Armond Goes to a Party

October 1, 2014

Gr 1-3-This picture book coauthored by a middle school student with Asperger's syndrome sheds light on the disorder. Armond is anxious about Felicia's upcoming birthday party. In many ways, he is like most kids-he loves to read, is obsessed with dinosaurs, and enjoys playing basketball. However, because Armond has Asperger's, he finds social situations challenging. After receiving some motherly advice about friendship, he decides to attend the party. When the boy arrives, his senses are immediately overloaded by the sights of balloons and bubbles, the smell of dirty diapers, the sounds of crying babies and loud guests, and the general disorder of the party. With triggered nerves, Armond asks for a break, and in return, Felicia and her mom give support, providing him with a quiet room to read and play. Now calm and ready to rejoin the group, he is happy to be included in the rest of the party's activities. The author employs her traditional illustrative style, artfully reflecting the world as a child with Asperger's might see it-full of distracting colors, shapes, and patterns mixing together. The cluttered and chaotic image of the party scene with Armond at the center evokes the isolation many kids with Asperger's have in similar situations. The "Note to Grown-Ups" is particularly valuable, with directives to adults about how they can support children with Asperger's in making friends. Except for the occasional metaphor, which might prove distracting to concrete and literal readers, the simple writing style makes this an accessible life-skills guide about friendship for children with autism spectrum disorders. This optimistic story is a worthwhile purchase for libraries seeking to increase their collection of inclusive material written for and about children with special needs.-Renee Grassi, Glen Ellyn Public Library, IL

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