Strange Sayings and Confusing Conversations: Short stories for autistic kids about the weird things people say

by Debby Elley

Why do people sometimes say the opposite of what they mean? Why do they pretend to like terrible gifts? And...perhaps the oddest thing of all, why use a weird phrase to describe something instead of basic words? I'm pretty sure I'd rather be in trouble than 'in hot soup', as they say!

Welcome to the ultimate confusion-busting guide to the use of slang, sarcasm and the confusing conversations that hurt our heads! Over seven stories, we uncover what you can do when the people around you insist on being super-hard to understand (and what they should do to help)!

Packed with humour and brilliant illustrations by Tim Stringer, this book is the perfect companion for autistic children trying to navigate non-literal conversational customs.

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2025

Reviews

[Karen Mazzaferri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting something different with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. It comes with 7 stories, and most have been identified as areas very difficult for kids on the spectrum. I found the stories unique and fun, even the one with the dog. I think this would be a great book to read to a class of students. Class discussion can focus on the content of the story and can be beneficial to many students, not just those on the spectrum.
I also found the discussion page after each story a nice stepping stone to further the conversation.
All and all this is a nice little book with some great black and white art.