Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism

by Laurie Lears, Karen Ritz (Illustrator)

Overview

Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award
2002 Children's Crown Gallery Award Master List
Pick of the Lists, American Bookseller
Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 1999, IBBY

Julie can't wait to go to the park, But she's not sure she wants to take her little brother, Ian, who has autism.

Julie can't wait to go to the park and feed the ducks with her big sister, Tara. There's only one problem. Her little brother, Ian, who has autism, wants to go, too. Ian doesn't have the same reactions to all the sights and sounds that his sisters have, and Julie thinks he looks silly. But when he wanders off on his own, she must try to see the world through his eyes in order to find him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807534816
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	01/01/1998
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	680,974
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laurie Lears lives on a small farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. She teaches kindergarten and has two grown daughters and a granddaughter. She has written several books for children.

Editorial Reviews

Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award
2002 Children's Crown Gallery Award Master List
Pick of the Lists, American Bookseller
Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 1999, IBBY

"So genuine are the paintings of narrator Julie, her big sister, Tara, and her younger autistic brother, Ian, that the three children look as though they will continue walking, tying a shoe, or feeding the ducks just as soon as the page is turned…Through its simple plot, the story conveys a complex family relationship and demonstrates the ambivalent emotions Julie feels about her autistic brother."—Booklist

"This is not so much a story about Ian's autism as it is a subtle portrait of how his autism affects his older sister, Julie…Without shying away from autism, the text and illustrations underplay it to create an ordinary, everyday scenario in which Julie's reactions could be those of any impatient older sibling. This unsensationalized tone is maintained to the end when Julie realizes that she appreciates Ian not so much for his differences, but simply for who he is."—The Horn Book

From the Publisher

Gr 1-3-Julie, who appears to be eight or nine, tells about an outing to the park with her older sister and younger brother, who is autistic. As they walk through town, she describes the things that Ian does and the sensations he experiences that are different from what most people do and feel. At the park, Ian eats dry cereal he has brought with him instead of pizza and refuses to sit on the bench with Julie. Suddenly, she looks around and notices that he is gone. The girls frantically search for him until, hearing a ringing sound, Julie remembers how much Ian likes to play with the big bell. She runs to find Ian under it, happily ringing away. On the way home, the girls let their brother do all the things he enjoys. This book tries to help families of autistic children understand the role of siblings, their anger, and the problems they may have explaining the disorder to others. However, it does not give enough specific information to be truly useful. As a story, this offering is pleasant enough; however, the picture-book format may not appeal to older youngsters who could benefit from it themselves or share it with their friends. It may, however, help to introduce some behaviors that may be typical of autism to primary-grade audiences.-Margaret C. Howell, West Springfield Elementary School, VA

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