Customer Reviews

Lisa and the Lacemaker: An Asperger Adventure

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We have all the books in this series so far: Blue Bottle Mystery, Of Mice and Aliens and now Lisa and the Lacemaker. I have to agree with the other reviewer who said this is the best book yet. Very touching, much more plausible than the other two (ok, ok, so it's a ghost story, but still.) I almost didn't get this book because I thought it would appeal more to girls and I have a newly diagnosed 8-yr-old Aspie, however, we read the other two books in one day each and he DEMANDED the Lacemaker book. We were delighted to discover that Ben and Andy were in it, and that this Lisa is the Lisa from Of Mice and Aliens. The common thread was there (no pun intended) and it was easy for us to slip right into the story. The books are imaginative and not mere tutorials on AS although they help with that too. Good for boys and girls. My son loves them and is eagerly awaiting the next!

One of the best mysteries featuring a protagonist with Asperger's Syndrome. I like this one even better than the Ben books!

Lisa, a tween (8-12) has Asperger's Syndrome (AS) which is the spectrum partner to autism. Readers are introduced to her as she suffers the sensory agony of wearing a dress with a scratchy neck (one can really feel for her there) and the loud guests at her grandmother's party. Lisa does not get the point of small talk; considers it a waste of time and often is baffled by negative responses to her blunt, direct comments, such as when she told a smoker that his cigarettes caused cancer.

She is rigid about routines and what she eats; she does not like suprises - no surprise there. Show me a person with AS who doesn't hate surprises and I'll show you a flying bulldog that can tap dance. However, things brighten up when she meets her great-aunt Hannah, a delightful lady in whom she confides having Asperger's.

Hannah is a wonderful character; she sparks an interest in lacemaking in the young girl. She accepts her unquestioningly; teaches her about lace making and the bond between the two does make for a very sweet story indeed.

Ben, whom readers have met in Hoopmann's other books is part of their AS group. He is gifted at math, science and computers; Lisa at literature and remembering long passages of written text. Their respective mothers marvel at how different and similar their AS children are. Both have no clue as to how to interact socially; their special interests and extraordinary skills are in vastly different areas, yet isolate them from other peers.

Andy, Ben's friend whom readers know from Hoopmann's other books is in this one as well, acting as social tour guide and general factotum. When the children discover an abandoned hut on the grounds, they enter and make quite a discovery. They unearth secrets about Lisa's great-aunt Hannah, who worked there as a servant girl decades earlier and the landowner's son.

After doing some online sleuthing, these cyber bloodhounds track William down and reunite him with Hannah, who is in a nursing home. While their reunion is a sweet one, it does not degenerate into a cliche predictable ending. There are some bizarre parts, such as the element of the supernatural. Even so, that does not take anything away from the story. I like the way explanations of making lace as well as the tools for making it (tatting) have been included. This is a delightful story about how there are no boundaries to the AS mind! I love it!

My 8 year old son has AS. He discovered his disability by reading the Blue Bottle Mystery by the same author. Since then, we have bought the 2 other books. This book is mainly about a girl with AS. It is so beautiful to read, especially that it is not only about a disability, but it is also introducing a work of art that is rare, lacemaking... Kids and adults will get a chance to think about how intricate lacemaking is and how much patience it takes, and how AS is intricate and patience it requires. Everyone in my family has read those books, and I have recommended it to the school and to our friends.

Lisa's Asperger syndrome(AS) reminds me of my childhood; I hated groupism and still do. And I had some clumsy motor skill, so PE classes were a real nightmare. But I would say she is a lot happier than I was in my childhood. Nobody knew anything about AS and neither did I. On the other hand, she is smart enough to know so much about her AS and her Mom does, too. And luckily enough, she has an AS friend, Ben and Andy. Especially, in chapter 17, I was quite impressed by the discussion between Lisa's Mom and Ben's. "...Aspies are very interesting children and it's refreshing to see the world from a different point of view." - You couldn't say that if you had never dealt with people with AS.

After all, Kathy Hoopmann's books help me learn a lot about AS, and Lisa and the Lacemaker is no exception.

I have read all three of Kathy Hoopmann's "Asperger Adventure" books, which share common characters in light-hearted adventures, sprinkled with serious, didactic moments when characters and readers are informed about the realities of having Asperger's. "Lisa and the Lacemaker" comes closest to fine literature, but more importantly, these three books serve a purpose for kids with Asperger's and their parents, are entertaining, and make me reflect upon people from my past who may have had Asperger's, more than a decade before it became a gleam in the child psychologist's diagnosing eye. In fact, I'd recommend these books for all children, Aspies or not.

"Lisa and the Lacemaker" is my favorite of the series, with literature-quoting Lisa as the main character, adding mystery to the Asperger's mix and a positive relationship between people of different generations--Lisa and her Great Aunt Hannah. Also, the didactic moments are less heavy-handed than in the previous two books.

Readers should also be aware of two other books--polar opposites for suggested readership--that I enjoyed: "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" by Tony Attwood for parents, educators, and clinicians (and me), and "Can I Tell You About Asperger Syndrome?: A Guide for Friends and Family" by Jude Welton and Jane Telford for young people. Also keep your eye out for the even better "Buster and the Amazing Daisy" by Nancy Ogaz.