With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 2 [Paperback]

Keiko Tobe (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Sachiko and Masato Azuma have overcome numerous obstacles in dealing with their firstborn son Hikaru's autism. Having saved their marriage from ending in ruins, the young couple has welcomed a healthy baby girl, Kanon, into their tight-knit family. But with the obvious differences between Hikaru's and Kanon's developmental abilities, it becomes apparent that social prejudices against Hikaru's disability are never far away. As Hikaru moves into fourth grade, Sachiko encounters a new student, Miyu, whose mother has completely given up on her daughter's life and her own. With the help of Hikaru's beloved teacher, Aoki-sensei, Sachiko aims to bring hope back to Miyu's family. But when Aoki-sensei transfers to a different school and Hikaru's special education class is thrown into upheaval by yet another tragedy, can Sachiko continue to hold on to her own hope for her son's future?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The second volume of Tobe’s memoir and examination of how autism affects an individual, his family, and his community, as well as how each of those social orders can affect development in the face of an autism diagnosis, collects a dozen issues of the Japanese original. Hikaru Azuma has reached fourth grade, his sister is an independent toddler, and school is a wonderful place with an excellent special-ed teacher. For the first time, Hikaru learns to spend social time with friends, including a younger autistic classmate and peers from a “buddy” class. Difficulties arise, too. At one point, Hikaru disappears on his own into the city; at another, much more complex in the demands it makes to be sorted out, his ideal teacher and a supportive school principal are replaced by less-motivated, ill-informed persons. Tobe does a stellar job of showing Hikaru and his friends as distinct personalities, visually and behaviorally. She also shares such practical coping strategies as text-messaging to help an autistic child’s family participate in social occasions that may otherwise be overly stimulating, and incorporating family reading of the TV guide as a tool to explain ruptures in routine. Newcomers to With the Light can easily start here but will then want to read volume one (2007). --Francisca Goldsmith

About the Author

Keiko Tobe was born in Amagasaki in Hyougo, Japan. She graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University's School of Economics and took an advertising job thereafter. When her then-newlywed existence required her to move to Tokyo with her husband, she began working as a mangaka's assistant and eventually became a mangaka herself. Though she has published numerous (primarily mystery-oriented) manga through Akita Shoten, which also published her 1986 Princess magazine debut, Hikari to tomo ni... is universally considered her masterwork. Hikari began its serialization in Akita Shoten's For Mrs. magazine in 2000 and continues to be serialized today, with the compiled volumes currently published up to Vol. 10. Tobe-sensei lives in Japan with her husband and two sons.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Yen Press; First Edition edition (March 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0759523592
• ISBN-13: 978-0759523593
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,153,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life of an Autistic Child as it is..., April 29, 2008

By 

Graphic Novel / Manga Reader "ownstoomanybooks" (Land of the Palm Trees (USA)) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 2 (Paperback)

I'll keep this review short and to the point...

I read volume 1 and 2 of With The Light, Raising an Autistic Child. The author states this story is fiction but she did alot of research on autism and it applies to many families raising an autistic child on what they go through. How they found out, what the family learned about autism and what they do to help him with his surroundings and deal with life.

It is really slow moving story and interesting. I learned alot about autism. Those who already have an autistic child will relate and understand what they are going through.

You can't go wrong with this book. It's in comic book format, all of 500 pages of it, drawn nicely & clear to read. Read volume 1 before you read volume 2. Volume 1 talks about the child's birth up to preschool. Volume 2 continues where it left off, preschool up to elementary school. I imagine volume 3 which comes out in September of 2008 continues the story of the child after grade school getting older...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recognize Myself and My Child in this Book, July 7, 2008

By 

Kristine Cambria (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 2 (Paperback)

If you are the parent of an autistic child, you will probably recognize yourself and your child in this book. I am the parent of a high functioning 6 year old autistic child and am in the middle of reading volume one. It is amazing how much of myself, my child, and our experiences, both good and bad, I see in this book already (ie: inconsistent availability of quality support and help for families dealing with autism; both fantastic teachers as well as teachers who don't understand and simply don't want to; very understanding, caring doctors as well as stressful situations in the hospital emergency room with doctors and nurses who aren't educated about autism; parents of my child's classmates who are supportive and understanding as well as some who have nasty and hurtful attitudes; family members who blame the parents for child's behaviors; etc.). While each autistic child is unique and each family's experience is different, this book captures those feelings of fear, worry, and confusion, as well as hope and happiness, that we share. I look forward to reading the rest of this book and I plan to read the other volumes as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic... Absolutely Fantastic!, February 25, 2009

By 

S. Streck "Manga Fanatic" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 2 (Paperback)

Let me tell you this much. A group of my friends and I have been passing these books around like hot cakes and can hardly stand waiting for the next volume. I'm only fifteen and I understood what the parents were going through! I'm not in a family who has autistic children, but a friend of mine has an autistic brother. This book helped me come to understand why he does some of the things he does. Also, let me tell you, I'm not a patient child and get annoyed easily but after reading this book, and the first one, I don't get as easily annoyed any more. It's a good book for people trying to understand autism in a non-dry, non-formal way.