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Anything But Typical

by Nora Raleigh Baskin (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 3,036 ratings · 691 reviews

Jason Blake is an autistic 12-year-old living in a neurotypical world. Most days it's just a matter of time before something goes wrong. But Jason finds a glimmer of understanding when he comes across PhoenixBird, who posts stories to the same online site as he does.

Jason can be himself when he writes and he thinks that PhoneixBird-her name is Rebecca-could be his first re...more

ebook, 208 pages

Published March 24th 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Feb 16, 2012 Gundula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: children and adults interested in stories about autism and related conditions

Shelves: childrens-literature, family-stories, school-story, challenges-special-needs, book-reviews, abuse-bullying

Jason Blake is autistic and finds the neuro-typical world around him, but especially school, over-stimulating, often incomprehensible. Most days it is just a matter of time before something goes wrong, before he either does something or says something others find "weird" or inappropriate, or before one of his classmates (and sometimes even his teachers) make fun of him or react negatively to him. Jason's one solace and escape is the Storyboard website, where he can be himself, where he can write...more Jason Blake is autistic and finds the neuro-typical world around him, but especially school, over-stimulating, often incomprehensible. Most days it is just a matter of time before something goes wrong, before he either does something or says something others find "weird" or inappropriate, or before one of his classmates (and sometimes even his teachers) make fun of him or react negatively to him. Jason's one solace and escape is the Storyboard website, where he can be himself, where he can write his stories and be creative. When Jason actually makes an online friend on the website (Phoenixbird, whose real name is Rebecca), he dares to dream that she might be his first girlfriend. But when Rebecca is going to be at the same Storyboard convention as Jason, Jason worries that once she actually meets him, she will, like most others, only see him as someone who is "anything but typical."

I really, really loved Anything But Typical; Jason's story, Jason's insights into his world and the neuro-typical world around him touched me deeply and lastingly. That is not to say that there is not quite a bit of darkness and even potential despair present within the book, Anything But Typical is often quite sad and depressing. However, I love Jason's voice, and being inside of his head, partaking of his thoughts, his views, his feelings was not only eye-opening, it was somewhat like being inside of my own head (when I was at school, when I was the same age as Jason).

I might as well admit to the fact that I simply hated the "social" game at school, especially high school. Like Jason, I was always (and often with good reason) expecting something to go wrong (and was it ever difficult to maneuver the social cliques etc. of high school, of interpersonal communication). I always thought that I was just a bit "weird" (and I certainly had that label stuck onto me more than a few times), and I most definitely had (and still somewhat have) the unenviable ability of planting my foot firmly and deeply into my mouth. Just last year, in my early forties, I was assessed as having NLD (Nonverbal Learning Disability), and some of the issues and situations experienced by Jason (not all of them, but definitely some of them) do echo, do ring a very loud bell with me. I do not believe that I am, in fact, autistic, but many of the social challenges for individuals with NLD also seem to be issues with autism (and Jason's mother calls her son's autism NLD, so there likely is a link).

I so understand and can appreciate Jason's constant worry about doing something "wrong" (his fear of the proverbial "shite hitting the fan"). Basically, you are always waiting to crash and burn, and the more you try to adapt (to something you feel you cannot handle, to a world, a society that even at the best of times feels quite alien to you), the more you try to be "typical" the more stress is created and the more you have the tendency to say something inporper, to react in an inappropriate manner (at least according to the dictates of society, a society based and constructed on being neuro-typical, with accepted and expected modes of behaviour and thinking).

Before writing my own review, I decided to read a number of Goodreads reviews for Anything But Typical, both positive and negative. And I find it rather problematic that some reviewers actually fault Nora Raleigh Baskin for depicting and describing the bullying behaviour Jason experiences at school. Yes, people (neuro-typical individuals) should definitely not bully and harass children with autism, NLD, Asperger's Syndrome and related conditions, but it does happen (and often). If the author had downplayed this, if she had made no mention of this, Anything But Typical would (I believe) not only have been unrealistic, it would also have trivialised the problems and issues many children (and adults) with challenges and special needs must endure and face on a daily basis.

Other reviewers had (and have) issues with the fact that many of the characters described by Jason feel rather distant and cardboard-like. For me however, this is an ingenious narrative device, as this is precisely how the neuro-typical world often feels to an autistic person, distant and incomprehensible. The neuro-typical world does not understand Jason Blake, but conversely, he also does not understand it all that well either. The alienation Jason experiences and portrays in his musings might make some readers uncomfortable, but it serves the purpose of hopefully making them think, of making them appreciate how an autistic person (or someone with a similar condition) might perceive the world. And for readers who have autism, Asperger's Syndrome, NLD etc., it provides the supportive assurance that they are not alone feeling alienated, at not understanding neuro-typical society. Some reviewers actually complained that they grew tired and frustrated at being in Jason's head. However, have these individuals ever stopped to consider that Jason (and others like him) might also get tired of having to exist and "function" in a world that is both alien and frightening, that people with autism and related conditions might also get tired and frustrated at constantly having to be in the "head-space" of the neuro-typicals.

I really do appreciate that Jason's meeting with Rebecca at the conference is not simply "happily ever after" that it is realistic, without being unduly depressing. Rebecca is not interested in being Jason's girlfriend, but she does want to keep in touch on the Storyboard website. Yes, part of me (my 12 year old self, who struggled with similar issues at that time) wanted Jason and Rebecca to end up as a couple, but I respect and admire Nora Raleigh Baskin for the fact that she did not resort to a facile and feel-good ending for her story, that she has chosen to not cater to the expectations and desires for a simple, sugary "happy ending" type of tale. Anything But Typical ends realistically, neither completely sad and depressing, nor entirely happy. Jason still has his writing, and he accepts himself the way he is (this is me, that is the last sentence of the novel, a statement both bold and affirming).(less)

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Aug 17, 2009 Katie Fitzgerald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, published-2000s

Wow.

I have read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I have read Rules, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, and I am halfway through Marcelo in the Real World. Books about characters who have autism have always intrigued me, and I loved every single one of the books I just mentioned. But nothing compares to Anything But Typical.

This is the story of a 12 year old boy named Jason who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 8, after a long period of denial by his mother. He has few...more Wow.

I have read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I have read Rules, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, and I am halfway through Marcelo in the Real World. Books about characters who have autism have always intrigued me, and I loved every single one of the books I just mentioned. But nothing compares to Anything But Typical.

This is the story of a 12 year old boy named Jason who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 8, after a long period of denial by his mother. He has few friends, but through a fanfiction website, he makes a connection with another 12 year old, a girl whose user name is PhoenixBird, and who enjoys his stories. As his relationship with PhoenixBird progresses, other things happen in his life - violent outbursts he can't explain, confusion over what his mother wants from him and why she is sad, and incidents with the other kids at school, who are frequently not understanding of Jason's condition.

The entire story is told in the first person from Jason's point of view, and you become immediately immersed in his earnest, honest, and unique voice. His relationship with his 7-year-old brother, Jeremy, is one of the most touching sibling relationships I've ever read in a children's book, and his parents, understanding Dad, and overwhelmed and bewildered Mom, are extremely realistic and believable. They're not always fully accepting of their son's limitations or needs, and they struggle to understand what it is like to be him, but they also love him a great deal, and it's clear that they want to do the right thing for Jason if they can discern what that is.

I cried at least four times throughout this book. The language, despite being very detached and different from the language of a traditional novel for kids, is really quite beautiful, and some of Jason's realizations about his own life read like universal truths. I had When You Reach Me pegged as the Newbery for next year when I finished it earlier today, but now I am inclined to think it's got some serious competition.

This book is great. It's one of those stories where you just feel yourself settling in with it, pleased to feel not one word or detail out of place. I loved the realism and the specificity of it. Other books have taken on the point of view of an autistic person to tell the story of being autistic. This book takes on the point of view of a very specific boy and tells his story. This isn't a book about being autistic, this is a book about being yourself, whoever that is, and also about growing up and truly being that person, even when those around you sometimes don't understand why you're doing so. Absolutely brilliant. I am in love with this book.(less)

10 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2009 Cami rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: ya-fiction

Let's give this a good 4.5 stars.
I genuinely loved this book.
It is told from the perspective of a 12 yr old Autistic boy who loves writing stories and is trying to find his way in the world of Neurotypicals.
His voice rings true and I felt such an emotional connection with this character who, ironically, has a very difficult time connecting emotionally with anyone.
It's probably just because I'm a mother, but I had some weepy moments at the end here.
I would recommend this book to anyone.

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Meaghan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-young-adult-fiction, read-in-2011

I think this is a pretty good portrayal of how a high-functioning autistic boy would think and act. I have Asperger's Syndrome, so they say, and although I do better than Jason I can recognize a lot of my problems in him. The conflict with the story convention is well done and I thought the ending was perfect -- hopeful, and realistic. Very good story overall, and it just might make neurotypical readers a little more sympathetic and understanding towards people with autism.

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 04, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com

Jason is different from other 6th-graders. He loves routine, hates noisy, overcrowded places, and constantly reminds himself to breathe.

He is obviously not like other NT's (neurotypicals), the so-called "normal" people in the world. The NT's say things, but nothing is ever behind the words. Jason doesn't understand why people talk and never mean what they say. This is why he doesn't look at anyone. Jason gets distracted by faces - the way they morph when...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Haley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book about a 12 year old boy living life with ASD touched home. As a mother of a 12 yr. old boy with ASD I couldn't help but see my son in the main character. Told from his perspective it allowed me to see the world through his eyes for the first time. All kids on the autism spectrum are different and face their own battles, some more challenging than others. Jason, the main character, has some extreme issues and battles that my son doesn't face. However, I can see similar traits. Every per...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: waw-2011-2012, star-reader-2011-2012

"Showing? How do you show appreciation? Appreciation is an emotion. It's a feeling. You can't draw a picture of it. Why do people want everyone to act just like they do? Talk like they do? Look like they do? Act like they do? And if you don't-- If you don't, people make the assumption that you do not feel what they feel. And then they make the assumption-- That you must not feel anything at all." Jason is a twelve year-old boy with autism and the narrator of his story. His telling of the story g...more "Showing? How do you show appreciation? Appreciation is an emotion. It's a feeling. You can't draw a picture of it. Why do people want everyone to act just like they do? Talk like they do? Look like they do? Act like they do? And if you don't-- If you don't, people make the assumption that you do not feel what they feel. And then they make the assumption-- That you must not feel anything at all." Jason is a twelve year-old boy with autism and the narrator of his story. His telling of the story gives you a glimpse into what it might be like for someone with autism. His mannerisms, his compulsions, his tics, his hard to control responses to physical stimuli. He is a boy with some incredibly profound insights and a wonderful storyteller. Sadly, the only place his words seem to find the right home is on the pages of his storyboard.com screen. Although he wants to say the right things, Jason struggles to express himself, even with those he cares for most.
"Some people, like teachers and librarians and other adults, like to say that names are not important. Like sticks and stones. But they are wrong. Every word you choose means something you think it means, and more. Like if a person is different, that is a good thing. Bit if they have a defect, that is not. Words. Names. Letters." When a fellow storyboard member begins commenting on his latest story, Jason is thrilled and looks forward to hearing from PhoenixBird. When he deduces that she may be a girl, is definitely a girl, and seems to like his writing, he begins to imagine what a "normal" would be like. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting.

This is a short, quick read. I think it would be a great read aloud with some good discussion. I have in the past year developed relationships with a couple of boys who are on the autism spectrum. So many of Jason's behaviors and actions rang true from what I have observed and experienced with these students. I particularly loved this quote. "...We are going to the library instead of art class. This is a good sign. You'd think art class would be one of the easiest classes, but it's not...A lot of space and time that is not organized. Anything can go wrong in that kind of space. But not in the library. There are computers in the library. And books. And computers. Keyboards and screens and desks that are built inside little compartments so you don't have to look at the person sitting next to you. And they can't look at me either." And while I truly feel that I have created that safe place in my library, I realized from reading this book that there is even more I can do to really create that safe place for those and all students. Thumbs up!(less)

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Apr 09, 2010 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2010, literary-fiction, ya

I gave Anything But Typical as a gift to a friend who is a teacher. I thought she would enjoy a story told from the point of view of an autistic child as she minored in special education. The story line intrigued me so much I had to read Jason’s story for myself. I was impressed with Nora’s voice for a 12-yr old autistic child. I was drawn into his world & lingo instantly and, though the story had a satisfying ending, I was reluctant for it to end; Jason’s viewpoint was remarkable. I also fo...more

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Apr 02, 2009 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jason Blake is a twelve-year-old boy with autism. This story takes place in the present, but he also goes back to show us the struggles that he has endured growing up. He knows that he is "different" but seems to accept this. The one place where he is comfortable is online, on a site called "Storyboard". There he posts stories that he writes. He also gives us many tips on writing fiction. On his favorite site, he meets a girl named Rebecca whom he feels a connection with. When he has a chance to...more

1 like · like · see review

May 14, 2013 Carmen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was very interesting and I liked the unique viewpoint, this made it worth reading simply because it was different and a new way to look at writing and the world. However, I can't way I liked it.

There were several missing words throughout the text, and while these might have been intentional for the story, most of these just glared at me as mistakes from a lazy editing job. I also didn't like the ending. The ending felt insufficient for all the concern and worry I felt for these charac...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Amy Lesher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Drawn to the cover at the library, I checked out this book for my 5th grade daughter, yet I was the one who enjoyed reading it. A realistic look into the mind of an autistic child -- his perceptions, struggles, and feelings all wrapped into one. Completely relating, although possessing the ability to adapt and adjust on a daily basis, I was left feeling slightly autistic myself. Following are excerpts from the book that especially touched me:

"Neurotypicals like it when you look them in the eye....more

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Feb 16, 2013 Amina E. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Title: Anything But Typical
Author: Nora Raleigh Baskin
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 208 Pages

Summary: Jason Blake, the main character in this book, is autistic. He doesn't think how everyone else thinks. He doesn't act how everyone else acts. He doesn't speak how everyone else speaks. He isn't anything like-what he calls-the neuro-typicals or NT's. Jason doesn't fit in with his classmates, they think he is odd. It seems that Jason doesn't realize how his body moves. He doesn't control his "flap...more Title: Anything But Typical
Author: Nora Raleigh Baskin
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 208 Pages

Summary: Jason Blake, the main character in this book, is autistic. He doesn't think how everyone else thinks. He doesn't act how everyone else acts. He doesn't speak how everyone else speaks. He isn't anything like-what he calls-the neuro-typicals or NT's. Jason doesn't fit in with his classmates, they think he is odd. It seems that Jason doesn't realize how his body moves. He doesn't control his "flapping" or "kicking". One thing Jason can do is write, he loves to write. Jason is a member of a website called Storyboard. On this website, he "met" a girl. Her screen name was Phoenixbird. He was so delighted to chat with her because he knew that he would never meet a girl who would like him if she saw him. His identity was completely hidden from this girl which is why it worked. That's why everything came tumbling down when Jason's parents treated him to go to the next Storyboard Convention. Jason learned that Phoenixbird was going which killed him. He has no way to tell his parents that he didn't want to go. When he gets to the convention, he learned hat Phoenixbird was blind! They didn't talk much during the convention but they did say their goodbyes at the end. This was a new experience for Jason and he learned that he can have a girlfriend.

Review: This wasn't really my favorite book. Their were a few aspects I didn't enjoy about this book. First of all, this book doesn't really highlight internet safety. Jason chats and meets with random people off of the internet, who could've been very bad people for all he knew. His family let him use this website knowing the dangers and so did the school teachers. This doesn't leave a very good rule for people to follow. The girl he was chatting with could have been an old man. I also didn't enjoy how the book was really rushed at the end. Their wasn't really a hooking ending that made you think, smile, laugh, or cry. The end was boring and it didn't tie together the book. The only thing I enjoyed about the book was the main characters thought and feelings. I liked how Jason described the world around him. Overall, I probably would not recommend this book to kids my age. It was an easy, boring, read. (less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, amazing-must-reads, ya

This book is about a 12 yo boy named Jason Blake and he has autism and he just wants to fit in. The whole book is written in his perspective to us NT's or neurotypical's. He's telling us what everyday life is like for him & how he copes with it. Jason is not very good at verbally expressing his feeling but, he's really good with words and writing and writing stories. The way Jason describes his emotions and feelings and how certain things effect him really makes you appreciate what he's goin...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Carly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: t-l-307, chapter-books

This book is about a 12 year old boy with autism named Jason who is coping with life in a world full of "neurotypical" people. He has problems communicating with people and understanding why they do the things they do. Sometimes he is upset by something and will start with his "flying hands" or another one of his ticks that he can't control. Jason lives with his mother and father, and his younger brother Jeremy. While it's hard for him to communicate with them and they struggle every day, Jason...more This book is about a 12 year old boy with autism named Jason who is coping with life in a world full of "neurotypical" people. He has problems communicating with people and understanding why they do the things they do. Sometimes he is upset by something and will start with his "flying hands" or another one of his ticks that he can't control. Jason lives with his mother and father, and his younger brother Jeremy. While it's hard for him to communicate with them and they struggle every day, Jason still loves them very much and they are always supportive of him. Jason has a hard time making friends and a lot of the kids at school make fun of him, but he finds solace on a writer's website and social network called Storyboard. After posting one of his stories, Jason meets a girl with the screen name "Phoenixbird" and after discovering she is a girl named Rebecca, quickly develops a crush on her. They develop a friendship and Jason even starts to refer to her as his girlfriend. A couple of months later, Jason's parents decide to surprise him with a trip to the Storyboard convention in Dallas, Texas. This is great, until he finds out that Rebecca will be going as well. He does not want her to find out that he has autism because he thinks she won't like her. Jason has a big decision to make in this heartwarming/heartbreaking story about acceptance.

I absolutely loved this book. I am getting my teaching endorsement in special education, so I was excited to read a book from the point of view of a boy with autism. Jason's story really made my heart ache for all of the children out there with autism who are struggling every day to communicate with their families and peers, and who are just wishing they could find someone who understands them. The way this book was written from the point of view of Jason was absolutely amazing as it really reflected the way they a child with autism might think. Every page made me smile or made my heart break a little more in this emotion packed story. I would highly recommend this book to teachers to teach in their classroom at about age 6th or 7th grade as an independent read. I feel this book will open students' eyes in a great way and teach them to be more compassionate towards their peers that may be different from them. (less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Kristanne Duncan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jason Blake is a 12 year old autistic boy who is living in what he calls a neurotypical world. Jason is pretty quiet and he does not feel the need, nor does he understand, why people communicate they way they do. This book allows the reader to enter into Jason's head and understand what he he thinking and feeling. People do not understand Jason. Sometimes they talk slower or louder to him thinking it will help him to understand, but Jason understands just fine!while he is very smart, he often fa...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Alana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alana Chandler
October, 2012
Anything But Typical Book Review
Jason Blake is a 12-year old that is anything but typical, one of the reasons being his autism. Being autistic comes with problems like temper tantrums, being teased, and no one understanding what you really want. But Jason has a special talent that sets him above and beyond other tweens, his gift for writing. Writing takes him on adventures through words and lets him express his feelings without having to trip and stutter over his words...more Alana Chandler
October, 2012
Anything But Typical Book Review
Jason Blake is a 12-year old that is anything but typical, one of the reasons being his autism. Being autistic comes with problems like temper tantrums, being teased, and no one understanding what you really want. But Jason has a special talent that sets him above and beyond other tweens, his gift for writing. Writing takes him on adventures through words and lets him express his feelings without having to trip and stutter over his words. While he is writing on his online writing website one day, he meets a girl his age, PheonixBird (a.k.a. Rebecca), for the first time ever. He feels thrilled, but what if he happens to meet Rebecca and she sees his problems? What if she then doesn’t like him? What if? Read this anything but typical, heartwarming, unique novel by Nora Raleigh Baskin to discover Jason’s perspective in living in a world of neurotypicals; seeing the world in the eyes of a misunderstood writer.
I personally love Anything But Typical for the creativity Nora R. Baskin used to make the book in an autistic boy’s perspective. This book teaches people how to think differently towards different types of people which is a very important life lesson. Like “Don’t judge a person just by how they look,” or “Try to be understanding even if you don’t understand at first,” or “Take body language as signs to stop or keep going,” and many other lessons. Throughout the book, I felt a connection and understanding towards Jason for his thoughts and feelings, which I think many other people will feel while reading this wonderful novel. This book made me think of Jason and other people with autism differently. Some people may think that people with autism are “stupid”, but reading this made me realize that, no, that is not true, that autistic people just see the world in a different way than we see it. As Jason called us, we are neurotypicals, too typical, not thinking in other ways, just the “typical” way, and we have to see the world in different eyes to truly understand other people that we will meet throughout our lives. In some ways, people may describe this book as realistic fiction, others a romance drama, or even a comedy or an adventure novel, but in my opinion, the book is a mix of a little bit of everything. This book really touched my heart in so many different ways- from feeling aggravated when people pestered Jason with the blame for the class’s problems to feeling stuck and not knowing what to do about seeing a girl who Jason finally got to “talk” to- and I recommend this book for everyone looking for ways to see things in a way you never thought of before and something that you can’t stop reading until you’re done. Overall, I think Anything But Typical by Nora R. Baskin is a book that will change my mindset on people forever.(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Sheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

3-1/2 stars: I read this because it is a nominee for the 2012 Rebecca Caudill award and my daughter read it. The book was a quick read and pretty interesting. I like how it was told from the perspective of an autistic boy. He makes some great observations in his narrative about life and what he refers to as "neuro-typicals". Very deep thoughts for a 7th grader, many of which would make great topics for discussion in a classroom. The narrative bounces around a lot (from past to present and from t...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: characters-with-disabilities, character-development, class-book-group-book, empathy, intermediate-kids-book, point-of-view, theme, writing-connections, vocabulary, inference

This book touched me. Baskin did a wonderful job telling this story from Jason Blake's point of view. Jason is a twelve-year-old autistic boy who knows he is not a neurotypical kid. He knows other people view him as weird, unusual, and odd. He has stopped doing things he's loved because of being rejected. Through writing on Storyboard, an interactive writing site, he meets Rebecca who seems to understand him. They end up meeting at a Storyboard conference in Texas, and things don't go quite as h...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Leanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who's experienced not fitting in, those wishing to understand autism better

Shelves: childrens, male-protag

I just adored this. It was honest and sweet without being preachy.

I really liked that even though Jason did logically approach a lot of situations (the way most autistics do), including his writing - the way he perceived letters, words, etc - his talent lay in a "creative" field. Which is not often something I see applied to fictional autistic characters, and it was something I could certainly appreciate as a fellow logical creative sort (though not autistic, myself).

I liked how aware he was of...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Evanston Public Library added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Jason Blake has always been different. Loud sounds hurt his ears, he can't focus on faces, and he can't seem to keep his limbs still. Finally diagnosed as autistic at the age of eight, Jason is relieved to learn why the grass feels like needles to him when other kids and lay and play on it. But Jason can write beautifully and he meets a special girl who goes by the user name Phoenixbird on an online writing website called Storyboard. Phoenixbird, whose real name is Rebecca, and Jason strike up a...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Shel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

Baskin, N.R. (2009). Anything But Typical. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

195 pages.

Appetizer: 12-year-old Jason Blake is good with words. He's a writer. And posting his stories on an online story website is the way that he engages with people. He has trouble speaking to people in person and expressing his emotions because he is autistic. He thinks that because he has trouble expressing what he feels, many neurotypicals, like his classmates, assume he doesn't feel. Most p...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Lacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chapter-books, cultural-books, identity-books, t-l-307-books, disabilities

This novel, written for a middle-school audience, is written from the perspective of Jason Blake, a 12-year-old boy with autism. Jason struggles in school, but has a special talent for writing, through which he can truly express himself. He shares his writing on an online site, through which he interacts with another writer, Rebecca, who enjoys his stories. Jason cherishes his connection with Rebecca, but when the opportunity arises for them to meet in person, he worries she will no longer accep...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Carolyn Roys rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rebecca-caudill-2013

Nothing makes me more angry then finding lots of mistakes within a book that isn't a pre-pub. I counted five and that just detracts from the story. Don't we edit or proofread things anymore? Especially in children's books? There really is no excuse. Ironic that the boy is talking about writing and revising all the way through the book and it didn't happen in this one. Sadly, it probably wasn't that way from the author. Sure, I learn more of what goes on in the head of this autistic 6th grader, b...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Tami rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-realistic-fiction, ya-contemporary-realistic-fiction

The main character (and narrator) in Anything But Typical is Jason, an autistic 12-year-old. Jason’s observations about himself, his parents, fellow students and teachers are exquisitely insightful.

Autism is not a new subject but I think it is one that is confusing to many people–both those who are personally involved with it and those who are not. Autism is often defined as ’seeing things differently.’ As much as we talk about appreciating differences, it remains a challenging concept for all o...more The main character (and narrator) in Anything But Typical is Jason, an autistic 12-year-old. Jason’s observations about himself, his parents, fellow students and teachers are exquisitely insightful.

Autism is not a new subject but I think it is one that is confusing to many people–both those who are personally involved with it and those who are not. Autism is often defined as ’seeing things differently.’ As much as we talk about appreciating differences, it remains a challenging concept for all of us. Jason is able to express this with specific examples from his own life. He observes that people will say one thing with their words, but mean something entirely different. He has learned about “being mean” from classmates who call him names and laugh at him.

Many times he is frustrated because he cannot put into words what he is feeling, or wants to express. How many of us have experienced the same thing? And then Jason discovers writing. He can use words to express himself in a way that is inspired! He posts stories on a Storyboard website. He finds his stories allow him to both express and work through some of his thoughts and feelings. His stories are noticed by another reader–a girl, who recognizes the beauty and poignancy of his writing. When Jason finds out he will be attending the Storyboard convention at the same time she is, he is afraid of what will happen when she meets him in person.

Anything But Typical leaves me in awe. It is another of those books that allows me to think and reflect in a different way about the people around me and how we communicate with each other. I feel as if it has given me a precious gift: a reminder of the importance of listening with my heart as well as my ears. This book has the potential to make each reader a better person in the small daily ways that help us appreciate one another.

I highly recommend this book as both an independent and a read-aloud selection, for middle school age readers especially. I would definitely use this as a read-aloud selection in a 6th Grade (maybe also 5th Grade) classroom. It offers a springboard for so many discussions–some of which could involve autism specifically, but not necessarily.
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Mar 13, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-fiction, disabilities, realistic-fiction, website

Jason has autism and sees the world differently than everyone else. He struggles with communicating with the NTs, he doesn't like looking people in the eye, he sometimes has strange movements. But what he does like is to write stories and post them on the Storyboard website. Then one day he makes a friend on the website, a girl friend, and he thinks she could be his first girlfriend. They chat and read each others stories and everything is great until Jason finds out they are both going to the S...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kid-life

12 year-old Jason is in the 6th grade. He is an avid writer and likes to spend his free time on a website called Storyboard, an online space where users share stories they’ve written with each other.

Jason likes Storyboard so much because he can do all of his communicating with written words. He doesn’t have to look at anybody and they don’t have to look at him. On Storyboard he doesn’t have to figure out anybody’s facial expressions or body language. Because he is autistic, these things are hard...more 12 year-old Jason is in the 6th grade. He is an avid writer and likes to spend his free time on a website called Storyboard, an online space where users share stories they’ve written with each other.

Jason likes Storyboard so much because he can do all of his communicating with written words. He doesn’t have to look at anybody and they don’t have to look at him. On Storyboard he doesn’t have to figure out anybody’s facial expressions or body language. Because he is autistic, these things are hard for Jason. Plus, when he’s online, nobody notices if he blinks his eyes a lot or flaps his hands.

Jason has a huge vocabulary and active imagination. He shares a story online that is discovered by fellow Storyboarder Rebecca. They begin to communicate about their writing on Storyboard and a friendship develops - perhaps the first real friendship Jason has ever had.

I really liked this book because Jason tells the story. You get to see how Jason sees the world as an autistic person. Being able to tell how another person is feeling by looking at the expression on their face or by observing how they move their body…that seems really simple to us “neurotypicals.” Jason has to struggle with interpreting these messages all the time. His brain is just not wired to pick up on those signals from other people.

It is really interesting to hear Jason describe how odd and mysterious our behaviors seem to him. If somebody scowls at Jason, he doesn’t get the message that the person is mad. He may look at the person and say, “are you having a good day?” which will just make the person madder…even though Jason intended to be nice. In order for Jason to know that the person is angry the person would have to say the words outloud, “I am angry.”

And Jason does have some odd behaviors…like blinking his eyes a lot. Some of his habits are so noticable they drown out the fact that there is lot more normal about Jason than there is not normal. Seeing what is normal about Jason is what this book is all about.

For more: http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?p=5525 (less)

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Feb 22, 2012 M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On the 2013 Caudill list. I read this in one sitting. I wanted to find out how it ended. It is told from the point of view of Jason, age 12, who is somewhere on the autism spectrum. Jason is high functioning mentally, but he does flap his hands and tear at his hair and exhibit other behaviors unusual for the "neuro-typical" preteen. Sometimes he acts out and it's not always clear what he has done--he himself doesn't remember. Other times he's blamed when other kids misbehave. He's learned enough...more On the 2013 Caudill list. I read this in one sitting. I wanted to find out how it ended. It is told from the point of view of Jason, age 12, who is somewhere on the autism spectrum. Jason is high functioning mentally, but he does flap his hands and tear at his hair and exhibit other behaviors unusual for the "neuro-typical" preteen. Sometimes he acts out and it's not always clear what he has done--he himself doesn't remember. Other times he's blamed when other kids misbehave. He's learned enough "normal" behavior to dispense with his one-on-one aide at school, but he struggles with figuring out who he's interacting with (little ability for facial recognition), what emotion/s the other person is expressing, and what his appropriate reaction should be. He's hypersensitive to physical sensation--a teacher's hands on his shoulders feel almost unbearably oppressive; and he's hypersensitive to the nuances of words' meanings so that he's never quite sure what a speaker really means.

Jason has very good relationships with his parents and his younger brother and with one boy at school. Others are more problematic.

He does communicate very beautifully through his writing on Storyboards.com where he publishes his short stories. On this website he meets a girl, Phoenixbird, who becomes a friend. As the story develops, his parents decide to take him to the Storyboard convention but then he doesn't want to go because the girl will also be there and he's sure she'll reject him like almost everyone else does. By the way, the book comes to a satisfactory conclusion although possibly not the expected one.

Although the book is beautifully written, I do wonder at the degree of emotional introspection and emotional insight Jason has in regards to his situation. How many 12-year old boys do this, or are capable of doing this? On the other hand, Jason is clearly very gifted mentally, unlike many other kids on the autism spectrum. I came away with the feeling he was trapped inside his body much like someone with a wasting disease rendering his/her muscles useless.

Probably best for someone dealing with an autistic child, sibling, classmate, or other. Probably Y/A. Not for someone who will generalize all autistic children to be a Jason.

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Feb 16, 2012 Amelia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I like the way it was told through the eyes of a young man with autism. He has all these words inside him, and seemingly only one way to express himself - through writing. I think this is an excellent book for all middle school kids to read, especially if they interact with kids with autism on a daily basis. They might just see themselves in the book, wheter it's as one of the many ignorant mean kids, or as an Aaron Miller who allows Jason to just be and explains thin...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An autistic boy, who has always had trouble communicating with people finally finds someone that he can talk to with ease. Jason is a 12 year old who finds writing stories on a story board website helps him express his feelings. One day Jason looked to see if he had any comments on one of his stories and in fact he did. Him and Phoenixbird(the person that commented on his story) started to talk a lot. When there was a story board convention Jason’s Parents thought it would be perfect for him so...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Alma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-2010-11

Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Anything But Typical. Scholastic. 2009. 195 pp. ISBN: 9780545296533. Genre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: 3.81 Stars. Jason, a 12 year old boy with autism, feels like he has found his first friend on an on-line blogging site and he can be himself.

Summary: Jason, feels like ‘normal’ when he is behind the computer writing his stories to his new friend, Pheonixbird (a girl). What will happen if they meet face to face and all she sees is his autism? Jason is faced with the daily str...more

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About Nora Raleigh Baskin

Truth- I started writing seriously in 5th grade. I began with poetry. All I remember about my first poem, was that it had something to do with reincarnation. It was short but startlingly profound (so I thought). But what I remember most was my teacher’s reaction. She loved it. My life was changed. I had discovered the power of words.

By 6th grade I was writing short stories and keeping journals. I...more

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Quotes from Anything But Typical

“Romance goes like this:
Boy gets girl.
Boy loses girl.
Boy gets girl again.
The end.
It can't be any other way.” — 22 people liked it

“All we are, all we can be, are the stories we tell," he says, and he is talking as if he is talking only to me. "Long after we are gone, our words will be all that is left, and who is to say what really happened or even what reality is? Our stories, our fiction, our words will be as close to truth as can be. And no one can take that away from you.” — 16 people liked it

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