Book Review: Slug Days

[image error]“On slug days Lauren feels slow and slimy. She feels like everyone yells at her, and that she has no friends. Today there is a different bus driver; Dan and Sachi are sitting in Lauren’s seat on the bus; and Lauren’s teacher interrupts her reading time. It is definitely a slug day. But not every day is like this. On butterfly days Lauren makes her classmates laugh, or goes to get ice cream, or works on a special project with Mom.

Lauren has Autism Spectrum Disorder (an umbrella term that has included Asperger Syndrome since 2013), and she sees the world differently from many people. Sometimes this can be frustrating and makes Lauren want to flip her lid, especially at school where she learns differently from her classmates. But with support and stubbornness and a flair that’s all her own, Lauren masters tricks to stay calm, to understand others’ feelings, and to let her personality shine. She even manages to find common ground with her sticky, slobbery baby sister. Best of all, it is being different that gives Lauren insight into the insecurities of the new student, Irma.” (from Goodreads)

I have to start off by admiring the cover art–front and back. It is seriously cute and portrayed the whole story perfectly.

I picked this book up because it deals with a topic I know very little about (and the cover art was cute). It did a good job explaining Autism Spectrum Disorder without focusing on the disorder itself but instead telling an entertaining, meaningful story from the perspective of a little girl. It was eye-opening to see Lauren’s day to day life–all the things she struggled with and all the things she loved. Her family was sweet, and it blessed me to see her parents and teachers gently help her learn to understand what other people were thinking/feeling. “Insectville” was very cute (I want to make a diorama too now), especially with the adorable illustration style. I couldn’t help but smile when Lauren read aloud to the baby.