A Friend Like Simon

by Kate Gaynot

This is a special education childrens picture books that introduces autism. When an autistic child joins a mainstream school, many children can find it difficult to understand and cope with a student that is somewhat ‘different’ to them. This story encourages other children to be mindful and patient of the differences that exist and to also appreciate the positive contribution that an autistic child can make to the group - See more

Genres: Picture Books, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Disability, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction

28 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2009

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy named Simon joins narrator Matthew's class. Simon has special needs. I liked some aspects of this, like showing the complexity of why a child like Matthew might feel unsure about a friendship with Simon, but I didn't like that. leaving people out was labeled something that horrible Hettie would do and then she was left out. I also don't think it was fair to Simon to say he was the same as everyone else when he wasn't. I think it would have been better to say he was different, but still deserved to be treated with the same kindness and compassion everyone does

[Becca Akins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this picture book. It is perfect to introduce kids to the concept of autism

[Grace Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a book written by perspective of a boy named Matthew and how he becomes friend with Simon, a new boy at school who is autistic. At first Matthew tried to be friend with Simon, but due to the behaviors caused by Autism, Simon is hard to get to know of. Simon acts and talks differently than the other children, so Matthew gets annoyed. Later at a school field trip, Simon fights back with the mean girl, Hattie, and Matthew thanks Simon and becomes friend. Later Matthew and other kids understand that Simon is same as everyone else and becomes good friends.

It is an amazing book that I would recommend for children who are starting new school year where there is a child with any disabilities in the class, because it gives a good lesson about how everyone is same in the way of wanting good friends. Children will understand how hard is to accept other children who looks or acts differently than themselves but at the end they are all same people and leaving someone out is not good. The illustrations on this book also goes along well with the story so children will find it easier to understand. Reading this book to the children will able them to think about their surrounding peers and how different they all are but all are likeable and can be friends. I like how at the end the book promotes discussion by asking if the children have any friends like Simon, and to share stories if so. Parents at home could also read this book to the kids to remind them to act kind to other peers.

[Rebeca Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

When reading the book, the main character is seen from Matthew's perspective. It was like a typical day, Matthew introduces his friend Simon when he joined the last school year. Matthew recalls his experience with the first day of school for Simon. When Matthew met him, the boy was shy and had an assistant teacher to be with him. A few times, Simon was seen as different from Matthew and saw what made him "weird." He would get really frustrated with the way Simon's behaviors, and Matthew would avoid him. One day, he had to pair up in the bus ride and Simon looked out the window. Simon would sometimes repeat his words, and after the trip, he would join with the rest of the class. Matthew then realizes that Simon is like the other kids, so he encourages others to be kind to others. The illustrations are simple and colorful with the use of light and dark colors. There is a variety with the use of double-spread pages, single-paged, long perspective, and other artistic features that made the book engaging.

I liked the view that the book showed from an outside view. Matthew observes the behaviors seen from his classmate, then he understands and becomes his good friend. This book would be useful for kids to become aware and learn about autism at their level. From their perspective, students may notice these differences too and become sympathetic to others.

[Raquel Nunez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simon was an autistic kid, and Matthew was his friend. Matthew continued to try to be his friend, but he found a hard time being his friend due to his autism behaviors. Simon acts differently than everyone else at school. Despite his differences, the other students in the class came to understand him and became friends with Simon. I think this is a great read; for those who may have knowledge of or be part of and special education class. It is a good lesson to teach to other students who are not used to being around other students who have disabilities. By reading this book, it can help children to think about their surrounding peers. I like how this book can bring about a lot of great discussion questions. Why Simon doesn't like to talk that much or play with others as often. By teaching this to children at a young age; helps them be more generally socialized, with all different kinds of kids, not just kids who are just like them but also like others who are different. Then to take that extra step at how to understand others who are different by asking questions. This isn't my favorite read but it is something that parents should educate their children on so that people who have disabilities are not treated poorly because of their differences.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story book about a young boy, named Simon, who is attending school, portraying a few common traits of autism. For example, his wanting to be alone instead of playing at times, avoiding eye contact, not liking changes, being upset easily and overreacting, at times. The book shows how the other students come to understand and work with the boy's unique nature. Another side to Simon is seen. Friendships are formed and it shows how he is a valuable friend to have.

The "Notes for Grown Up's", at the back of the book, gave a helpful definition:
"Autism is a condition that affects the normal development of the brain in areas of social interaction and communication." Generally, the authors say, signs appear as "developmental delay" before 3 years old.
They then listed other traits an autistic child may or may not have - individual differences in how autism is manifested.

I the first time I read this book, I was, honestly, not that impressed. After the second time, however, I changed my mind. It is a very simple book, but it can be a valuable aid for discussion with children.

[Kayla Angeletti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice story! I loved how Matthew, one of the main characters, was very friendly and was willing to be Simon's first friend. The book is told in Matthew's point of view, and throughout the book he talks about how Simon gets help from a special teacher and how Simon does things differently than the other students. He saw that some of the things that Simon did was that he would get upset about small things. At first when Matthew realized that Simon rarely wanted to hang out, he noticed he didn't want friends until he actually talked to Simon on a school trip. On the trip there was a bully messing with Matthew and Simon actually told the bully something which caused Matthew to ask Simon if he wanted to hang out. I do not fully understand why he didn't just ask him that in the first place rather than wait for him to do something nice and then ask. Other than that, the pictures were very nice, but not very eye catching. I would read this book again.

[Neona Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book begins with a little boy name Mathew who start to introduce us to little boy name Simon. He tells us how his teacher told him how Simon would be joining their class. She told them Simon would be doing activities with them but sometimes he would get help from another teacher. Mathew tells how Simon seem different from the other kids and wasn’t sure if he wanted him to be his friend. One day on a school trip the teacher paired Mathew and Simon together. After the field trip Mathew realize how having a friend like Simon is great.

I would recommend this book to any teacher who have a class with a kid with autism. This book shows children how children with autism is different in a children friendly way. It also shows children that even though someone may be different from you, you can still be friends with them.

[Sereen Hudaib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon is a new child in the classroom who is different and acts different than other kids, Simon doesn't like to play with others often, he is also sensitive to noises and doesn't like changes. Also, many kids find it too difficult to understand him or be friends with him, Simon does not speak much, and a lot of times he repeats the words that others say. Still, he is very kind and likes to share food or help his friends sometimes, and that was very okay, after the field trip a lot of the other children wanted to be his friend.

I would recommend A Friend Like Simon to teachers and parents who have an autistic child. I also recommend this book to be read to any regular child. This book is for special education that introduces children to autism; it teaches children to be mindful and patient about the differences that autistic children could have, it also introduces children to the contribution that an autistic child could add to the classroom. This book is excellent for class use. The illustrations of the book are very attractive, visually appealing, and engaging to children.

[Taylor Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book does a good job of trying to show what a new school can be like for students who have autism. This book could be a great tool for students to look at to learn better ways to interact with peers of theirs that may have autism. This is one of the first books I have read that has actually spoke about a child with autism so I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn more about it myself as well.

[Emily Molzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I really enjoyed how it was written from Matthew's point-of-view, because it shows how some young children may feel when they first try to befriend other children with autism. This book highlights how kids like Simon are amazing and are no different from everybody else. This book would be amazing to read to any young kids going into things like school with kids that have disabilities, or even in general!

[Jackie Devaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Friend Like Simon" by Kate Gaynor tells the story of a young boy named Matthew who befriends a boy named Simon with autism. This book promotes inclusion and empathy towards individuals with autism. The book provides an accurate portrayal of the experiences of children with autism and helps to promote understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity among classmates. It can also create discussions on bullying and how to deal with it appropriately.

[Iggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Simon joins Matthews class, Matthew tries to make friends. He discovers that Simon is a bit different. He gets upset easily and likes to be alone. Simon has autism. At the school trip, Simon says NO! to a bully! Matthew realizes its ok to be different, and he's happy to have a friend like Simon. This book is useful in the classroom because it helps my students understand the possible behavior of someone with autism and shows that they can be good friends just like any classmate.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my go-to book for introducing Autism to my students' classes (elementary). Granted I did make some changes when I read it. I didn't feel like most of the "mean girl" was really necessary and there was actually one page about her that I would always skip. If not for that I would have given it 5 stars. This does not specifically use the term Autism so could be used more broadly.

[Mayra Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. I fell like it's important to have these books in your classroom so students who have autism or know of someone who have autism can read this book to better understand kids with autism. It talks about what autism students have to go through and how they don't like change or being unaware something is going to happen because if not they don't like it.

[Amanda Pierson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very realistic tale about a student learning about autism for the first time and how best to interact with those with autism. Again, I would love to hear something from Simon's side. If they're talking about friendship, it should show not only acceptance from the neurotypical side but also feedback from the neurodivergent side.

[Mrs. Ruigrok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to help children understand what children with autism are like. It helps children to understand the positive traits of children with ASD and to help them be understanding and welcoming .

[Marisa Severin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to teach children about accepting different kinds of friends. It was really interesting and engaging. I loved it.

[Delaney Nuckols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read aloud to open the door to talk about autism and inclusion.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this story did a nice job talking about including and accepting others.

[Aneesa]

Simon is the only one in class who stands up to 'horrible Hettie.'

[Alyson Looney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a great book for helping to teach kids about autism! The story talks about how everyone is different, and then discussed how we can all try to include others even when their differences can be difficult to understand! Highly recommend this book!

[Tony Braithwaite · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moonbeam 2009 children’s book award winner.
Story about an autistic child who attends a mainstream school and how students react.
Encourages neurotypical kids to be aware and patient about kids on the autism spectrum.
Reveals that many kids eagerly try to make friends with others who have different characteristics.

[Nickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autism is hard to understand especially for young children. This helps explain some of the more common characteristics. It is hard to express without feeling stereotypical how students with autism might react around classmates.

[Hanna Cheung]

Good for the peer to understand more about how to get along with the special friends.

The book doesn't mention autism. It is good for the teachers to use in the inclusive classrooms. Good for the lower primary PSHE lessons.

[Philip Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching young students about what it means to be compassionate, understanding, and welcoming. This book is good for children's literature and is didactic in nature.