Customer Reviews

Please Don't Say Hello (New Juvenile Series on the Exceptional Child)

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When Paul's new neighbors move in, he is delighted to see that they have a son his age. He introduces himself to Eddie, who covers his ears; rocks; self stims in other ways and tells Paul and the other kids, "don't say hello." Puzzled, Paul wonders what is going on with his new neighbor.

Eddie's sister, Sharon, 17 comes out and explains to Paul and the other kids that Eddie has autism. She explains that since Eddie doesn't talk much, perhaps he feels better when he rocks and puts his fingers in his ears. She tells them how smart Eddie is; he can do a puzzle face down by memory. He can also draw extremely detailed robots. The boys follow her inside and watch Eddie assemble a puzzle with the picture side down. They admire his drawings of robots.

Sharon and Eddie's mother invite their young neighbors to visit Eddie's school. There, they meet other kids with special needs, some of whom have autism.

This obscure gem of a book is a wonderful way of introducing young people to a child who has autism. The clear, direct and flowing story along with appropriate photographs are sure to leave an indelible impression on readers of all ages. It makes me think of the 1967 Beatle classic, "Hello, Goodbye."