with the animated film about this dog, who navigated a lost sled team carrying life-saving medicine through Alaska in 1925. I hereby confess publicly that, after myself reading the book, which is aimed at the 9 year-old set, I cried, much as I had done 35 years before after reading "Lassie Come Home." This account, however, is much more compelling than "Lassie" or "Old Yeller," because it entirely factual (possibly excepting the subjective thoughts imputed to the protagonist).

The author did her homework researching this story about a sled dog who was just one of the pack facing poor odds against daunting weather and unrequiting expanses of blinding snow and ice. When the alpha dog loses the trail, and another refuses to lead, the team turns to Balto to bring them and their cargo safely to rest in Nome.

Perhaps Balto deserves an authentic, grown-up biography, but this one will serve in the meantime. It appears to be the definitive account.

Editorial Review:

Balto has a quiet life as a sled dog—until tragedy strikes. Dozens of children in Nome become sick with diphtheria. Without antitoxin serum, they will perish—and the closest supply is 650 miles away! The only way to get the serum to Nome is by sled, but can the dogs deliver it in time? Heading bravely into a brutal blizzard, Balto leads the race for life.

A Kansas City Children’s Book Award for Grades 1–3

What About Me?: When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick

Allan Peterkin

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Magination Press Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $5.07

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Editorial Review:

Laura experiences conflicting emotions when her brother becomes seriously ill. Includes suggestions for parents to help their well children cope with a chronically ill sibling.

Putting on the Brakes: Young People's Guide to Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Patricia O. Quinn, Judith M. Stern

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Magination Press Amazon Marketplace: 17 new & used starting at $4.97

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book moved me to tears 5 out of 5 stars.
51 of 51 people found this review helpful.

I came across this book in a local children's hospital resource library. The first page describes a speeding race car with no brakes, and how it might go off the road or even crash. Page two goes on to draw a parellel between this race car, and and explains that having ADHD is a lot like being a race car with no brakes, 'You have a great engine with lots of thinking power, and a good, strong body, but no brakes'. I broke down crying right there in the middle of the library - it was like finally getting inside my child's head and knowing how he feels and why he just doesn't seem to know when to quit.

As my son and I read it together, he was also drawn in by these parallels, and fascinated by the sections that explain how the brain works, and the theories behind what causes neurobiological ADHD (as opposed to other possible causes of ADHD, like head trauma, lead exposure, etc). He is seven, and there were several words he was not familiar with, but the book explains 'synapses' and 'neurotransmitters' well, and a brief explanation from me on other vocab words was all it took for him to grasp the concepts.

Editorial Review:

When young people learn they have attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity, they often have many questions, doubts, and fears. Written from both a pediatric and an educational perspective, this highly successful book - now available in a new edition - attempts to address their questions and needs. ADD and ADHD specialist Patricia O. Quinn, inducted into the CHADD Hall of Fame in 2000, and her coauthor, Judith M. Stern, have revised and expanded Putting on the Brakes, including a thoroughly updated chapter on the latest advances in medications and recommended treatment programs that help children manage their disorder.