Can You See Me?: A powerful story of autism, empathy and kindness

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this is such a good representation of what it's like to be growing up as an autistic person and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to understand more what it's like to be autistic. It would have been much better if there was more 'show' and much less 'tell'. A better book would try to recreate autism not explain it. Or is it a children's book where everything important has to be spelled out descriptively? It just doesn't ring authentic: it's got adult/ autism expert written all over it.

Tally’s friends don’t really get her either. They seem to expect Tally to be and act like them and that is something that Tally isn’t comfortable with. “ ... they make her feel like she is clinging to the side of a cliff while her friends all peel her fingers off the edge, one at a time." And then there’s Luke, the bully, who makes her life miserable at school with all his nasty comments. The fact that this book has been inspired by a young girl called Libby using her diary entries of her life with autism has made this book so much more pleasure to read as Libby’s voice is heard through the character tally.There were some parts that made me cry because it was exactly like my experience at school. Her relationship with her sister was similar to my relationship with my brother. The relationship with her mum, being the one who understands, was the same with me. For me, the narrator's voice is way too self aware, reflective, experienced, emotionally articulate, for an 11 year old, never mind an 11 year old with autism. Tally is eleven years old and she's just like her friends. Well, sometimes she is. If she tries really hard to be. Because there's something that makes Tally not the same as her friends. Something she can't cover up, no matter how hard she tries: Tally is autistic. Es una novela estupenda, nos ha encantado conocer a Tally y su manera de ver la vida. La historia tiene de todo y se agradecen muchísimo las entradas del blog. Es increíble la cantidad de ideas equivocadas que tenemos sobre la gente autista. Creo que este libro deberían leerlo en todos los colegios. Por mi parte, pienso recomendarlo mucho en la librería.

Thus, reading a book entitled Can You See Me? about a struggling kid at a similar age was very timely. This story follows the experiences of a fictional eleven-year-old girl named Tally who is on the autism spectrum, and who is struggling to adjust to school. Her experiences are drawn from the life of this book's young coauthor, and these contributions give a very realistic flavor to the story, both in terms of the autism experience and the thoughts and feelings of a child beginning middle school. I am not autistic, and I had the very great blessing of being homeschooled, which I appreciated even more after reading this book. However, I deeply identify with Tally's high sensitivity to stimulation and agitation over it, her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, some of her tics, and her constant stress over trying to find some way to appear at least semi-normal, or at least normal enough to fly under the radar. This was also my first time reading a novel that reflected some of my behavioral issues from the past. Although Tally's are more extreme than mine were, or at least seem to make less rational sense, her feelings of grinding anxiety, rage, and explosion are painfully familiar to me. It is early days but I really think this book is going to change a lot about how I think about things and how I support my daughter.Tally has autism which includes a very difficult condition known as demand avoidance. What that means is if someone tells her to do something straight out, she absolutely can not do it. This condition makes her behavior hard to understand, at times. Nell, her older sister, doesn’t want to understand and just wants Tally to be normal and do what she’s supposed to do. Even Tally’s Dad, at times, forgets how he’s supposed to phrase things and often his words lead to confrontation. Tally Olivia Adams is 12 years old and in 7th grade with her friends Lucy Aisha and Layla. Her big sister Nell is boring and annoying. Her parents struggle to help her with her autism. Tally life turns around as unexpected events come around .... One thing Tally had that I did not have was the knowledge that she is autistic, she knew - I wish I had known and I wish I had books like this when I was that age. Endearing, insightful and warmly uplifting, Can You SeeMe? is a story of autism, empathy and kindness that will touch readers of all ages. About This Edition ISBN:

People think that because Tally's autistic, she doesn'trealise what they're thinking, but Tally sees and hears - and notices - all of it. And, honestly? That's not the easiest thing to live with. This glimpse into the world of a young autistic girl is astonishingly insightful and honest. Tally's struggles to 'fit in' are heart-wrenching, and her victories are glorious." -- Ann M. Martin, Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling author of Rain Reign There is no major twists or turns I'll say, but it is a sad and uplifting story altogether. Tally endures rough times and finds her autism hard . This is a challenging read about a family learning to understand and deal with Tally’s condition. Because the author has this type of condition, the text is very honest. Tally’s diary entries are another way that the author lets the reader inside Tally’s mind. “It feels like being trapped in a scary persuasive brain that makes me believe incorrect and extreme thoughts." Tally just wants people to try to accept her for who she is. "When I'm behaving at my worst, it actually means I'm struggling the most." A great window read aloud to help students understand autism in a new way.

This may be the most annoying book I've ever read! The idea of featuring autistic characters in fiction is a good one, and I think it's a great idea to help people understand what it's like to live with autism. But in spite of being based on the real life experience of a girl with autism, it doesn't ring true. The story is too didactic, and Tally's "Top Tips" for dealing with someone with autism sound like something an adult would say, not a middle school girl.