Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes

by Jennifer Elder, Marc Thomas (Illustrator)

Different Like Me introduces children aged 8 to 12 years to famous, inspirational figures from the world of science, art, math, literature, philosophy and comedy. Eight-year-old Quinn, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, tells young readers about the achievements and characteristics of his autism heroes, from Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey and Wassily Kandinsky to Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Banneker and Julia Bowman Robinson, among others. All excel in different fields, but are united by the fact that they often found it difficult to fit in-just like Quinn. Fully illustrated in colour and written in child-friendly language, this book will be a wonderful resource for children, particularly children with autism, their parents, teachers, carers and siblings.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction, Childrens, Parenting, Picture Books, History, Aspergers

48 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2005

Reviews

[coywolfling · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is a bit dated and treats Asperger's (an ableist functioning label) as a separate diagnosis from Autism, which researchers now understand not to be the case

i enjoy the speculation that a lot of creative and interesting, though mostly white, historical figures may have been Autistic, particularly Benjamin Banneker and Hans Christian Andersen, but i wish they hadn't included Temple Grandin as a 'role model for autistic people all over the world.' Grandin, who supported eugenicist eradication of Autistic folks arbitrarily deemed 'low-functioning' well before the publication of this book. Grandin who presently promotes ABA, a torturous 'therapy' with the goal of compelling Autistic children to behave in a more neurotypical fashion at costly expense to our mental health and which many Autistic people refer to as 'Autism conversion therapy' because it was developed by Ivar Lovaas who later adapted its radical behaviorist principles in the pioneering of gay conversion therapy. Grandin who endorsed electric shock as punishment for non-compliant Autistic children residing in the Judge Rotenberg Center, which thankfully was at last banned by the FDA in March of this year. Grandin who supports the anti-Autistic anti-vaxxer organisation TACA (Talk About Curing Autism), which has advocated for subjecting Autistic children to chelation and bleach enemas among other potentially fatal quack 'cures'

i also can't say i feel very proud being compared to Emmanuel Kant, who played a central role in the development of scientific racism, or Diann Fossey, the neoclonial primatologist who, while studying the gorilla population in Rwanda, kidnapped, sexually assaulted and tortured the locals as part of her 'active conservation' campaign, but hey, at least she wasn't bent on eradicating the target audience of the book, so far as i'm aware

as a semi-verbal Autistic reader who might be deemed 'low-functioning' by many of the authors in the 'Further Reading' lists at the end of the book, my biggest concern is that Autism parents will get their hands on this and, thinking it will help them better understand the condition, read the trash recommended for adults, such as Uta Frith's Autism: Explaining the Enigma, or Simon Baron-Cohen's The Essential Difference: The Truth About the Male and Female Brain. (Baron-Cohen has probably done more damage to the Autistic community than anyone since Lovaas, with his asinine 'extreme male brain' theory and debunked theory of mind b.s.)

so maybe read this and enjoy the pretty pictures, but please talk to your kids about why functioning labels do more harm than good, and don't rely on the recommended reading as a source of valuable information about Autism

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book but was hoping there was more information on why the author believed these people had autism. Still I enjoyed learning about the different people in this book.

[Michelle Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you about the day I received this in the mail from B&N. I had ordered it after seeing it very briefly in the book store... I didn't look at it originally long enough to see that there is a frame story, delivered by a little boy, 8 years old. His name is Quinn, and he's diagnosed with high functioning autism.

At the time I received the book, I didn't know about the narrator. I opened the book, to read the introduction by 'Quinn.' He introduced himself, explained that he doesn't always think like other kids, and that his doctor tells him he has autism.

I burst into tears. I have a child, diagnosed with PDD-NOS -- a form of high functioning autism. My child is Quinn. I'm serious. Not that he's just like the Quinn in the book, but he is actually named Quinn, and he is high-functioning autistic. I bawled like a baby. Then I read this book cover to cover, sitting on my kitchen chair.

It gave me so much perspective. Mondrian's cubist paintings, the ones all my life I didn't understand, suddenly made perfect sense in the light of an autistic mind. I can, as a direct result of this book, and my desperate attempts to understand my child, see the world in a different light. I encourage any parent, or friend, of a child who falls somewhere on the spectrum to take a look at this book, to see what little bits of the world it opens to them.

[TheAuDHDTeacher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay book. Unfortunately most people cited in it are dead and therefore not relatable for children. Book also uses person first language which is a major negative for this book.

[Christine (AR) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. We've always told our oldest (who explained four-dimensional-space to me on his way to kindergarten one day) that his ASD is a gift in so many ways, and reading about all of these brilliant, creative people who most likely had Asperger's Syndrome just re-inforces it. Or as my husband said, after we read a few sections out loud, "Hey. I want Asperger's, too."

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non fiction book told by a little boy who is autistic - tells the story of different famous people in history who were either autistic (Temple Grandin), or did things differently. Great book for younger readers (Juvenile?) who are trying to understand why they are different and need examples or role models.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book.

It did what I was hoping it would, which was give my autistic kiddo (9) who feels different from his classmates some examples of people throughout history who were different and did all kinds of unusual and cool things. It reinforced the idea that thinking differently can result in really interesting new ideas and discoveries.

It doesn't quite come right out and say all those people were probably autistic, but it does hint at it by highlighting some of their more autistic-like traits and quirks.

Not everyone featured in the book is a good role model however as several of them also did some very not cool things (which aren't covered in this book). And the book uses person-first language throughout which I know many autistic people don't like.

I also didn't delve into any of the recommended reading in the back of the book, and from a few other reviews it was probably a good idea to skip them.

[Mia Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes" by Jennifer Elder is about a boy named Quin with autism who discusses a bunch of famous people like Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton who might have had autism. This book is made up of a bunch of biographies each about a different person. My mom recommended this book to me because she saw it at the library and she works for a mental healthcare company. I rated this book 4 stars and no less or more because although I liked how I got to learn about tons of different people who used their talents to become stars in history, I have read better biographies. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read biography books.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flawed in that there is no documentation or reason given for including any of these people in the book. Interesting in pointing out famous and accomplished people who could have been on the spectrum.

[Diana Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Famous Autistics

This book is just what autistic children need. So many of the people we admire were autistic . There are more not mentioned here, but this is a good start.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an adult and I learned from these. Great book All around

[Luisa Zhuravleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learning about the diverse talents and skillsets that many people with autism are gifted with. I also did not know that Albert Einstein had the condition; that was interesting to learn.

[Terri Skipworth]

Title: Elder, J. (2005). Different like me: My book of autism heroes. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishing.

Citation by: Terri Skipworth

Type of Reference: Bibliography

Call number: 618.92 Eld

Grade level: Elementary

Content/Scope:
This book is written from the perspective of a young boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He tells about his famous heroes with autism including- Albert Einstein, Dian Fossey, Lewis Carroll and others. This book is written for children ages 8-12 years old. It contains 48 pages of text and illustrations.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias:
Jessica Kingsley Publishers is an independent publishing company that states their mission is to publish books that make a difference. They are known for their books on Autism, social work and art therapies.

Arrangement/Presentation:
This book is a hardcover bibliography of various famous persons with autism. It is written from the perspective of a young boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. It contains 48 pages of text and illustrations.

Relation to other works:
This is a unique resource for children with autism that is written about famous people in history that more than likely had autism themselves. This book will go a long way to allow students with autism to not feel so different from others and to allow them to feel good about the things that make them special.

Accessibility/Diversity:
This book is a great resource for students with Autism. This book will allow them to read the biography of various persons with Autism. The compilation is a great way for a young person to feel like even if they feel different, they can accomplish great things.

Cost: 15.26

Review: Crainer, B. (2012). A review of different like me: A book of autism heroes, retrieved from: http://www.examiner.com/review/a-revi....

[Elyse Salpeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down a great book and one of the only ones out there that showcases famous/talented people with autism or asperger's but presents it to children on the spectrum so they can "see themselves" in these people. I actually used this book to discuss autism to my son who has Asperger's and used the book to help him understand his condition - that there is nothing wrong with him at all, but just our brains are all wired differently and look at all the amazing things these people, and he, can do. Told through the eyes of a little boy on the spectrum, it's very relateable and I recommend it highly!

[Pamela Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely and inspiring book for kids on the spectrum. My 5th grade son found it on a good reads search of books about autism. It is a series of mini biographies of men and women who are guessed to be or have been clearly delineated as being on the spectrum with a discussion of each person's major accomplishments. My son and I would read one biography a night. My son really liked this book and I found it well structured for the younger target audience with out being childish or sappy. This is an excellent book for any child age 6 to 14 (I would guess the reading level is probably 3rd to 4th grade) who is looking for positive images about people on the spectrum.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Checked this out for my 9 year old who says there is no one else who is like her in the entire world and that she will never fit in. It's important to note that the book does not say anywhere that the famous people here have autism (except for Temple Grandin who has an actual diagnosis). Instead, these personalities are presented as quirky folks who just didn't fit in but were or are amazing in their areas of interest and talent. My daughter likes it so far and has told me that she feels better after reading the first few entries.

[Simona M · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is possible that a few of them to have Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism where the person has a high IQ but deficient social skills, among other things.So it's not about a classic autism. Anyway, just because they were solitary people, with a social anxiety disorder or with an introversion personality doesn't mean they had any form of autism.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

An excellent idea in theory with extremely poor execution. It is clear that a parent of a child with autism wrote this book rather than an individual who actually has experience living with autism. This book should be so much more empowering than it actually is. It has language that is very dated and seems to promote tokenism rather than celebrating individuality.

[Dee (dees_book_blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was good. it was given to us when we found out both of our children had autism. it was good to read about the famous people with autism, some on whom I knew had autism, others I didn't.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is a childrens book but I didn't know all of these people had forms of Autism or Aspergers. Fascinating!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enlightening!

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old loved this book. The day it arrived he sat a read it cover to cover and think everyone should read it so they understand him

[Belinda Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book to R.J. he was so excited to know how many successful people have autism like he does! So, it melted my heart right away! And it really is cool to put things in perspective.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an excellent book. It gives a short biographical sketch of some amazing and brilliant people who were/are a bit different from what most people consider "normal". All children should have a chance to read it.