3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
my favorite book when I was in sixth grade, May 9, 2002
This story is a good portrayal of a kid who just wants to be normal even though his little brother is autistic. I was fascinated both by James' condition and the reactions of his family. I loved this book and would read it again; I wish it were still in print!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
read it again years later, February 21, 2001
i frist read this book as a kid. now that i am studying to work with autistic kids a read it again. it is very good. it gives one of the best descpitions of an austic kid. alot of other books do it wrong. irecomend give this to kid with autstic siblings. i agrree with the review who said that this is much better writting that the babby sitters club books.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ann Martin's Inside Out - before Babysitters Club, October 19, 2004
I came across The Baby-Sitters Club #32 - The secret of Susan. That book is about a neighborhood girl with autism who goes to a special school. The author of that series, Ann Martin, mentioned at the back of the book that she had some personal experience with autistic kids and this is how she was able to discuss the topic in a book. It was also noted that before she created The Baby-Sitters Club series she wrote an earlier book entitled, Inside Out, also on the subject of a child with autism.
Inside Out is written in the third person via an eleven-year old boy named Jonathan. He has a younger brother, James who at four years of age has autism and keeps the family up nightly with his screaming. Lizzie is the other sibling at eight years of age. There are nineteen chapters covering 152 pages for young readers and those adults interested in learning how autism affects an older sibling along with his friends on a daily basis. Comparing the two books by this same author I felt more connected with the characters in Inside Out. I preferred the writing style and felt it was an easier read.
I was interested in the activities Jonathan and his friends pursued, the relationships between siblings and parents and how everyone handled their stress. It was very enlightening as a parent to boys to learn about behaviors and coping mechanisms, things I can relate to more than the other book centering on girls who offer babysitting services.
A shopping trip with James was a nightmare and they tried to have someone home watching him so no one had to endure a scene. Once when Jonathan came home from school his Mother was crying after such a trip.
There are conversations between Lizzie and Jonathan about their parents and they assume that their Dad works late so he can avoid James. They clean the house and prepare dinner often so their Mom can take a nap after a rough night being up with James. They always talk about James in front of him as if he were not there. There are times that James acts like a wild animal and scares the family.
Inside Out shows the compassion for another sibling and the bonds that are formed when the family takes part in the therapies and schooling of the special child. This offers a glimpse into the family dynamics with an autistic child. The characters were developed and realistic. I felt happy reading about Jonathan and his growing devotion toward James.
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