Jackson Whole Wyoming [Paperback]

Joan Clark (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

His classmates have identified him as a friend of Jackson, who has Asperger Syndrome, and now Tyler is tormented by what that means in terms of his own personality. Over the course of this highly readable and swift-moving middle-grade novel (2nd to 6th grade), Tyler resolves this issue and in the process recalls incidents from previous school years, growing in his understanding of this unusual classmate. Written by a speech-language pathologist who works with children with autism spectrum disorders, this novel belongs on the library shelf of any middle-grade classroom.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joan Clark is a licensed speech and language pathologist living in central Illinois. She received her bachelorÂ’s degree from Penn State University and her masterÂ’s degree from the University of Houston. She has worked in the public schools throughout her career. Currently she is serving on the autism spectrum disorders assessment team in the Macon-Piatt Special Education District.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Autism Asperger Publishing Company (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931282722
• ISBN-13: 978-1931282727
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #577,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for your Asperger's Child, May 23, 2008

By 

A and J (Jalisco, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jackson Whole Wyoming (Paperback)

Per previous reviews, the book is a great read with a great message about friendship. As a parent of a child with Asperger's I would like to offer one caution: this book is a great one to offer those who may be seeking to better understand a child with Asperger's, but would not be a great fit for the Asperger's child himself. Since the book is written from the neuro-typical viewpoint, Jackson comes off as pretty weird--loved, but weird.

Also, disclosure of Jackson's syndrome comes off as somewhat "hush hush." This is, I believe, because the author does an excellent job of depicting the societal dilemma of disclosure in the world of schools and teachers. To disclose is to explicitly state the Syndrome that describes the child's unique personality. It is not generally considered ethical for teachers to decide to disclose; young children with this syndrome may not have the adequate judgment to disclose (hence Jackson's parent's rule that he not do so); and parents' distance from those to whom the information would be most valuable--e.g. friendly schoolmate, Tyler--often prevents them from disclosing even if they would want to do so.

I would recommend this book to school personnel and to children and families who have friends with Asperger's Syndrome, but would turn to other resources for a good read for your young Aspie.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leads to a great understanding of the Asperger Child, May 31, 2005

By 

Anne Thorp (Holland, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jackson Whole Wyoming (Paperback)

Joan's inspiring portrayal of one student and his classmate creates a greater understanding of the Asperger Syndrome for the reader. A delightful story based on true events leads the reader through the journey of one student's mind and struggles to understand his classmate. Ultimately his acceptance of the habits of his classmate leads him to realize more about himself than he ever expected. A must read for anyone seeking an increased understanding of Asperger Syndrome.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good to generate a discussion of labelling/disclosure, but wanting as work of fiction, July 28, 2009

By 

Atalece Bird "Ata" (IL USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jackson Whole Wyoming (Paperback)

Tyler and Jackson are both fifth grade students and they have been going to speech therapy together for years. Tyler goes to speech therapy because he has trouble with stuttering, and Jackson goes to speech therapy because he has trouble with the pragmatics of language. Because Jackson will be moving away to another state with his family, Tyler suggests that the class get him a going away present. Every one in the class contributes a page to a book for Jackson, and while Jackson and Tyler are at speech, they decide Tyler should be the one to present the book to Jackson. Tyler is worried that the class bully, Marcus, suggested Tyler for the job because then Tyler will be associated with the weirdest kid in the class, Jackson, in yet another way. Tyler's concerns drag out after he suggests to his parents that he may not want to present the book and they have his speech therapist discuss his cousin Drew with him. His cousin Drew in also quite odd, but Tyler is more accepting of Drew because he has overheard his mother talking to his aunt about some Burger Disease his cousin has. As a result his mother becomes upset and initiates the conversation with the speech therapist discussing how Asperger's Syndrome is not a disease but just another way of being. As a result, Tyler concludes that Jackson must have Asperger's Syndrome since Jackson is just like Drew. In light of this new information, Tyler decides to be more accepting of Jackson's odd behaviors and help Jackson out by standing up for him to the class bully. The message of the book regarding labels is unclear: on the one hand the adults in the story are telling Tyler that labels are not important because it is important to accept all people regardless of labels or quirks, and on the other hand the actual practices of Tyler show that people, especially children, are more likely to accept the strange behavior of others if they know there is a reason for that behavior. The conclusion feels drawn-out and inevitable, and there are times when the reader's interest may wander during the story. Recommended for generating a discussion on labels and labelling/disclosure, but if looking for a story about an individual with Asperger's Syndrome, instead see Kathy Hoopmann's Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure (Jessica Kingsley, 2001 ISBN 978-1-85302-978-3) Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure (Asperger Adventures)