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Waiting For Benjamin: A Story about Autism
Alexander's little brother, Benjamin, doesn't do things the way Alexander thinks he should. When Benjamin's family learns that he has autism, they hire special teachers to teach him how to listen and talk and play.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2008
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 12, 2013
I'm a mother of 2 Autistic boys. I rented this book from the library and I am so disappointed- seriously words like "wacko" do NOT belong in a book about Autism. None of my boys would be like this book-and I have one who is not Autistic...I am seriously disappointed, and those who know me know-I don't leave reviews like this-sad sad night when I attempted to read this with my kids. I'll stick to other good books that describe the happy life Autistic children can lead when loved.
February 12, 2017
I have to start of by saying that the coloured pencil illustrations are pretty creepy. Also, I don't know very much about autism, but this book did not go over well with people who know more about the condition than I do. The book does seem to give a rather narrow portrayal of a complex condition that has a spectrum. The book is supposed to be a source of comfort and information for children who have a sibling with autism, but overall, it is too simplistic for that.
October 28, 2020
Waiting for Benjamin is an inspiring story told through the eyes of Alexander, a young man whose brother has autism. The boy's brother's name is Benjamin. The story is narrated by Alexander who longs to have a close relationship with his brother and does not understand why he acts differently from others. The story is centered on the tumultuous relationships of Alexander, Benjamin, and their parents, as they all learn how to navigate through the adversity of raising a child with autism. Alexander describes the emotional challenges he faces with disappointment, anger, frustration, embarrassment, and solitary. These emotions are a consequence of Alexander feeling like he has to compete for his parents' love and attention since Benjamin seems to get all the accolades from his parent and therapists.
Alexander soon learns that the extra attention his brother receives is due to his disability, not because he is loved more. This revelation helped Alexander to be patient with his brother and gave him a clear understanding that his parents love him and Benjamin equally. After numerous interventions, Alexander and Benjamin begin to build a strong relationship, and eventually, Alexander gets what he always wanted, which was the ability to play and interact with his brother.
The genre is narrative fiction and a memoir of a child's experience. The book is appropriate for reading aloud to children because it is narrated in a way that children can relate to since the story is expressed through the voice of a child who has misconceptions about his brother's disability. The quality of the book is substantial because it gives children and parents an opportunity to explore all the emotional challenges a child may be facing from dealing with a sibling who has autism. The story has the ability to grab a child's attention because it is expressed in their terms. Children can recognize words they use in their daily lives such as play, blocks, castles, or blankets. The illustrations are depicted beautifully.
The illustrator does a good job of showing the characters' facial expressions. For example, children are able to see the anger in Alexander's face when he sees benjamin receiving toys from the therapists. The book is sensitive to the culture of children who struggle to understand and accept their siblings who have autism. The cultural considerations of the book are expressed when it shows the genuine lifestyles of the characters and how they interact with each other, amidst the complexities of living with a child who has autism. This story can be used as a reference to help families cope with the challenges of sibling rivalry in conjunction with autism.
Alexander soon learns that the extra attention his brother receives is due to his disability, not because he is loved more. This revelation helped Alexander to be patient with his brother and gave him a clear understanding that his parents love him and Benjamin equally. After numerous interventions, Alexander and Benjamin begin to build a strong relationship, and eventually, Alexander gets what he always wanted, which was the ability to play and interact with his brother.
The genre is narrative fiction and a memoir of a child's experience. The book is appropriate for reading aloud to children because it is narrated in a way that children can relate to since the story is expressed through the voice of a child who has misconceptions about his brother's disability. The quality of the book is substantial because it gives children and parents an opportunity to explore all the emotional challenges a child may be facing from dealing with a sibling who has autism. The story has the ability to grab a child's attention because it is expressed in their terms. Children can recognize words they use in their daily lives such as play, blocks, castles, or blankets. The illustrations are depicted beautifully.
The illustrator does a good job of showing the characters' facial expressions. For example, children are able to see the anger in Alexander's face when he sees benjamin receiving toys from the therapists. The book is sensitive to the culture of children who struggle to understand and accept their siblings who have autism. The cultural considerations of the book are expressed when it shows the genuine lifestyles of the characters and how they interact with each other, amidst the complexities of living with a child who has autism. This story can be used as a reference to help families cope with the challenges of sibling rivalry in conjunction with autism.
January 18, 2022
This is not the kind of book that you pick up and read for fun...at least, not unless you are on a march through the children's section in your public library like I am.
No, this is a book whose sole purpose is to prepare siblings and parents for what it is like to have a sibling with autism. It's trying to make it more understandable why things are happening and how to handle them.
I thought it did a good job of empathizing with both siblings and explaining how the older, with autism child, feels when the young, with autism, child seems to be taking over all of the affection of the parents. I think parents could find it useful so that they understand their children's problems and could get some solid strategies of what to do from it.
But, like I said, it's not really a story, it's more like a manual. And I personally found the art downright disturbing. All of the different paint strokes just looked frenetic and stressed me out.
Story: Narrative manual
Art: Frankly disturbing.
Price: $16.99
No, this is a book whose sole purpose is to prepare siblings and parents for what it is like to have a sibling with autism. It's trying to make it more understandable why things are happening and how to handle them.
I thought it did a good job of empathizing with both siblings and explaining how the older, with autism child, feels when the young, with autism, child seems to be taking over all of the affection of the parents. I think parents could find it useful so that they understand their children's problems and could get some solid strategies of what to do from it.
But, like I said, it's not really a story, it's more like a manual. And I personally found the art downright disturbing. All of the different paint strokes just looked frenetic and stressed me out.
Story: Narrative manual
Art: Frankly disturbing.
Price: $16.99
March 7, 2018
The book does not give a lot of information about autism, but describes the frustration of the family and specially his brother Alexander who wants to play with him and does not understand why his little brother behave that way, he wants the same attention Benjamin gets.
The main characters in this book are Alexander the older brother, Benjamin his younger brother with autism, and their parents.
I like the book from the view of the older brother how he struggles trying to understand his little brother behavior when he wants to play o interact with him.
I do not recommend this book for small children. Is no clear and adequate on my concept to include words that may harm others.
On the positive side can help to understand small children why other children does not act the same way other children does.
The main characters in this book are Alexander the older brother, Benjamin his younger brother with autism, and their parents.
I like the book from the view of the older brother how he struggles trying to understand his little brother behavior when he wants to play o interact with him.
I do not recommend this book for small children. Is no clear and adequate on my concept to include words that may harm others.
On the positive side can help to understand small children why other children does not act the same way other children does.
December 11, 2019
This is a wonderful book about two brothers and how one must find a way to cope with his brother's autism.
May 27, 2021
I find no fault in this book as a mother of an autistic boy. The drawings were a little creepy though.
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October 25, 2013In the book, "Waiting for Benjamin", Alexandra Altman discusses a young boy and the difficulties he has living at home with a brother who is autistic. Alexander, who is the brother that is typically developing gets upset when his brother Benjamin, who is autistic, don't do things with him that he enjoys. Alexander gets so mad at Benjamin that he becomes angry and sad that he even has a brother. Due to Benjamin's disability he sometimes have people to come by the house to assist him with his disability, this really makes Alexander upset. Within the story Alexander's parents share with him what's really going on with Benjamin. He learns that his brother is autistic which causes him to act the way he does. After getting informed Alexander kind of feel better towards his brother, finally understanding that Benjamin can't help the way he is. This book can be used in the classroom when I'm expressing emotions with my students. In life everyone gets mad at a certain point, but what are some ways we can channel that anger into doing things more positively. So this book will definitely be used when describing the different emotions. The illustrations within this book were very detailed. I believe the pictures will capture the attention of my students for sure.
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October 23, 2013This book is about having a brother with Autism from a little boy's perspective. The narrator, Alexander, wonders why his little brother, Benjamin, seems disconnected when he tries to play with him. When his family discovers that Benjamin has Autism, he begins to receive special services in the house. Although he feels neglected at times because Benjamin seems to be the center of attention, Alexander tries to understand his little brother after learning of his disability.
The author, Alexandra Jessup Altman, captures the voice of a playful older brother as she describes his countless attempts to communicate with Benjamin (ex. "I had to pull him over to the castle because I don't think he understands English.") and describes the behavior of those with Autism through Benjamin's actions (ex. "When Benjamin looks into the air, I wonder what he sees?") Although the author does not have a disability, I appreciate that she has worked with many children who have Autism. Susan Keeter's colorful, appealing illustrations capture listener's attention while the story is being read.
As a teacher, I would use this story to teach understanding and patience. Also, I would use this book to expose my students to Autism.
The author, Alexandra Jessup Altman, captures the voice of a playful older brother as she describes his countless attempts to communicate with Benjamin (ex. "I had to pull him over to the castle because I don't think he understands English.") and describes the behavior of those with Autism through Benjamin's actions (ex. "When Benjamin looks into the air, I wonder what he sees?") Although the author does not have a disability, I appreciate that she has worked with many children who have Autism. Susan Keeter's colorful, appealing illustrations capture listener's attention while the story is being read.
As a teacher, I would use this story to teach understanding and patience. Also, I would use this book to expose my students to Autism.
Read
May 7, 2014Written from Alexander’s perspective, this is a story about he and his two-year-old brother Benjamin who is diagnosed with autism. They live with both of their parents and quite a bit of attention is directed toward Benjamin by people who come to the house to work with him in addition to their parents. Alexander describes all the feelings he has surrounding his brother’s autism; embarrassment to have people over because Benjamin acts in ways Alexander believes he "shouldn't", jealousy due to all the doting on Benjamin, and frustration with Benjamin’s behavior. Readers follow Alexander’s journey as he finds his place within the family and forges a relationship with Benjamin as he gets older and is able to interact and play with Alexander.
This fully illustrated book is written for Pre K-grade 2 students. It fits the genre of realistic fiction because Alexander’s life is similar to many families but it is not based on any one individual’s experience. This book would be particularly helpful for a counselor who works with students who have siblings with special needs. It is also appropriate as a read aloud book for K & 1 students, as all children need educational experiences that help them relate to students with special needs.
This fully illustrated book is written for Pre K-grade 2 students. It fits the genre of realistic fiction because Alexander’s life is similar to many families but it is not based on any one individual’s experience. This book would be particularly helpful for a counselor who works with students who have siblings with special needs. It is also appropriate as a read aloud book for K & 1 students, as all children need educational experiences that help them relate to students with special needs.
April 12, 2010
This book gives children a peek into the life of a young boy with an autistic brother. It shows the many feelings a child has as they try to understand and cope with the demands of an autistic sibling. This book is a great way to help children see that autism is a difficult thing that affects a whole family, and the whole family needs love, support, patience, and understanding. The best way to show this love and support is with kindness.
May 7, 2008
Warm, realistic artwork and candid first person narrative highlight the hidden hopes and hardships of an easily overlooked sibling to a special needs child.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
October 27, 2008
This defintiley has a place in families and classrooms for children affected by relatives with autism. This book is not about the boy with autism, but about his brother instead. There is a lot of text, so I wouldn't recommend this for a read aloud unless for older elementary children. I do think this book would work for younger children one-on-one.
August 26, 2016
I think this would be a good book for siblings of autistic children to help them learn patience and accommodation for their disabled siblings. However, I don't know that I would recommend this for reading to autistic children because some of the examples of exclusion, while honest, may cause triggers, especially for highly sensitive children.
May 14, 2016
I previewed this book to read to my children in hopes that it would help them understand my son's autism. It does not match our situation and I felt that certain parts would not be appropriate to read to them. I also disliked the illustrations.
November 25, 2008
geared towards siblings of children with autism, this book addresses their feelings of embarrassment, disappointment and frustration.
March 31, 2009
Absolutely wonderful book about autism, written from the perspective of a sibling. I cried reading it!
November 11, 2009
Nice point of view of brother who has stress over his brothers autism. Plot time line jumps very suddenly making it feel as if everything was corrected quickly.
March 14, 2010
I enjoyed this book. The kids at Sibshop could relate to the story. Everyone at Sibshop has a sibling with a disability. One little girl kept saying, "My sister does that."
October 6, 2010
This book is great for teaching students about others students with special needs. Encourages students to accept everyones differences.
February 20, 2013
A sweet story about a brother who is dealing with his younger brother's diagnosis.
October 15, 2014
Learning to relate to those that are different. Also good for siblings of special needs children.
April 30, 2017
The author wrote this for parents of children with autism to read with their other children. Altman begins with a forward explaining how siblings of children with autism often feel, and this book is like a good counseling session. I could see how it would validate that sibling's feelings and provide an opportunity to share those feelings in a healthy way. Bibliotherapy.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews