I read this book in 2 days.
A quick and excellent story.
It's non fiction, written by the boy's father. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was made even more special to me because it was sent to me from Susanne, my blogging friend from Canada! So...thanks again, Susanne. I will now pass the book on to another special educator friend.
BOOK SUMMARY
Austin is the first born son of Scott and Teresa. They live in the mid-western part of the USA and have another son, Logan.
Austin is a special needs boy with autism, "brittle bone disease", and some heart defects that required surgery at a very young age.
He is a brave, funny, inspirational and quirky boy.
The book centers around Scott's feelings of fatherhood and raising a son who is different....and special in so many amazing ways. It is also a little bit about his spiritual journey. Both Austin and Scott have a deep, spiritual side. I loved reading about Scott's spiritual journey to intimacy with God.
Basically, the book is a biography of Austin's life thus far and includes photos from his childhood.
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the book as a parent and as a special education teacher. However, and this is not to discredit the author in any way, the boy in the book is not like your typical autistic child. Typically, most autistic children, are quite non-verbal and anti-social. So from an educator's perspective, Austin is very high on the Autism Spectrum. Which is wonderful for his family!
The book is real. It contains the joys, triumphs, trials, craziness, and chaos of raising a special needs boy with multiple issues. I particularly enjoyed the conversations between dad and son.
It's the kind of book that leaves you pondering why God allows these trials to enter our lives....we all have trials....some have more than others of course. And yet, it also is a shining example of how a person and/or family can overcome obstacles, and let their faith reign in their lives.
I love how the dad "found" himself.....I loved his honesty about his alcohol problem and marital strife.
I found myself thanking God for His mercy and grace on this family and their situations.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.
4 comments:
This one looks interesting. I'll put it on my list with the others ha ha. I have a running list of books I want to read, many from your reviews. I found a new author, Melanie something (Dickerson?) and also have 4 new classics to read!! I'll be busy in the new year for sure :)
I enjoy reading true stories and how people overcome with God's help. I don't know very much about autism but I understand it can be at many different levels. Thanks for the review.
This sounds very interesting. I'm thinking that in 2015, I will try to read some different kinds of books than I normally read. It's so easy to keep picking up the same authors! Not that it's a bad thing to follow an author, but "variety is the spice of life."
Glad you enjoyed it!
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