My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete
Uploaded by expandedbooks. - Explore more family videos.
My Brother Charlie is a wonderful way to help kids start to understand Autism. It tells the story of a little girl, Callie, and her twin brother, Charlie who has Autism. It is easy for children to relate to because it is told from Callie's perspective. Callie talks about what Charlie is good at, and what Charlie struggles with. She talks about being frustrated with Charlie, but she also talks about how important Charlie is to her. All in all, she explains some of the symptoms of Autism in a way that reaffirms the worth of the individuals who have to live with the illness, and she provides a positive example of how families can come together to deal with the difficulties that arise.
The story is primarily based on the life experiences of the co-authors Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete. Ryan's twin brother R.J. was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3 years old. Holly and Ryan wrote this book because they felt like there were not any good children's books that addressed Autism in a way that kids could understand. Ryan had for main lessons that people should understand about Autism:
- If someone who has autism doesn't respond right away when you speak to him, it doesn't mean he's being rude. Socializing can be challenging for people with autism.
- Many people have trouble making friends, but it's even harder for boys and girls with autism. Include people with autism even more than you would others.
- We are all special in our own way. Focus on what kids do well. Ask others about their strengths, and acknowledge that everyone has strengths and weaknesses.
- People with autism are exceptionally smart, but their brains are wired differently. It can take them longer to process information. Please be patient.
The illustrations were done by Shane W. Evans using mixed mediums. They are simple, colorful, and wonderful. The paint brush strokes are very distinct. I tried to find further information about how they were constructed, but I didn't find anything. However, I did discover that Shane W. Evans keeps a very extensive blog site at http://www.shaneevans.com/blog/.
Five percent of Holly and Ryan Peete's royalty earnings from this book go to the HollyRod4Kids Foundation "to help children with autism gain access to affordable treatments and therapies." For more informationa bout the HollyRod Foundation, Autism, or the Peete family, go to http://www.hollyrod.org/ .
I encourage every teacher to add this book to their class library!
