A little effort goes a long way-that's what Sachiko, Honda-san, and Gunji-sensei learn as they struggle to work together to make life easier for the Special Education children. With the help of gadgets and the support of more people in their environment than meets the eye, Hikaru and Miyu become able to communicate better with the world around them. But when Hikaru's teen idol classmate sends some mothers into a flashbulb frenzy that causes Hikaru to panic, other parents begin to question his presence alongside "normal" students in the classroom. Hikaru's first school trip also ends in disaster, when he gets separated from the group, and Sachiko begins to worry that Hikaru is losing his hard-fought place in society.
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About the Author
Keiko Tobe was born in Japan and after graduation worked in advertising. She moved to Tokyo with her new husband and worked as a Mangaka's assistant, eventually becoming Mangaka herself. Although she has produced numerous manga this is considered her master work.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Positive and Realistic Portrayal of a Family Touched by Autism in Manga Form,
By
This review is from: With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 3 (Paperback)
One of the big differences between Japanese manga and American comic books and graphic novels has always been the wide range of topics that the Japanese comics are willing to tackle.
Here we have a 500-page manga volume on the life of a young boy with autism and his family and teachers. I picked this up at the Boston Comic Con last fall. It's the third volume in a series that collects the original serialized installments of the manga. Although I had not read the first two volumes, I found this to be a reasonably good starting point for the series. Hikaru is in grade 5, in a classroom run by an older special ed teacher who can be reluctant to try out the innovative methods that had helped Hikaru to make progress in his previous years of school. His mother, Sachiko Azuma, has to advocate for her son constantly. Fortunately, she has the help of a number of teachers and volunteers at the school and at a local support organization. Still, the challenges can be overwhelming, especially with another toddler in the home, her husband facing uncertainty at his job, and such "normal" parenting concerns as the chicken pox to contend with. Hikaru has a rough time of it at the school's parents night, and is faced with his first real time away from home when the school takes an overnight field trip. This book captures an impressive amount of detail in the little triumphs and difficulties of day-to-day life with Hikaru. Educational techniques and innovations in the home are featured, along with gadgets and technology that are helpful in providing ways for Hikaru to express himself and communicate. Autism, and the treatment of it, remains a topic where there is not always agreement on the best approaches, so I'm sure that not everything in this book will be seen as completely accurate or effective. But the book is written (and drawn!) with an obvious level of care and respect for the topic. The frustrations and complications are presented alongside the triumphs, with an underlying message of acceptance and understanding. The book is also rich in subplots and drama that keep the story moving along and add to the entertainment value. This was a fun book to read, and Tobe's artwork is lovely. It's very accessible to readers who are new to Manga (such readers will have to get used to reading right-to-left, but the artwork is very clear and easy to follow). Although this volume is good as a starting point, it does leave many of the subplots to be resolved in later volumes. The characters are balanced and often complex. They make mistakes, and suffer the consequences, and they overcome an array of hardships and challenges. This is a great book for a teenager or pre-teen who has someone with autism in their life or who is interested in learning about the condition in an entertaining format. It's also an engaging read, and a good example of some of the places that the graphic novel format can go other than the traditional superhero fare.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Inner Light Keeps Shining,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 3 (Paperback)
This stellar series makes me think of the 1968 George Harrison song, "The Inner Light" and the spiritual "This Little Light of Mine (I'm Gonna Let it Shine)." This book might make you cry. This is the third book in a series about Hikaru Azuma, a child with autism.
Since this book was written in the Japanese manga style, readers are also treated to Japanese literary culture. The book's story sequence is from right to left, which is the opposite of most Western languages. A glossary of Japanese words and a list of Japanese holidays and description of services for people with autism are provided as well. Readers are engaging in a form of cultural sharing with this book. Sachiko and Masato Azuma's first child, Hikaru has severe autism. Hikaru is a linking of cultures as well. Masato's mother is Western and his late father was plainly Japanese. Sachiko is Western. Hikaru is more Asian in appearance than his sister, Kanon. There are other non-Asian and even Eurasian characters which provide a "diverse" look at Japan and Japanese culture. Readers are treated to aspects of Japanese culture. Holidays and popular movies and shows are listed. Readers get a good, clear picture of Japanese culture and services. The book also includes useful websites about autism and can also be seen as a good resource tool. In this third installment, Hikaru, now 10 and in 5th grade is coping with a poorly matched teacher, Gunji-san. Miyu, his younger classmate has a much more severe form of autism. Luckily, Hikaru's old friends from day care, Nobuaki and Moe as well as a new peer mentor, Yoshida are there for him. Moe-chan, ever Hikaru's protector remains a loyal friend as does the high spirited, rough and tumble fun loving Nobuaki as well as their fair-minded, logical friend, Tanaka-kun. He is the only one of the three who has known Hikaru since they were infants. Moe and Nobuaki were Hikaru's day care classmates. Tanaka-kun has become a local celebrity. Luckily, his teacher insists that the parents not photograph the boy in his classroom; he said that Tanaka was his student first. Sadly, the bright flashbulbs set Hikaru off and the parents fear that he might not be well suited for his part-time inclusion in a 5th grade class. Hikaru, like many with autism has language processing issues. He does not respond when another child greets him; noises upset him and he responds to his world largely on a sensory level. Bright and determined, he remains fixed and focused on whatever he is currently involved in. Rigid thinking patterns are often a part of autism. The illustrations are nothing short of phenomenal and the character development vivid brilliant. Kanon, Hikaru's toddler sister is by now enrolled in day care and has the same outstanding teacher Hikaru, Moe and the others had just a few years earlier. Bright and high spirited, she continues giving her brother crash courses in interaction. Old friends are reunited. In one especially moving part of the story, Nobuaki said he wished Hikaru could stay in his [Nobuaki's] class forever. It is Nobuaki and Moe who have helped Hikaru the most with peer interaction. They were beautiful examples of tolerance. The students are reunited with Aoki-sensei, Hikaru and Miyu's extraordinary teacher. He has been transferred to another school and his former pupils meet again on a class overnight trip. The kind volunteer who, in Volume 2 who had lost her son with autism joined forces with other volunteers and set up a respite center. Hikaru travels with an aide who supervises him and lets him escape when the noise level is too much. Nobuaki, a fun-loving boisterous and large personality even apologizes when his loud, perfectly appropriate splashing play was upsetting to Hikaru. I like the way these kids took Hikaru under their wing and learned to view him with compassion and tolerance. That is what keeps the light shining. At times, one could easily forget that this is a novel. Serious topics such street brawls, drunkenness, developing sexuality and sexual awareness are realistically and sensitively included in this third installment. This book has a preface by a parent in Japan who has a child with autism. It is very interesting to learn about autism services in other countries. The Japanese character for "autism" is "closed off" or "cloistered self." The irony of the Japanese character for autism is that Hikaru is part of a very integrated community and, thanks to Moe, Nobuaki and others is anything but cloistered. Keiko Tobe has unified people from all over the world with this stellar series. She wisely included explanations and descriptions of Japanese culture and mores as well as some humor. I like the way she talks about people who have influenced this book. While Tobe does not go into great detail about autism, her story and the magnificent drawings clearly depict severely autistic behavior and how it impacts others. This is a delightful book that will remain a bright light in the hearts of all who read it. I was delighted to learn that this will be a continuing series! I'm already looking forward to the next installment!
5.0 out of 5 stars
a touching book about autism,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child, Vol. 3 (Paperback)
The "With the Light" manga series is excellent. It presents autism is a completely new format. Even though the series is set in Japan, the experiences that parents of autistic children go through are universal. Some parts of this book made me cry.
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